Finley Belcher - Third Year Mechatronics Apprentice

I think the main advantages of apprenticeships are that you quickly develop the skills needed to be able to successfully work in your company and the ability to be able to communicate clearly with other engineers, and the fact that you can help make a positive contribution to the team. Doing an apprenticeship has allowed me to explore all the different specialisms withing engineering, both through placements and further education units (Level 3 & 4). 

The main reasons why I chose an apprenticeship opposed to university is the fact I can quicky develop the practical skills needed for my job, figure out the exact area of engineering I enjoy the most and pursue a degree in that area after my apprenticeship. Also, I feel that doing an apprenticeship and then a degree shows that you are able to work hard at something for an extended period of time. I do think that more people should know that even though you aren’t doing a degree, apprenticeships aren’t easy. There are often many different things that need doing at the same time, for people who have just come out of school this can be a little overwhelming.  

A typical day for me is arriving at 7.30, then after dealing with emails I’ll go down and begin work. I’ll either continue with a task I’ve been given to complete or contact my supervisor to get a new one. I’ll work until about 12-12.30 (with a coffee break in the middle) then have lunch. After lunch I’ll go back and continue until I finish at about 3.30, although this changes because if I need to complete work before I go then I’ll stay later until I’ve finished what I need to do. 

A good apprentice needs to be dedicated to the work they are doing and truly enjoy engineering in general. This means that all the extra work (knowledge questions and logbooks) aren’t as much of a chore.  

The most enjoyable part is being able to meet a good bunch of people in your first year that all have the same interest; this really makes things easy. Also, the sense of achievement is great, especially when you are given responsibility to complete rather important tasks. Overall, the best thing about apprenticeships are the skills that you develop and the ability to be able to talk to people confidently even if you don’t know them. 

As someone looking to go into engineering the best thing to show them would be the work they could be involved in. At Diamond the projects that you can be involved in are truly amazing. When I was looking at apprenticeships, going on tours was the best thing I did. Ultimately the reason I came to Diamond was because I felt it was the best company to work for to kickstart my engineering career, due to how well respected it is in the engineering world. The most enjoyable part of Diamond is being able to assist scientists with their research.