Why did you decide to do a Degree Apprenticeship?

I had initially put myself on the university pathway back in 2011 whilst finishing my A-Levels when the opportunity to undertake a Degree Apprenticeship came into view. The prospect of getting straight into a working environment, developing skills pertinent to the actual job and workplace was truly a strong factor. I was also looking forward past my completion about wanting to place myself in a position for job security as well as financially stable. The Degree Apprenticeship meant that my hard work and academic skills at school were being accounted for. I was able to complete a degree with a highly reputable university and had my company to back me.

 

Briefly describe your role and your apprenticeship

My job role as a Standards and Controls Engineer, which was chosen at the very start of the apprenticeship, consists of working within the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering sector of the business. The role requires me to undertake testing of brand new equipment alongside suppliers, to take that new equipment and integrate it into the current standards which the company are using. It requires me to work closely with suppliers and installation teams to correctly integrate equipment and also to enforce and guide installation teams to correctly follow the manufacturing engineering standards which we write as a department.

During the apprenticeship I also took on Corporate Social Responsibility events which was about engaging with the wider communities including going into schools to lead workshops or talks with respect to STEM subjects to encourage the next generation. Furthermore this enriched the teaching personnel with information about what I was accomplishing as an apprentice and how positive this pathway is.

 

What did you enjoy the most about your studies?

The thing I enjoyed most about my studies has to be the close friends I made along the way, being able to bounce ideas off each other during the lectures at university really broadened and embedded the content being studied. Because each student had a different working background there was so many different avenues of ideas to take into account and so the course content was enriched by the different case-studies and inputs from my peers. I enjoyed understanding how the same theory was being applied in so many different ways, from inside the same business as well as between different companies and business sectors too.

What are you doing now?

I am now Engineer working in the Standards and Controls team, continuing to develop in the department where I completed my apprenticeship. I am now leading larger projects for the team including the delivery of a new manufacturing line as well as developing project tools for the department to use to run and manage projects.

I am continuing to steer myself towards the research side of the departments function as I love being on the edge of the new technologies and absorbing the knowledge that comes with working alongside the suppliers and research teams. I am aiding in breaking the barriers for these news technologies into the industry and the business. 

What are your ambitions for the future?

My ambitions for the future are to move towards the cutting-edge of engineering. It will be a progression for shifting left from the integration of technology which I currently do, to pioneer the engineering for research areas and hopefully have a published article in this area.

I have a strong drive to make my way into research engineering for CERN in France/Switzerland having been there on an A-Level trip, it would bring together my love of physics with my career passion for engineering.

In addition, I have a personal goal of becoming a Chartered Engineer by the time I am 30 and will be taking all opportunities to push myself to achieve that goal.