apprentice engineer Review

My role at Gatwick airport is an apprentice engineering student. my job on a day to day basis changes frequently as the apprenticeship offers a huge variety in the type of work that I complete around the airport, I move sections every 2-3 months to ensure I experience everything the airport has to offer (which is a lot!) this could range from maintaining the heating and ventilation systems around the airport, maintaining the runway lights or maintaining the environment and health of the surrounding area of Gatwick through water treatment.

throughout my apprenticeship I have gained so much knowledge, so much experience and so much confidence in myself. I am now in my 3rd year out of 4, and since beginning the apprenticeship i have constantly been working at the airport alongside studying at college. Through this program i have come leaps and bounds in my ability in college, and my competency in the work place. as the apprentice is now in mechatronics (mechanical and electronic engineering) the skills you gain are varied, transferable and very important in the field of engineering.

to be perfectly honest I don't believe I could ask for a better apprenticeship program, the structure is great and i'm learning new skills and knowledge everyday. My fellow apprentices and technicians are some of the best and most knowledgeable people I've met. alongside the normal program Gatwick host many extra curricular activities, such as our outward bound course, where all the apprentices go away for a week to take part in team building activities and exciting experiences (last time we went to the lake district and did abseiling, canoeing, kayaking, raft building, rock climbing, camping, hiking. the list could go on!). to sum it up, it's brilliant.

the structure is very well made, in the first year you are full time at college, creating a baseline of knowledge and competency about engineering, the second year you begin 7am to 3pm days at the airport with college one day a week, the third year you begin shift work which is often 12 hour days in 4 day blocks and college once a week, and the 4th year is the same as the 3rd. its a very good system which allows you to progress and feel comfortable moving through the years of the apprenticeship.

the apprentice manager devotes almost all of his time to his apprentices, inside and outside of work. there have been many occasions where, after trying myself, i've needed a bit more help with my practical skills or troubled about a piece of college work, and our manager is always happy to help 24 hours a day. along side brilliant support inside of the workplace, support is always offered if we need it outside of the workplace.

east surrey college is a well equipped, modern and progressive college. the lectures there are extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields and will always aid their students when they need it. even in the case of COVID, the college has been massively supportive to their students.

the knowledge that i have gained from studying with east surrey is really important in my day to day work, of course i learn while working but without my understanding of mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment that i gained at college. i wouldn't be able to perform any where near as well, as i do on a day to day basis. it is a focused, tailor made course for the gatwick apprentices.

one example would be the annual outward bounds course which is run for the apprentices at gatwick. it is an all inclusive week away from work where we do team building activities and enjoy ourselves. last time, we went to the lake district, and putting the beautiful scenery aside, the week was packed with activities such as rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, kayaking, raft building, hiking, camping, high beams etc. this wouldn't take up the entirety of each day as from around 4/5pm onwards we were given rec time where all the apprentices could hang out, chat play football and create stronger working relationships.

Yes

i've always been a handy person, working on bikes, building stuff, taking apart household appliances (to my parents despair). so off the bat the apprenticeship at gatwick was right up my alley. its a brilliant, supporting working environment, you'll be pushed to better yourself, further your knowledge and progress in your studies. the pay is higher than most other apprenticeships out there. and most importantly the people you work with want you to succeed. from your fellow apprentices to the head of engineering. that kind of environment pushes you to better yourself and makes me want to do my best.

when applying for this job, you'll be in an intake of hundreds of other applicants, all after the same opportunity as you. so out of those hundreds of applications, what makes you different to everybody else? if you've done any engineering bits in the past, get some photos and show us, it doesn't matter if you've repaired a bike or repaired a space shuttle, what you're showing us is you've got an engineers head on your shoulders, and we want to see it. another tip is to show why you're passionate about engineering, what makes you tick, what your interests are. make yourself stand out from the crowd!