Mechanical Maintenance Apprentice Review

I have been involved in 'traditional' mechanical maintenance, where we carry out routine maintenance on mechanical plant and equipment, as well as respond to breakdowns. I am now part of the Condition Based Maintenance team, where we use new technologies such as Vibration Analysis, Ultrasound, Infrared Thermography, Motion Amplification and Oil Analysis, in order to monitor the condition of the machine and to detect faults as they are developing, in order to establish a convenient time to correct the issues using precision techniques, before they get worse and cause an unplanned shut down or breakdown.

I have learnt everything from the basics of using hand tools, machining methods such as turning on the lathe, milling and using surface grinders and pillar drills. I then moved onto learning about maintenance techniques and practices in the Skills Academy. Once I was deemed competent in the training shop, I then moved out onto site placements where I then put those skills into practice on real-life mechanical machinery and equipment. I then moved into the CBM team and have learnt how to use Vibration Monitoring kit on mechanical machinery to monitor the health of it's components, such as bearings, and have even gained a further qualification in Vibration Analysis. I have also learnt how to use Ultrasound to monitor the health of steam traps and have assisted the electrical maintenance guys with their Infrared Thermographic Surveys on electrical distribution boards, allowing me to gain some understanding of electrical maintenance too. You have a say on where you would like to finish your apprenticeship and they train you up for that specific place :)

I love it. It's been hands-on, enjoyable and I have learnt a lot since joining in 2018. There are a few things that could be improved on (e.g. dated kit and equipment within the Skills Academy), but I love the job and whenever I've had questions or felt unsure of anything, the managers/supervisors are always happy to assist and to help where they can in order to expand your knowledge and to give you advice and guidance. If they can't help you, they will always point you in the direction of someone who can. It's also nice to be in a team within a workplace where you are praised for working hard and doing your job well! College wasn't the best, it was quite stressful (especially when the pandemic hit), but it is my understanding that they have sorted the issues surrounding this now.

It is structured and organised, however I do think that the training structure could be improved. I believe it would be more beneficial to give apprentices a better and more in-depth, theoretical understanding of mechanical systems and the critical components within a system (what they're used for, why are they needed and why these are all critical pieces of equipment to maintain etc.) BEFORE, they go out onto site placements, as this stuff would be good to know beforehand. You will learn all of these things during the apprenticeship, but it could be better structured.

Brilliant support with personal stuff and any issues you're facing. I also received additional support from AWE with the engineering maths that I didn't understand at college. But sometimes you do really need to fish for support with mechanical knowledge and workplace processes/procedures. Where you visit different placements, the mentors will not always know where you're at knowledge-wise, so may assume you know things and so skip over things that you didn't already know - which can be a pain when you find things out later on down the line, that really could've made your life a whole lot easier! Sometimes it's up to you to pick their brains about different things, but if you ask, they are more than happy to explain things.

There was some support from the college with the different units and assignments, but as we were on day release, time wasn't on our side and so they weren't the best as there was a lot to fit in, in one day, and so I did struggle at times. However, AWE made up for this and held additional sessions for us to get our heads around any college work with support from the graduates.

The qualification does have some relevant modules (especially the mechanical maintenance unit) and it is interesting stuff to cover. However, I feel we spent way too much time doing electronics stuff - stuff that I will never have to use in my job role. It probably would've been better if we did a mechanical engineering course, rather than a general engineering one.

There are plenty of extra-curricular activities going on at AWE. There is the rec. soc. where you can join sports teams to keep fit and get to know people. I helped out with the Females in Engineering Challenge on two occasions, where we invited schools to come and get involved in a 'fun day' with robots and science experiments, to encourage girls to get interested in STEM subjects. I also helped out at trade shows to promote the company and our apprenticeship.

Yes

AWE is a good place to work and has been running it's apprenticeships for 70 years. The practical training is excellent and the variety of jobs you get to do in the on-site placements is good. I have also been given opportunities to do additional courses and qualifications to aid me in my engineering career. Also the perks are great too, you get a 9-day working fortnight, meaning you get every weekend and every other Friday off work. The pension is good and the apprentice pay is pretty good too - £11,000 starting pay, which increases every year (to around £17,000 in your second year and around £19,000 in your third year). The people are nice and the job is really rewarding. It's just an all round positive place to work in!

You should apply for this apprenticeship if you want hands-on training and want to work fixing and maintaining mechanical equipment and plant. You can also get involved in new and upcoming condition monitoring technologies and equipment, which I have not seen advertised as part of your training in other mechanical maintenance apprenticeships! Just be yourself, be enthusiastic about wanting to learn about mechanical systems and take pride in your work.