Ollie - Mechanical Design Apprenticeship
Ollie studied: Geography, Environmental Studies and English Language at St Brendan's
Ollie completed his apprenticeship at: Cavendish Nuclear and seven years on is still working at the company, now as a Construction Engineer!
'An apprentice has to balance studying a qualification with learning how to work in full-time employment, and generally, apprenticeship starting wages can be low. But as with anything, the rewards are great for those willing to put in the effort.'
Ollie's Advice for Students
'Think about what you like and what you’re good at. Then consider your own situation and whether University is right for you and what you plan on studying. An apprenticeship in the same field could get you to the profession you want without incurring the fees that come with University.
My advice is to take time to figure out what you really want to do – not what others are telling you to do. I promise that you won’t be leaving things too late, I’ve met people in their 40’s who have taken a complete career change and things have worked out absolutely fine.'
Harry - Design Engineering Apprenticeship
Harry studied: Physics, Maths and Music Technology at St Brendan's
Harry completed his apprenticeship at: Airbus
I completed my apprenticeship scheme 3 years ago and have been working as a Landing Gear Design Engineer ever since. I have been supporting customers around the world, from my office in Filton, with technical landing gear issues/faults. Currently, I am in a team supporting airworthiness certification of new aircraft and supporting modifications to equipment on the landing gear.
I also lead a STEM programme supported by Airbus whereby we do, what is essentially, a mini apprenticeship with twenty 13-14-year-old students. We teach them basic engineering principles and end up building and flying drones (by far the best part of my job).