0:00:10 > 0:00:14Many of the things that we work on are mission critical.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17They save lives, they protect our troops.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26The single biggest killer of British troops in Helmand, the roadside bomb.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Some 80% of British deaths at the hands of the Taliban
0:00:29 > 0:00:32are down to these, improvised explosive devices.
0:00:40 > 0:00:46Robots are an increasingly important part of engineering today.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52QinetiQ is an international company.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55One of the things they specialise in is robotic engineering.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59So, it's quite simple. That's battery levels, video signal,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02so now you've got the video signal level, which is useful.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04When used in potentially dangerous areas,
0:01:04 > 0:01:10robots can protect human lives, making them hugely valuable.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are forcing QinetiQ engineers here
0:01:13 > 0:01:18to continually redesign their robots to deal with the latest threats.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24TALON robots are used to reduce the risk to soldiers' lives.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Here, the teams produce an army of up to 100 robots every single month.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41TALONS are built to be repaired in battle.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Their major parts can be removed quickly, using fast-release pins.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53The robots enable soldiers to keep a safe distance,
0:01:53 > 0:01:561,200 metres away from explosive devices.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16There's a misconception about the use of robots in the battlefield.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20There are no autonomous robots making their own decisions.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24They're human-operated machines, where the human decides
0:02:24 > 0:02:28where it goes, how fast it goes, what it does when it gets there.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It allows a soldier in a battlefield to have an arm that's a mile long.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Most of TALON's clever design specifications
0:02:37 > 0:02:39are a closely-guarded secret.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44But their electric motors are powerful enough to pull a small car.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48They're equipped with up to four hi-spec cameras,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51allowing their operators a 360-degree view.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59And with infra-red and night vision, TALONs can see in the dark.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03In fact, they can see better than humans in the dark.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10The TALON uses a manoeuvrable gripper and arm to perform tasks.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15A key design feature is that it can be replaced quickly and easily.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18New arms are attached to the robot in less than 20 minutes,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22because that arm is what gets blown up many, many, many times.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26We want an expendable hand.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35But these clever robots are not just used on the battlefield.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39They can be modified to enter other deadly environments.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Jen Pagani is a sensor specialist,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44who has worked with robots for six years.
0:03:44 > 0:03:50She's currently adapting robots to be used by civilian rescue services.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54This quick-release rack has an array of detection instruments.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58One of the sensors is a toxic industrial chemical detector.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Another sensor is a radiation detector.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05And we have a detection instrument that is a confined-space gas monitor,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09so it'll detect combustible gases and other gas-type threats.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13We also have a temperature sensor on this specific robot as well.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Thank you.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19We're just going to verify all of the detection instruments
0:04:19 > 0:04:22are communicating back to the operator control unit.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Test one.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26MACHINE BEEPS
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Communications check.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Check.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32The gases TALON detects are so deadly,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Jen uses a safe chemical substitute to check its sensors are working.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38ALARM SOUNDS
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- Clear?- Clear.- OK.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Jen has been working with colleagues in the UK on this new project.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It'll tell you chlorine and carbon dioxide.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52But it'll also tell you your combustible limits as well.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Could we put a different sensor with it, or would that be complicated?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59We'll get that right over to you and test it out.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03It would be really great to hear feedback from the London Fire Brigade
0:05:03 > 0:05:05of which sensor they like better.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07OK, I'll let you know how we get on when we get it.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Great. Thanks, Rob. Talk to you soon.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19This work means TALON robots are being deployed on streets in the UK,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22used by the London Fire Service.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Here, a specialist team are already on 24-hour standby
0:05:27 > 0:05:30to be called to industrial fires.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33The idea is that we're a hazardous materials response team,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36so that if the fire brigade encounters a situation
0:05:36 > 0:05:38where hazardous materials are involved,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41we can give them the stand-off to keep their guys safe
0:05:41 > 0:05:43by deploying robotic vehicles.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48TALON and its big brother, Bison,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50are operated from a custom-fitted vehicle.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01So this is the command centre of the van,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04so we can record all the video feeds from all of the robots,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07including the van cameras, and everything that's going on,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09automatically for forensic evidence
