Apprentice Naval Architect Review

I have been attending college to complete my apprenticeship. I have been doing practical which involves welding and fabricating. This is good as it gives me an understanding of what level of work I should expect when I go into the Dock yard. I also have been completing a HNC. Which involves studying different subjects and is all theory work.

I have developed my welding abilities as I had only done a few hours of welding before. I have also learnt how to use different machinery in the workshop which I had never used before. Another skill I have developed is my understanding of CAD which is very rewarding as I will be using it a lot in my job when I go into the Dock yard.

I have been really enjoying my apprenticeship. It has given me the chance to move away from home and get to know other people. It has also given me the opportunity to work in the industry that I have always wanted to. I can not wait to be able to go into the Dock yard to start working on the boats.

The apprenticeship has been organized fairly well. There has been times where there has been a bit of confusion about what is happening but in the end we always get clarification. The HE side of my course has been structured well and any issues have been resolved. The practical side of things has gone very smoothly.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. They have given me support in my disability and have adapted PowerPoints to suit for me. They have also given me contact details go get more help if needed and have overall been very helpful with any issues I have had.

I recieve a fair amount of help from my training provider. There has been a few times where the help hasn't been sufficient but there has been adjustments made to resolve the issues. I know I can email any of my tutors to recieve help and they always adjust PowerPoints so I am able to read them.

I feel that the practical side of my training will help me be able to work with the welders, fabricators and pipe workers when I go into the Dock yard. It will also allow me to understand the level of work they should be producing and also understand the terminology they use.

There are a few extra curricular activities but due to covid there aren't as many as previous years. There are times where our employer asks us to talk to other school and college pupils to tell them about our apprenticeship to try encourage them. Also there are networking events within the dock yard which are being done online currently.

Yes

I would recommend Babcock to a friend because they have been a very good employer and helped me in my apprenticeship. Also they pay a very competitive salary and almost guarantee a job at the end of the apprenticeship as long as your behavior is of the standard they expect.

I would recommend applying early and doing a fair amount of research into the company. I would also recommend having a small understanding of some commonly used terms in the dock yard as sometimes they are used in college or health and safety meetings but not explained until you go into the Dock yard.