Trading her canvas for CAD, apprentice alumni Zara-lea Field is proving that a background in art can be manufacturing 'superpower', helping her bring a fresh creative perspective that is driving innovation on the shop floor. 

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2026 we spoke to Zara-lea, a workshop support technician at the University of Sheffield AMRC Cymru, who hasn’t followed a conventional route like some of her colleagues have on the journey to becoming an engineer.

The 25-year-old, who first gained an appreciation for practical problem-solving working on a local farm, studied art and design at West Cheshire College for three years. She had intended to take a gap year in New Zealand with intentions of attending university afterwards but the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to the rest of her travel and left her university plans uncertain. 

Zara-lea soon found herself longing for a clear career direction.

"I couldn’t afford the time or financial strain of returning to full-time education,” she said. “An apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to learn, earn, and progress all at the same time.”

She undertook a level two and three mechanical engineering course, for her workshop technician apprenticeship at Coleg Cambria and advocates for changing direction and feeling comfortable doing so. She added: “Don’t feel pressured to follow a path because it’s suggested early in education. People’s opinions and stories can make it seem like your options are limited, but they are not.”

Zara-lea says she initially worried about ’imposter syndrome’ because her route into engineering differed from that of colleagues who had undertaken the traditional  university route. However, she soon realised that her art background was actually her ’superpower’. Her artistic curiosity and material knowledge enhances her experience with 3D printing and prototypes and brings a diverse way of thinking to the workshop that creates fresher ideas and better outcomes.

Community and mentorship in manufacturing

A core theme of Zara-lea’s apprenticeship experience is the importance of the manufacturing community. While she was the only apprentice at AMRC Cymru, she found immense support from colleagues who volunteered their time to help her progress in her studies. She feels this is a hidden advantage to the apprenticeship route - the people you meet along the way and the connections you make that make you a better person and colleague. 

She said; “The people that have volunteered their time to help me have been phenomenal, there's a small collection of people that I literally can't thank enough, they taught me so much that I really would have really struggled with otherwise.”

She says being able to bring insights back into the workplace and see how they fit into what she does day to day is a great way of putting her learning into practice.

Unlike a traditional classroom, Zara-lea says her apprenticeship allowed her to integrate directly into the professional environment, learning the ’politics’, customer service, and team dynamics that define the industry.

She added: “Being exposed to a variety of situations, sectors, and people I relate to in different roles has been incredibly valuable.”

She says connecting with other apprentices and tutors showed her that there is no ‘traditional’ route, making her feel comfortable in her own journey.

Women in manufacturing: a link in the chain of change

During her time at college, Zara-lea explains that she drew inspiration from women who bring people together, and she now pays that forward by volunteering her time to run workshops for college students. 

As a woman in a historically male-dominated sector, Zara-lea is passionate about breaking down outdated assumptions. While she encountered ’old ways of thinking’ around ‘unconventional’ candidates being on the course during her time at college, she used those experiences to fuel her resilience. Rather than passing a baton of inspiration she feels that we can all play a continuing role in the chain of change. 

She said: "We, as a society, are redefining what an engineer looks like. It’s on us to continue that change by creating workplace standards rooted in respect and free from outdated assumptions."