One pattern that has repeated across the 108 podcasts published since Designed for Life launched in the summer of 2020 is the role of serendipity in aligning people and their careers.

Today's podcast is a case in point. Driven by a primal desire to help people, Olivia set her heart on a career in medicine. School and academia did not come easily to her, and she realised at a very early stage that if she were to have any hope of following her dream, she would need to roll her sleeves up and work harder than most.

With this in mind, this is precisely what she did, sacrificing aspects of her social life and doing whatever was asked of her at school to achieve her goals, and more. Outstanding GCSE results followed, with Olivia being featured on her school's website front page as a success story. Here, the rhetoric changed as teachers now looked upon her as an 'academic' and as such, started to point her towards A Level success and University.

Some careers are no doubt easier to enter if you come from the middle or upper classes. Finance is a factor if you want to enter architecture, medicine, law and many other career pathways; who you know and your access to work placements and internships are also significant factors.

Olivia took a year out to rethink her future and, at first, saw Amazon as a way to earn money while she refocused. She is now a Mechantronics Engineering Apprentice at Amazon and is in her flow state in this position.

I first came across Olivia at a recent Women in Manufacturing Conference, where she was on a panel alongside equally impressive fellow apprentices, and I had to ask her to share her story on the podcast. There is so much to learn from both her journey and where she is today. So sit back, take an hour for yourself and enjoy Designed for Life - In conversation with Olivia Lane.

Huge thanks to Arachne.digital for their support that makes this podcast possible. To get a free check on your school's cyber security email contact@arachne.digital

For more information, please see Girls Gone STEM on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@girlsgonestem?_r=1&_t=ZN-91udctoZ8WE.

Or check Olivia's LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-lane-02bb802a2?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

You can cover so much learning within the confines of the classroom, but with design & technology education, whether at the primary or secondary level, a carefully planned educational visit can add so much.

At the Design & Technology Association, we are always seeking potential visits to recommend to teachers and their students. With this in mind, we are delighted to talk with Julie Brierley, Head of Learning and Engagement at the excellent RAF Museum, Midlands.

In this podcast, Julie takes us back to a mixed experience at school. Loving her primary school experience, and then finding secondary school to be less than welcoming to a shy, introverted student. Design and Technology education proved to be a sanctuary within this environment, and being one of the few female students was not a barrier to her loving the subject.

Set on a career in nursing, she surprised everyone (parents included) by leaving school as soon as she could and joining the RAF as an apprentice flight engineer. Here she found her 'tribe' and was immediately at home, but as we will hear in the podcast, this was before equality of opportunity reached the forces. As a woman, there were several challenges to overcome.

Julie is now Head of Learning and Engagement at RAF Museum Midlands, a perfect setting to study all things D&T, maths, science and across most of the curriculum.

This is a tale of perseverance, about finding what you love, sticking with it, and finding a working role that plays to your strengths and brings you fulfilment and joy! I loved the conversation, and I think you will too.

Thanks to Arachne.digital for their continued support, which enables us to bring these conversations to you. Please reach out to request a consultation to secure your school's cyber presence by emailing contact@arachne.digital or visiting arachne.digital

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/schools-and-colleges/

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/schools-and-colleges/learning-events/

We have been offline for a short while whilst we evaluate, reconsider where the podcast is heading and reset. This is the first of what will be a regular series of brief updates between the main podcasts.

In these, we aim to tell you what we are up to at the Design & Technology Association, highlight any primary areas of work you might not be aware of, discuss what's going on with the subject, and occasionally bring in guests to help inform the conversation.

These pods will never be more than 12 minutes in length and will be released between the main Designed for Life podcasts...but only when there is something relevant to say!

Let us know what you think.