After leaving school, Harri Green started a full-time college course. But a few months later he changed to a Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship at IES, and hasn’t looked back!
Harri began his apprenticeship at the British Engineering Manufacturers Association, where he is gaining workshop experience in the use of a lathe and milling machine. Less than two months into his course, he has already completed five pieces of work towards his EAL Level 2 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering. He attends college one day a week as one of 10 apprentices from different companies, and is working towards an EAL Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Technology.
The power of engineering apprenticeships
The values and long-term vision which accompany a belief in the power of apprenticeships has existed at IES right from our beginnings in 1991, and we asked one of our experienced engineers, Barry Tomkins, to mentor all our apprentices. As a former apprentice himself he is a great example to new recruits of the potential of this route and is a great advocate of apprenticeships: “Apprentices play an absolutely huge part in the engineering industry… my apprenticeship taught me all the core engineering requirements that I use all of the time – even today at this point in my career. And even though I’m 61, there’s always something new that I’m learning.”
Harri has no regrets about leaving his full-time college course to pursue an apprenticeship, saying: “I am learning so much more in the workshop and the part-time college course than I ever learned attending college full-time. I am working with 3 qualified and experienced engineers in the workshop, and it is great to learn from them.”
For further information on IES Apprentice Schemes, please contact careers@ies.co.uk or visit our careers page.
