“My name is Jason, I am nineteen years old and I currently work at Bradbury Group as a Technical Sales & Project Engineer, whilst studying a Level 3 NVQ in Technical Support. Although I had considered attending college to study A-levels, I knew that a apprenticeship would be better suited to me, as I had always been interested in pursuing a career in engineering and enjoyed the idea of getting paid whilst learning!
In 2015 after completing my GCSEs, I was accepted onto the HETA training scheme to start my apprenticeship. Within the first year I had gained practical experience in areas such as pneumatics and hydraulics, skills that have since benefited me as I have moved onto the next stage in my placement.
I joined Bradbury Group in 2016 as a full time apprentice to work within the R&D department. I visited every department; learning what each person does, and seeing how the entire company is run. I was able to build up my skills in SolidWorks, which is software that we use almost every day to model each of our products.
Thanks to my placement at Bradbury, I have been able to accept the position of Technical Sales & Project Engineer that has enabled me to accept more responsibility within the company. My daily responsibilities include project coordination and sales, creating technical drawings, designing renders for customers and the marketing department, and coming up with innovative ideas and solutions for products.
The best part of doing an apprenticeship is that I am able to benefit from a full learning experience within a real-life workplace, giving me an advantage over other people my age. I like that I am trusted with key accounts and significant products, alongside of being able to do design work that is later engineered into the end product. Originally my career aspirations were to work in mechanical engineering, however now I’d like to progress in my role in the technical and export department at Bradbury Group.
To anyone considering doing an apprenticeship, I’d definitely say to go for it! I’m so pleased that I chose to do this over going to college or university, as it gives you the chance to develop skills that go beyond the classroom.”