0:06:09 > 0:06:13if the fire brigade needs it at a later date.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15If this London experiment works,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17not only will we see robots on the battlefield,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20but also on the streets of the UK,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22as they deal with emergency chemical incidents,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25potentially saving hundreds of lives.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41The submarine's huge. It's 100 metres long, it's three decks deep.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45There is no inch of the submarine similar to another inch of it.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I would definitely put it in the same league as the space shuttle,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50or projects of that size.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55To my mind, this is a 7,000-ton Swiss watch.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59There are stages when it's like blacksmithing, and stages when it's like brain surgery.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10The Astute is among the world's most technologically-advanced machines.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Computer-aided design and manufacturing, or CAD-CAM,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17is a tool that allows for accuracy
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and essentially to try ideas out, saving money and time.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25It allows for continual evaluation, analysis and redesign where needed.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32When building something as complex and as expensive
0:07:32 > 0:07:36as a nuclear submarine, this process is essential.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40The naval architecture team are some of the best in the world.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44The submarine is designed to operate in a very hostile environment,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46which is under the sea, at pressure.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49It's a salty environment, it wants to corrode.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53And at the same time, it has to keep its crew of 97 crew
0:07:53 > 0:07:56safe for about a three-month period without surfacing.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01So it has to make its own air, its own water, carries its own food.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03And it has to operate as a war-fighting machine as well.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09With around 600 people involved in the design process alone,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13this is one of the largest concentrations of such expertise.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15This computer simulation shows us
0:08:15 > 0:08:18the whole submarine response to an underwater shock,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21so an explosion of some sort of some underwater weapon.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25It helps us figure out what stresses the boat will see...
0:08:25 > 0:08:29The accelerations equipment may see, that are in the boat.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32So it helps us design the boat to survive, basically.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37These designers are potentially saving millions of pounds.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40It'd be far more costly if things were built and didn't work out.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The main reason for us using these computer simulation processes
0:08:43 > 0:08:47is it's too expensive and too difficult to do this testing
0:08:47 > 0:08:48in real life, on real submarines.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Virtual testing like this, allowing infinite changes
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and able to store vast amounts of information,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00is a vital part of the design process.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05We build it first inside a computer-aided model.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09So we build it, lay it all out, to make sure people can operate it.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Also it can meet its functional performances as well.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Once we've done that, we move on to actually issuing all the drawings.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19So all the drawings originate from our computer-aided model.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Them drawings then go to our operations department
0:09:22 > 0:09:24who actually build Astute.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36The Astute contains more than a million individual components,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39designed on a computer but built by hand.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Many of things we work on are mission-critical.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56They save lives, they protect our troops.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03QinetiQ can work on classified Government projects,
0:10:03 > 0:10:08so everybody is security cleared at least as far as Restricted,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10often up to as far as Secret.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28QinetiQ is an international company
0:10:28 > 0:10:31that specialises in top secret Government defence projects.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37But one of their current projects, involving smart materials
0:10:37 > 0:10:40as used in stealth technology by the military,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43is now being used in the production of wind turbines.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47By 2020, the UK must increase its green energy production
0:10:47 > 0:10:50from 2% to 15%.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53As we're Europe's windiest country, harnessing this resource
0:10:53 > 0:10:55could be the key to helping us meet this target.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00A single onshore wind turbine can meet the energy needs
0:11:00 > 0:11:02of 1,100 households a year.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07But there is a serious problem with them.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Across the country, the construction of thousands of turbines,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14enough to provide power for 3.4 million homes,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18are on hold because of the unique effect they have on aviation radar.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Air traffic controllers use bounced radar pulses
0:11:24 > 0:11:26to locate moving objects.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Because of their spinning blades, turbines reflect these pulses
0:11:33 > 0:11:36in the same way as an aeroplane, so air traffic control
0:11:36 > 0:11:40can't distinguish between a wind farm and a rogue moving aircraft.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53But now engineers believe they may have found the solution.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57Stealth technology.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03For over six decades, they've been working on ways
