He is the first and only Filipino in British engineering school history of West England to earn a first-class honors degree in Aerospace Engineering with master’s degree in Design Engineering
This is a story of Engineer Vince Gapay, who earned an engineering title in one of the most respected schools in Great Britain.
From a family of farmers in the Philippines, he’s now a decorated Filipino Engineer in Great Britain.
In his own words, “family support is really important when you are a Filipino studying engineering abroad”. This is an inspirational story of a Pinoy Engineer working in United Kingdom. From their humble beginnings in the Philippines to working with the best British engineering companies.
Q: Describe Your Family and Migration to UK
I come from very humble beginnings, my grandparents were rice farmers and owned a rice milling business in Tarlac, Philippines (130km NW of Manila). Using the money earned from the rice milling business, my grandparents were able to send my mother and her siblings to college and finish degrees in nursing and engineering.
In 2005, my mother who was then a nurse and my father a SAF policeman, was given the opportunity to immigrate to Oxford, UK. In pursuit for a better life and opportunities, my family and I moved to the UK.
For the greater part of my primary school (grade school) studies, I was an above-average student and mostly flew under the radar. It wasn’t until secondary school (high school), where I fell in love with science and maths, thanks to my enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers. My passion for science and maths later became the significant factor in pursuing a career in engineering.
Q: How Difficult is British Engineering School?
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in (BEng) Aerospace Engineering and a master’s degree in (MSc) Engineering Design. Attaining both degrees came with its struggles; I spent a lot of sleepless nights reviewing for exams, finishing assignments and undertaking group work.
All the hard work paid off; I was able to finish my bachelor’s degree with a first-class honours award and at one point receiving the Dean’s list of academic excellence award.
You are competing with the best of the best students, not only with British engineering students, but with other nationalities from France, Africa, USA, Latin America and Asian countries. To attain a first-class honours, there is a great sacrifice that you must endure. I avoid night outs in pubs with friends and I had less social life while studying in Uni.
At the end of the day, your family should support your struggles and pain. I was blessed to have a supportive family.
Q: Describe Your Experience as an Expat Engineer Working in UK
I currently work as a Systems Engineering Consultant, my role mainly revolves around helping clients understand, manage and design complex engineering systems. My clients have been mainly in the Defense Industry, this has allowed me to engineer complex systems that range from aerospace, land, communication, information management and training.
I really enjoy working in a consultancy due to the nature of its fast-paced environment, projects can range from days to years. With the change of projects, you can experience different engineering challenges, teams and processes.
I highly recommend for any young engineer to look into a career in consulting, as it will allow them to get a breadth of knowledge within different engineering domains.
Q: What are your Professional Qualifications?
- Associate Systems Engineering Professional (ASEP) – INCOSE
- TOGAF Certified Practitioner
- ArchiMate Certified Practitioner
- APM Project Fundamentals
Q: What are Your British Engineering School Qualifications?
- Master’s Degree in Engineering Design, University of Bath (October 2017-August 2018)
– Grade: Merit. - BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering (Systems), University of the West of England (2014-2017)
– Grade: First-class Honours.
– Achieved the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence in the Faculty of Environment and Technology 2014-2015.
These are the best British engineering school that I could have not dreamed. Until today, I am still in a blissful state and could not believe that I will be able to finish my Bachelor degree and Master’s degree on both prestigious schools.
Q: Describe Your WTF Moments
One of the funniest moments in my career actually happened on my first day at work. It was a very hot summers day in the UK, and I wanted to make a good impression, so that day I wore my two-piece suit.
First day on any job, you are usually pretty excited and nervous. The nervousness coupled with the hot weather and the suit resulted in some back sweat patches. Not wanting to go into a meeting with sweat patches, I went to the toilet and used the hand dryer to dry my back. Whilst drying my back, one of my colleagues walked in on me and giggled. At the time I was so embarrassed but now both of us look back at it and laugh.
Q: Give Me an Elevator Pitch About You
I am a systems engineering consultant with 3 years experience working with public sector clients (DE&S, AHQ and Dstl). Skilled in stakeholder management, requirements management, enterprise architecture, agile development, systems design and modelling. I am a proud Filipino engineer helping British engineering companies.
