Happy 18th Birthday to our latest apprentice, our first female engineer.

She is Platts & Nisbett’s first female surgical instrument maker, and to our knowledge, the only female in the country who is learning how to make surgical instruments by hand.

In last year’s Apprentice Interviews, she scored the highest of all candidates in our practical test, and was chosen from a group of strong applicants.

An apprenticeship at Platts & Nisbett takes Five Years to complete. During her first year, the focus has been on learning to how to make Atraumatic Clamps which are used to clamp vessels during surgery. These instruments are used to stop the flow of blood during surgery, and once removed must not cause damage to the vessel. The quality must be exacting, and this is something we teach from day one.

Visit www.plattsnisbett.com/behind-the-scenes to see our apprentices in action.

1 in 10 girls think that STEM careers are jobs for boys, so it would be great to change that perception. With the theme for International Women’s Day 2019 being #BalanceforBetter, let’s inspire the next generation of female engineers #WomenInSTEM.