Royal Navy's trainee engineers show off their techy talent for British Science Week

Young sailors from the home of the navy’s air engineering and survival equipment school at HMS Sultan in Gosport have been put in the spotlight.

The military establishment is where sailors tackle their professional training for engineering roles across the fleet, following the completion of their basic training.

And Sultan has received a boost in its facilities, with an upgrade of equipment to give the engineers a better understanding of the technology they will be using on warships while on operations.

Among the overhauls includes new IT equipment at the Defence School of Marine Engineering.

Controls and diagnostics specialist instructor Stuart Sharp said: ‘The upgrade offers a significant improvement, it’s much faster and more compact and also offers us with the ability to adapt the scenarios that trainees will work through.’

As well as marking British Science Week, HMS Sultan has also highlighted Women’s History Month by celebrating its female sailors.

Trainee Air Engineering Technician Danielle Beckinsale said: ‘I’d not done any engineering before joining the Royal Navy, but I thought I’d give it a go and it’s been good so far.

‘Although I’m the only woman in my class, I’ve never felt any different to my classmates and I’ve still been able to make friends with lots of other girls who are in training.’

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Probationary Leading Air Engineering Technician Janine Fergus added: ‘I’ve always been interested in science and engineering as they appeal to my inquisitive mind.

‘I studied STEM subjects at college and gained an oceanography degree before joining the Royal Navy and I’m really enjoying the hands-on aspect of the training I’m undertaking now.

‘In all my studies and throughout my career, I’ve never felt that being a woman has been a barrier. It doesn’t matter if you’re a woman, if you’re motivated to do a job and do it well then you can do it.’

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