Maintenance Apprentice Review

During the week we travel 20 minute journey on a bus provided to us to our training site. After clocking in we go to our classes which range from electrical principles to health and safety. Each class starts with a safety message which is discussed. Classes include knowledge, case studies, assessments and practical skill development.

During my short time on my apprenticeship since September I have learnt a range of practical skills. These include electrical wiring, fault finding, using lathes and milling. ALong with these new skills I have recapped on maths and developing my knowledge of health and safety aspects of working and training in this industry.

I am enjoying learning a lot of new skills in engineering.

I feel that EDF energy put a lot of effort into training new apprentices. I always feel that there is someone I can turn to for advice or with any concern I have.

The first two years of our apprenticeship is carried out away from our place of work. During this time we are learning basic engineering skills. After being here for 5 months there seems to be a lot of spare time as the instructors teach us in a style that means we understand the topic quickly. Due to this fact I believe this time of being away for basic training could be shortened if desired by my employer.

There are a large group of instructors at our training facility, each with a different set of skills and knowledge. If a query is raised that one instructor does not know how to address they always put us in contact with another member of staff who can help.

I receive a lot of support from my employer which a list of people I feel comfortable contacting in any scenario and feel confident that they would response in a timely manner and assist in anyway they could. If for whatever reason they could not help they would put me in contact with someone that could.

Since we are currently living in accomodation paid for my the company along with all our meals being covered we have very little/no costs during this first two years of our apprenticeship. It is nice to be in a secure situation in which we can learn without stress of any bills.

There are abundant fitness and social opportunities, along with a range of nearby clubs and associations that you can get involved with. There are people here that are happy to find any clubs that are not easy to find and put you in touch with them.

Yes

EDF Energy puts a lot of resources into training the successful applicants. They have a strong communication system put in place to ensure that each apprentice has a method of contacting another employee to gain insight into a specific area or to assist with any issue raised.

For anyone applying for this apprenticeship my main bit of advice would be to do some background research into how a power station works and how the different parts of the station work together in order to run an efficient power plant. Even a basic understanding will give you a good foundation for the learning you will receive during the apprenticeship. A final piece of advice is to put yourself out of your comfort zone at every opportunity. There are a tonne of ways to get involved at every step along this apprenticeship all you have to do is put yourself forward.