What’s it like being a Mechanical Maintenance apprentice?

My name is Lisa and I am a Mechanical Maintenance apprentice.

I’m a second-year apprentice in Mechanical Maintenance. I spend one day a week at college studying engineering. I then spend the rest of my working week at AWE doing practical jobs, such as stripping and reassembling gearboxes and pumps, basic plumbing and assembling rigs. We also do theory work to gain an understanding of how things work and how we can apply that to practical tasks.

I chose AWE over other apprenticeships because it is a reputable company that has offered excellent training through apprenticeships for over 40 years. I chose an apprenticeship over full time college because I liked the idea of learning on the job and working in a hands-on environment. Personally, I’m a visual learner, so I find getting stuck in with practical tasks and seeing how things work is a great way to gain knowledge and learn new skills. It’s something I really enjoy!

The best thing about my job is the opportunities to work on something new and different every day. I love coming up against new challenges and just spending time figuring out solutions – it gives me a great sense of achievement.

There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills and gain further qualifications, even when your apprenticeship has finished. The managers and mentors also offer great support and are always there to help you with any issues or queries you may have.

I hope to see myself working alongside other maintenance engineers onsite, as well as developing my skills and having gained further qualifications to progress higher up in the company.

If engineering is something you’re interested in and you enjoy hands-on, practical tasks, then an apprenticeship at AWE is definitely for you!