0:12:03 > 0:12:07to make boats and planes disappear from enemy radar,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09and now the team are applying these techniques
0:12:09 > 0:12:11to the wind turbine problem.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12- Ready?- Yeah.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- Clear, yeah.- It's looking good. - Round about 30dB.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Stealth is the shape of the vehicle and it's the materials it's made of.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22So you either reflect the signal away from the radar
0:12:22 > 0:12:25looking for it in a different direction
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and you do that by shaping the aircraft or ship
0:12:28 > 0:12:31or you make it out of something that absorbs the energy
0:12:31 > 0:12:33that's been sent out by the radar.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37QinetiQ don't build wind turbines, so they're working with
0:12:37 > 0:12:40one of the world's biggest turbine manufacturers,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Danish company Vestas, to solve the problem.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's been a hugely complex challenge.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Because every inch of a turbine blade has been precisely engineered
0:12:50 > 0:12:53for maximum performance, the shape,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57weight or manufacturing process can't be changed.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Engineers here are working on a special solution
0:13:00 > 0:13:03to add stealth material layers into the composite skins of the blades.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06These guys are just measuring and marking
0:13:06 > 0:13:11the position of the various materials so we get them in the right place.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14It's important that we put these materials in exactly,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16to within a few millimetres otherwise
0:13:16 > 0:13:20we could upset the later joining of the two parts of the mould.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23It's nice to get away from computer models of what we're doing
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and actually work with these guys
0:13:25 > 0:13:27and see it coming together as a component.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37The composition of these layers is a closely-guarded secret,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40but they work by absorbing most of the radar pulses,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43so only a very small amount is reflected.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45With the weakened returned pulse,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49the turbines become distinguishable from aircraft to radar operators.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Initial tests are positive, and the teams are building
0:14:10 > 0:14:16what will become the world's first stealth turbine.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20It is a breakthrough for Kinetic, and a brilliant example of how
0:14:20 > 0:14:23a smart material developed for the military
0:14:23 > 0:14:27is used to enable the development of renewable energy sites.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50The submarine is huge. It's 100 metres long, it's three decks deep.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54There's no inch of the submarine similar to another inch of it.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I would put it in the same league as the space shuttle,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00or projects of that size.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03To my mind this is a 7,000-ton Swiss watch.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06There are stages when it's like blacksmithing,
0:15:06 > 0:15:13and stages when it is like brain surgery.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19The Astute is among the world's most technologically advanced machines.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Testing is essential, and by ensuring that it is carried out
0:15:22 > 0:15:24through rigorous processes, products and materials
0:15:24 > 0:15:28can be deemed safe and fit for purpose.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30This is standard industry procedure,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34and is critical where product design impacts on end users.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Testing the weapons systems on a nuclear submarine
0:15:49 > 0:15:52is the closest they will come to a combat situation.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56It's crucial that they are tested properly.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59This is done by using an advanced war game scenario.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Unlock!
0:16:08 > 0:16:11The weapons storage department, or torpedo room,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14is where weapons are loaded, stored and fired from.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18The Astute is armed with Spearfish torpedoes,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21with a range of over 65 kilometres, weighing two tonnes each,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and Tomahawk missiles able to accurately hit targets
0:16:25 > 0:16:28more than 1,000 kilometres inland.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Today the crew are engaged in a war games exercise
0:16:30 > 0:16:34to test that all the equipment is talking to each other correctly.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36The plan today is to run three scenarios.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40These scenarios will test all aspects of the system,
0:16:40 > 0:16:45both physically and the crew as well. It'll test them as well.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50OK, listen up, guys, this is your brief, your task.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52You have been allocated a patrol area in the Norwegian Sea
0:16:52 > 0:16:55with the role of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58You are to patrol the area and attempt to covertly trail
0:16:58 > 0:17:01any deploying submarines you detect and classify.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05You will maintain a fire control solution at all times on the trail.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08If you detect Delta Four preparing for a weapon firing,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10you will conduct a simulated Spearfish engagement,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13including water shots to ensure counter detection.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18You have two hours and 30 minutes to save the world.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Dangerous submarine contact.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24The control room is where we prepare the fire control solution
0:17:24 > 0:17:29for firing a weapon, and down below in the weapons storage department,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31or the bomb shop, that's where we fire the weapons from.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It's simulating the submarine being used for what it is intended.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39- Classified Oscar. - Stand by for Spearfish attack, take track three five as target,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42plus five, Oscar, from two tube.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Stand by for active contact.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Validated contact, weapon two.
