Mechanical Design apprenticeship Level 3

I chose to complete a mechanical design apprenticeship based off an internship which I completed. Prior to this I had no real clue what I wanted to do other than it would be in engineering. I therefore made use of an internship, not only to bulk up my CV, but to hopefully answer a few questions about what I was interested in along the way. Throughout the internship I experienced a number of disciplines and completed a number of tasks, each designed to give me a greater understanding of what each area entails. From this experience it became clear that the mechanical discipline was my preferred option. I also have a number of family and friends who were or are engineers, I used some of their experiences to confirm my decision. The reason I completed a design apprenticeship was down to two reasons, firstly, it is something I have enjoyed for a number of years and therefore seemed like a sensible option. And secondly, I liked the career path which this particular apprenticeship could offer me.

The reason for choosing Babcock was mainly down to the fact that my internship was with Babcock. I initially found the internship through word of mouth, and through my experience I was impressed with the way the business was run, and all the staff had really positive things to say.

A typical day for myself would include producing drawings, locating and accessing vital information, and the general design of components required to complete a task. As a second year apprentice who has completed the majority of college work, I am full time in the office and 20% of that time is spent doing off the job training.

For me my favourite part of the job is the physical 3D modelling of components. This is something I enjoy and to get paid to do it is even better. In addition to that, I do of course enjoy the sense of reward when a task is completed, within my industry, each completion of a task is another step to making the world a safer and more sustainable place.

I believe the most challenging thing I have done up to now is starting my apprenticeship in a pandemic. When I first started it was the height of the pandemic and times were very uncertain. But luckily, I was supported by Babcock and the early careers team, meaning I could continue my development and progress in my apprenticeship.