“My name is Isabel, I am eighteen years old and I currently work at Bradbury Group as a Design Engineer Apprentice, whilst studying a Level 3 NVQ qualification in Technical Support.
Whilst at school, I worked part-time before going down the traditional route of studying A Levels at college. During my time at college my family realised that I was unhappy and was not enabling myself to reach my full potential. This was when I was first introduced to apprenticeships by my sister as an alternative route for me to research and I was instantly attracted to the prospects that it offered. After passing entry tests, I was accepted by HETA onto their mechanical engineering course.
In my first year at HETA I gained practical experience in areas such as mechanical maintenance, hand-fitting, and pneumatics. Although I enjoyed my course, my interest was focused on the design aspects of engineering and when I learnt that Bradbury was hiring apprentices, I was lucky enough to be offered a position within the R&D department.
In my first few weeks at Bradbury, I visited every department in the company to gain an insight into all of the different stages of the work place. It was interesting the see the way that each department fills a critical role and the way in which my job role would benefit others. I have also been trained on tasks such as modelling exit hardware and creating drawings, as well as Solidworks, software that we use on a daily basis to model each of our products.
I enjoy engineering a lot, as it is a versatile and fast-paced role that offers many opportunities to progress and to challenge myself. After finishing my apprenticeship through HETA, I hope to continue working at Bradbury as a qualified design engineer, and potentially extend my education through night classes.
If you’re similar to me and are looking for another route to gain your relevant qualifications, I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship!”