0:17:49 > 0:17:55Standby, conduct attack on this contact.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57The command system uses various algorithms
0:17:57 > 0:18:00to work out where we think the target is going to be.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Once we have a good fire control solution on the target,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04we will try and fire a weapon at it.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09Valid active contact, bearing 146, range 10,700 yards.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11That is the target, continue the attack.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Roger, continue the attack.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Stand by to fire, track three five.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Stand by to fire, track three five.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23The weapon is in weapon mode.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27It has gone very well. I think the crew were very impressed.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28Certainly our team were very impressed.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31We have worked very hard, it's been a very long day,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and we have all got something out of this.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36The testing process has been a success,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and now the Astute can prepare for the job it was designed for.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56It is a massive machine, but a real piece of precision engineering too.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07From the moment we launch the kit to make the first internal module,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10through to the engine being despatched, it is 20 days.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20The Trent 700 jet engine is Rolls-Royce's biggest seller,
0:19:20 > 0:19:25and has so far clocked up 13 million flying hours in just 15 years.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27As a commercial company, it is essential
0:19:27 > 0:19:30the Rolls-Royce production line runs like clockwork.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It carries a payload of 242 tonnes
0:19:36 > 0:19:42at 37,000 feet for 9,500 miles, which, as you can imagine,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46is a serious challenge for any technology to deliver.
0:19:46 > 0:19:53So it really is at the high end of manufacturing and assembly.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58The popularity of the Trent 700 is the factory's biggest challenge.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01With orders placed to build 400 new engines,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04the company has to produce at least four a week.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09For their production line, one of the most complex in the world, time is big money.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Each Trent engine is built from modules, eight separate sections,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19which are put together on the assembly line.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25But each module is made from thousands and thousands of components,
0:20:25 > 0:20:31and the monumental task of gathering them starts here, at the massive parts warehouse.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37Kevin Carr's job is to make sure every engine part is delivered to the assembly line on time.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40I average about eight miles a day
0:20:40 > 0:20:44on an average day, but if we have lots and lots of issues,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47my best is just under 16 miles in a day.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Lots and lots of shoe leather used.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54This is called JIT, or just in time, technology.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Essentially, this means the production process is managed to a time scale,
0:20:58 > 0:21:03and the parts are dispatched when needed, and not sitting on the shelf for any length of time.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07I do know the guys around here say, you know,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10"Just give me a part and a box and I can tell you where it goes".
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Everything's ready for the guys. It's bit like a sweet shop for them.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15They can pick and choose what they want.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20We supply the very first nut, bolt, or washer, that they fit,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23right up to the very last little bit of plastic that we put on the engine
0:21:23 > 0:21:25before it goes out the door to the customer.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31So that could be anything up to 30,000, 40,000 parts, depending on which engine it is.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36It's Kev who kicks off every new engine build.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Two days before the assembly begins, he triggers the dispatch of tens of thousands
0:21:40 > 0:21:41of parts from the warehouse.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Got all the bits there for it? Got all the paperwork?
0:21:48 > 0:21:51So we're all ready to go then? OK. Thanks very much.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56Looking at the boxes you wouldn't know, but looking at the odds and sods on the floor,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59there's nothing under £1,000.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03You've got the Engine Control Management Unit. Roughly £750,000 worth
0:22:03 > 0:22:06in that box. Just sitting there on a pallet.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Anything up to £200 million worth is stock on the shelf.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13We have roughly five engines' worth of stock of anything.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21For the assembly process, industry has to employ effective and innovative management
0:22:21 > 0:22:25when planning production to ensure the smooth running of the build.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27After all, time is money.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41It's about five to seven and I'm going to work.
0:22:50 > 0:22:57I'm currently an apprentice at Derby at Rolls-Royce as a manufacturing engineer in engineer maintenance.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I'll be fully qualified in September 2010, which is really daunting,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11being able to say, "I will be a qualified electrician".
