What made you choose this apprenticeship?

Before I left school I always knew that I wanted a career in engineering. The problem for me was that I didn’t have a clear image of what I wanted to do. I studied a generic engineering qualification in sixth form and applied for various schemes upon leaving – most of these were in completely different sectors and this is where I came across SES Engineering Services. I read about the scheme and the sort of projects SES we’re involved with and it immediately made me interested. Once I applied I knew this was the job I wanted over any of the others.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of following in your footsteps?

The main thing is to have confidence and get stuck in. Ask plenty of questions and really try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. I didn’t push myself as much as I should have done in the early stages, there’s some great people in SES and they helped me realise that I needed to have more confidence and push myself further and since taking that advice on board I feel much more confident in my role and this is something I wish I’d have put into practice a lot sooner. It can be a daunting industry to come into with little experience, but it’s always recognised when somebody is keen and wants to succeed.

What has been the highlight of your apprenticeship?

I’ve had the pleasure of receiving guidance from some great people in SES and unfortunately some of these people have left now. I worked on the CTAR project for Leeds Beckett University for around 18 months and Kevin Shell went above and beyond to mentor me for its entirety. This is something that I’m really grateful for and that has been really important in my development. Also, seeing that project through from start to finish was a great experience for me and something I really enjoyed.