A Sixth Form student from South Bromsgrove High School with a passion for engineering and architecture has had a week-long work placement at SLC, a Birmingham-based rail and development consultancy.
Millie Elsworth, who is currently studying Geography, Maths and 3D Design, has long aspired to become an architect – a passion that was started when a teacher recognised her natural flair for drawing and art. Her strong interest in Maths has also driven another interest with engineering, making both disciplines an option for a future path.
Tasked with a real-world project to assess and improve accessibility at a railway station, Millie had the opportunity to gain practical experience at SLC for her future career of choice. This involved researching station categorisation and presenting her proposed findings and designs.
“SLC gave me a brilliant project to look at how a railway station in Worcestershire could improve its accessibility,” explained Millie. “It gave me the chance to explore how stations are classified from an accessibility perspective and allowed me to develop and present my own ideas by the end of the week.”
Millie also had the chance to visit the newly redeveloped University Station in Birmingham, where she explored how accessibility had been considered and how the station’s design integrates with the surrounding community.
“It made such a difference to see a station in person. What stood out was how the station feels like part of the University itself. It reinforced the quote that as engineers and architects, we design spaces – not just buildings. Experiences like this confirmed for me that this is the industry I want to go into.”
Millie concluded: “I really enjoyed my time at SLC. Everyone was so friendly and helpful, and every conversation gave me something valuable. I’m incredibly grateful to the team for supporting me in developing my career aspirations.”