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Erin Browne is a second-year apprentice electrician at BAE Systems in Barrow.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18I'm just changing into my overalls.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Have to wear them, obviously.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Don't cut yourself or hurt yourself.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26They're not very flattering, to say the least.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32I work on that boat, boat two, Ambush.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35This one closer to us is boat three.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39We're going down there to the toolbox tarp.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43That's Nige, the team leader.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Erin will be trained in the electrical systems of the submarine,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50and is one of only 300 electricians on the build. When she qualifies,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54she'll be part of a very elite and highly skilled club.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Better get cracking.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59You can't imagine what it's like to work on submarines.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03You only get that image in your head once you've been on board
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and had a look around and actually worked on one.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09'When you first come in, it is so daunting
0:24:09 > 0:24:14'how big the submarines are, how big the complexes they're built in,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18'and the yard itself, it is huge.'
0:24:18 > 0:24:20But you see them every day,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and you just don't even realise they're there after a while.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25This is the captain's cabin space. Ooh!
0:24:25 > 0:24:30'I enjoy working here, definitely. It just fascinates me coming in.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:34There's always someone new around doing something different.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Everyone's friendly, everyone talks.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38You ask questions and someone answers.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40You ask, "What does that do?"
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Even if it's nothing to do with your job, someone tells you.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46So you learn things about the boat that you wouldn't know otherwise.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49This is a call signal station.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51So if the power goes down on the boat
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and you can't contact other areas, this'll have a handset on it.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It's just like a wind-up phone.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03I basically get a step-by-step guide through how to do something
0:25:03 > 0:25:06until I've learnt, until I'm confident I can do it myself.
0:25:06 > 0:25:07Then I do them on my own.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10But I've never done one of these, so Carl will tell me what to do.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17'I like the idea of learning on the job. I'm a very hands-on person.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'I don't like being sat in a classroom
0:25:20 > 0:25:25'having theory battered into me. I like the hands-on side of it.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Once you leave your apprenticeship and you end up being a tradesman,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32if you're on a squad and they get a new apprentice,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34then they might get put with you.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37'So it is important you know what you're doing,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39'and that you listen when you're told it.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Three and four.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43'You're going to end up teaching them,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47'so you're going to end up with your own apprentice at some point.'
0:25:48 > 0:25:50All right. Sorted.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It's a skill that I've learnt that I can take around the world with me
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and do whatever I want and have something to fall back on.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02It is essential to invest in people just as much as technology itself.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Apprentice schemes like this are vital to British industry.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12This is Rotatives. This is my business that I'm working in.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16They mainly, again, deal with discs, drums and shafts.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Niraj is a manufacturing engineer at Rolls-Royce in Derby.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22And in here we've got mainline shafts.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25This is where they build the largest shafts,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27which go through the main part of the engine.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29These coverings go around them
0:26:29 > 0:26:32so they make sure the parts don't become damaged.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36You've got the various drilling machines down here.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And then, as you walk through here, this is where I work.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41This is the shaft supports office.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Like, from a young age I was always into building things and designing.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Then the opportunity came round of getting the apprenticeship.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05'And my family - my dad, my grandad and my uncle are engineers,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09'so I've had a little bit of influence as well from them.'
0:27:09 > 0:27:11But generally, I just like engineering
0:27:11 > 0:27:14and I like the fact of designing and building.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Like every apprentice, Niraj can expect to spend three years or more
0:27:21 > 0:27:23learning the basic skills of his trade.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25So having a passion for it is really important.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Today I'm trying to make one of these control rods,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32which, as you can see, is here.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35It allows the pilot to control the amount of air flow
0:27:35 > 0:27:37going through the engine
0:27:37 > 0:27:41and change various settings in the engine of the flaps and the angles.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46If you tell somebody you're 16 and you work in Rolls-Royce,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48they see you in a different light suddenly,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51like you're actually something special, a bit different,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53because it's really quite prestigious
0:27:53 > 0:27:56to work in such a big company like this
0:27:56 > 0:27:57at, certainly, the age I am.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- So, first data blued out from one end to the other.- OK.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Second data, 90 degrees to it.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Check that with an engineer's square.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I'm thinking, "Wow, what a change a couple of years can make,"
0:28:10 > 0:28:13because going from schoolboy to engineer
0:28:13 > 0:28:17is quite a radical change, and I'm quite pleased with that change.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Engineers use their imagination and analytical skills to invent,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26design and build things that matter.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30They are team players with independent minds.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36By dreaming up creative and practical solutions,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39engineers are changing the world all the time.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:56 > 0:29:00E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk