Engineering Apprentice Review

As a third year apprentice we are currently still on day release at college, spending one day a week completing a Higher National Certificate. Now in our third year we are also doing shift work, following a reasonable shift pattern of 12 hour nights and days, with a large amount of time off due the amount of hours being worked once in work. As well as the HNC we are also completing an NVQ, completing knowledge questions and job write ups, following regulations and experiences in the workplace.

Throughout the appreniceship you are constantly learnign new skills. In the first year and second years learning hands on skills with lathes and mills, hands on tool skills (fabrication and electrical fitting), as well as welding, hydraulic, pnuematic, and electronic and mechancial theories and principles. You even cover CAD packages on Fusion 360. As you progress into the apprenticeship you only further these new found skills, reinforcing and improving those skills, in college and in the workplace in a real world environment.

So far I have loved the apprenticeship. Everyone you meet is incredibly welcoming, only wanting the best for you. If you show that you are keen you can go as far as you want in this industry. As long as you get your head down in college and in the workplace, you will pass through smoothly, with the support of those around you. Every year we go to an outward bound centre in a number of locations across England and Wales. This is a great opportunity to get to know and grow a relationship with your fellow apprentices. Learn different real world skills of orientieering, abseiling, and hiking. It is an amazing experience which only strengthened my love of this programme so far.

Throughout the apprenticeship you are constantly supported and given more than enough opportunity to complete work towards your HNC, NVQ and any outstanding training required as part of working in and around Gatwick. As previously mensioned as part of the third year you are working on shift, but one day a week you are in college completing your HNC. This is well setout and you are given adequate time to complete all assignments, but throughout the apprenticeship you must focus on the work, as it is easy to fall behind if you don't keep your head down. Communication is amazing throughout gatwick, so if extra time or more time in the workplace to complete work, you are more than facilitated.

An increible amount of support is offered by Gatwick. We have regular meetings with our manager as a catchup, and from our appointed mentors, who you can meet with and ask any questions or talk about issues you may have. But that being said anyone you meet at Gatwick wants to help you. With any aspect of your apprenticeship someone around you has either been through a similar situation themselves, or understands and can help with the issue. So never be afraid to ask and someone will be there.

Whether you are in college, at work or even at home, contact to your manager or any technican at Gatwick is available. If you feel overwhelmed at all you are given time in the workplace to complete college work. Whilst you want to be involved with work as much as you can, it is completely up to you to manage, as you are listened to if you voice any concerns or issues.

Going to college throughout the apprenticeship greatly improves your knowledge and understanding of the systems at Gatwick. Having a base understanding of the systems really helps you pick up the work being done faster, and opens up your understanding of systems to be at a greater level of detail. By having this further knowledge it also allows you to start contributing to discussions with the technicians, use those new found problem solving technqiues to help fix the system faults sooner and much more efficiently.

Throughout your time at Gatwick you can be involved in a number of school events in and around the local area. Giving talks and demonstrations to school groups potentially looking at apprenticeships with Gatwick as their future careers. Last year I even gave a talk over zoom to schools across New York. The opportunities for sharing your experience with Gatwick is endless. Every year we also go to different locations for a week on an Outward Bound Course. This week allows you to really get to know the other apprentices and learn new skills outside of the workplace. During the week you are able to go hiking in mountains, orienteering, open water swimming, kanoeing and much more. It is something to look forward to at the end of every year.

Yes

It is an amazing opportunity to earn whilst you learn new incredible skills and build relationships you will also have for the rest of your life. Gatwick is an amazing company that only wants the best for you, giving you highly recognisable qualifications, skills and knowledge which will benefit you where ever you take your careers.

My main piece of advice is to show your enthusiasm towards wanting to put the work in and learn new skills. You don't necessarily need heaps of prior knowledge and experience, as Gatwick is there to help build that for you. Just be keen and it will take you far at Gatwick.