Engineering Apprentice Review

On a day-to-day basis I get the opportunity to work on various types of engineering assets at Gatwick, working alongside fully qualified and highly skilled engineers. During a day shift I respond to reactive faults to maintain the daily operation of the airport and on a night shift I undertake preventative maintenance during asset downtime. My apprenticeship gives the opportunity to move around many different engineering sections and therefore I am able to gain a wide range of engineering skills. The ability to move around sections is an experience which is not found in many workplaces.

Working on site at Gatwick has allowed me to develop my knowledge and skills in many areas including electrical, electronic and mechanical skills. Working in different sections allows me to learn new skills on all types of general engineering equipment and airport specific equipment. My hand skills which are developed on site are backed up by the theory I earn at college, which I believe is the perfect combination.

As I have the ability to move around many engineering sections it keeps my programme interesting and varied, this ensures that I am always engaged with work and really enjoy learning the new skills and developing my knowledge base. I get to work and engage with a great team of technicians which makes the work experience fun and interesting.

Moving around different engineering sections can be very difficult to plan with the number of apprentices at Gatwick. We are extremely lucky to have a dedicated Apprentice manager who plans our time and allows us to move around sections and work on the best jobs as they occur. The combination of College and work is very well structured and the disciplines tie in well with each other

Gatwick offer support in many different ways to their apprentices and employees. As an apprentice we receive direct support from our apprentice manager, engineering section leaders, shift leaders and also technicians. They are all really supportive and are keen to help whenever possible. Gatwick also promote helplines, which you can contact if you feel you cant communicate to your direct support

When completing my apprenticeship I have to complete my NVQ, HNC and an EPA (End Point Assessment). Gatwick support us towards achieving these qualifications to the highest possible standard by working with us independently to improve in areas of improvement. They are great at allowing us to have the time we need around day to day work to complete assignments and job writeups on time.

Gatwick's apprentices work with our training provider for 4 years, the first year is full time at college and years 2,3 and 4 are day release. The theoretical knowledge developed at college supports the practical skills developed on site. I believe that this combination works extremely well and allows us to be the best engineers we can be. Our training providers give us a choice of which course we enrol in and therefore the training is specific to the apprentice and it ensure we are interested and engaged.

Each year of our apprenticeship Gatwick apprentices go on an Outward bound course which allows us to undertake fun activities and build on working relationships with senior engineering managers, technicians and other apprentices. We also attend an event called Big Bang and this gives us the opportunity to promote the apprenticeship and engage with students who are unaware of the engineering department.

Yes

I am now in the forth year of my apprenticeship and I have learnt a vast amount of engineering knowledge from working in many different engineering sections. I believe this experience is unique to the airport and the portfolio of skills I have gained is unmatched. Aside from the knowledge I have gained from the course it has been great for my personal development and has massively improved my communication and people skills which is a great life skill

When applying for the Gatwick apprenticeship it is important that you have a true passion for engineering and are keen to learn and develop your engineering skills. The apprenticeship is a 4 year course and therefore you will need to be invested into the programme and therefore showing your willingness to work hard will go a long way