CASE Studies - Modern Apprenticeships #2

James Grant, Vehicle Mechanic

James Grant works on a wide variety of heavy machinery on behalf of Highland Council’s Roads and Transport division in Brora. "We have over 100 vehicles to maintain, so my job covers everything from keeping snowploughs going in winter to preparing machines for road repairs in summer."

James is 19 years old, and has grown up around machinery, as his father runs his own motor engineering business. "I loved tinkering with anything mechanical from when I was tiny, and although I left school with good academic qualifications, I really felt a hands-on job would suit me better than more paperwork – I actually enjoy getting my hands dirty! I also had a real dislike of the idea of getting into heavy debt at such an early stage in my life. The costs involved in tertiary education put me off. That’s why my Modern Apprenticeship is ideal – I am learning a trade, while earning a good salary and remaining debt free."

"I am working towards a Modern Apprenticeship in Vehicle Mechanic and Electronic systems for Heavy Vehicles which is a very specialised course run through Stevenson College in Edinburgh. Normally I would have to leave home and go south, but my Modern Apprenticeship means I can work for six weeks in the workshops here, and then go to Edinburgh for a fortnight of coursework. An assessor from the training organisation Remit visits me at work regularly, to gauge my progress. I find being surrounded by more experienced mechanics in the workshop helps me learn faster than sitting in college day after day. In the future I may want to join my dad in his business, or continue specialising in mechanical work on heavy machinery. Whatever I choose, I know I am building up skills that will always make me employable."

Calum Helliwell, Mechanical Engineer

Calum Helliwell’s chosen career is very much a family affair. He is following in the footsteps of his grandad, father and older brother who are all mechanical fitters: he says that their influence helped in his choice of career from an early age.

Presently in the third year of his Mechanical Engineering Modern Apprenticeship with UKAEA at the Dounreay nuclear site, 19 year old Calum says, "Although I was fairly clear about what I wanted to do, I knew it was important to study a range of subjects at school and I gained seven Standard Grades and two Highers before leaving at 17. As my brother had been a Modern Apprentice at Dounreay I knew a little about how the scheme worked, and the school careers adviser helped me find out more about working and earning a wage while training."

"UKAEA takes on around five apprentices a year, and I was one of the lucky ones as more than 80 people applied. When I was at school I practised interviewing techniques as part of English studies, and I feel the confidence this gave me helped in my interview at Dounreay."

"I spend four days a week working on site, and each Wednesday I go to North Highland College in Thurso to study for a HND in Mechanical Engineering. The balance between the practical work and theory is very good. I move around the different departments in Dounreay, so my work is varied. Because it is a nuclear site, we undertake many specialist safety and other technical training courses, and I am learning new skills all the time."

"I enjoy all aspects of my trade, but especially tasks that let me work with machines like lathes and mills. In the meantime I am happy to be working towards such a high qualification in my chosen field."

Mark Mackenzie, Carpenter and Joiner

After leaving school, 21 year old Mark Mackenzie initially chose a different career path to the one he is on now. "I left school at 17, with 6 Standard Grades, and went straight into a job as Trainee Gamekeeper on a local estate. I studied Gamekeeping for two years, with the assistance of Skillseekers, but eventually realised that I wasn’t in a career that really suited me. My dad is a builder, and having entered the world of work, I found myself paying more attention to what he did on a day-to-day basis. I went to Inverness College and did a short general course called Access to Construction, which gave me a feel for the building business. At college, my lecturers reassured me that although my employer would be my dad, I could still apply for a Modern Apprenticeship, if I wanted to further my career in this area."

"I came back to Sutherland and began my apprenticeship in Carpentry and Joinery through the CITB, working on different projects with my dad. An assessor from the CITB comes to visit me out on site, and they also help organise accommodation in Inverness, when I go there to study the theory part of my course."

"Apart from doing joinery and carpentry on a variety of projects, I have also recently begun renovation and building work on my own small croft house in Clashmore, in the far north west. I have done most of the work on it myself, with assistance from dad. I don’t suppose there are too many young people of my age who can say they have a home of their own!"

"I am happy to stay in the Sutherland area for now, but I know my Modern Apprenticeship qualifications will carry me on into excellent employment prospects in the future, wherever I find myself."