We recently spoke to one of the young people currently enrolled on the Fitter apprenticeship programme, here’s what they had to say.
What inspired you to pursue an apprenticeship in this sector?
When I left secondary school in 2021, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and what career I wanted to be in. I think this was mainly because of the fact we were in a pandemic and I wasn’t in school to get much guidance on what career I wanted to pursue. To make my parents happy, and to follow their stereotype of going to university to get a good job, I went on to do my A-levels in sixth form before realising that this is not what I want to do. I have always been interested in engineering and having a job that’s hands on involving tools, equipment and working on my feet. I knew I didn’t want to go to university to spend another 3-4 years in education without working and earning money and I knew I would rather gain knowledge and experience by working hands on. This is why I wanted to pursue an apprenticeship in engineering because the best way to learn something is by experiencing it yourself and gaining the knowledge by working with people, building up a broad level of skills to be able to use different tools and equipment, and to read drawings of various models and diagrams. Having that experience will make me valuable in the industry.
How has this apprenticeship helped you develop your skills and knowledge?
Since I started my apprenticeship and working at Pearson Engineering, I feel like my skills and knowledge have increased more and more. Before I started, I didn’t know much about tools and following drawings, but since working with various different people on jobs and having that guidance on how to perform certain tasks and learning the outcomes, I know that I am more confident on working on new jobs with different tools and equipment and being more independent. By working with people who can share their knowledge and skills, I am able to gain those skills so that I can be valuable to the workforce and offer my help to the team.
How has the apprenticeship helped you grow personally and professionally?
An apprenticeship teaches you time management and how to take responsibility for your workload by teaching you how to balance work, training, and deadlines. This apprenticeship has helped me to progress professionally because an apprenticeship demands you to maintain organisation, meet deadlines, and work independently. Even though an apprenticeship in engineering is about learning and working with others, there is also a lot of independence that is involved and finding that balance with work, training and education is a crucial part of being a good apprentice.
What do you find most rewarding about doing an apprenticeship?
There are a lot of rewarding factors when doing an apprenticeship, for example, getting paid while you are learning and working and gaining skills and knowledge which will deliver impact for generations to come as well as being hands on and learning from people with lots of experience in this industry. Specialising in skills, being innovative and always evolving and having my contribution recognised is very rewarding. For me the most rewarding part is working on something independently by learning off someone and having that feeling of accomplishment when the job is done right is most rewarding. An example of this is recently when I have been working with someone who used to be an apprentice. He showed me how to follow the model on the computer and use that to assemble a mounting plate, fitting the right hoses in certain areas and using the correct fastenings. By following the drawings step by step and using the knowledge I gained, I was able to carry out the task independently. Once I accomplished the job and it was checked over and correctly completed, I felt that feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing I did it independently.
To learn more about our apprenticeships, please visit our careers page. If you would like to show your interest in our future apprenticeship programmes, please complete the form found at the bottom of our careers page.
Our battle proven minefield breaching products provide armoured vehicles with the capability to defeat anti-tank mines. Whether intended for deliberate breaching or to support ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ for fighting vehicles, our blast-resistant ploughs give Commanders the option to move unimpeded and in doing so, maintain a battlefield advantage.
Our earth loading capability delivers a powerful digging and carrying ability, enabling armoured vehicles to transport materials, clear obstacles, dig and fill trenches and to assist in construction tasks. Our loaders can be provided with varying degrees of function and therefore complexity to support different mission sets.
Our interrogation capability is rooted in providing additional capability for Counter-IED and Route Proving operations. To supplement physical detection from ground engaging roller systems, our interrogation arm can be used to further understand the nature of threats and to identify where risks may be present outside of the path of the roller.
Our obstacle and earth moving products include general purpose and multi-purpose dozer blades, designed specifically to meet the needs of different mission sets. Our blades are designed to be tough, robust and lightweight, enabling a wide range of obstacle and earth moving activities whilst minimising the impact on the vehicle’s mobility.
Typically used alongside Pearson Engineering’s Route Opening Mine Plough, Surface Clearance Device or Route Proving rollers, our highly configurable obstacle marking systems support battlefield mobility by quickly and reliably marking safe lanes and the edge of hazardous areas.
Our excavation capability is designed to support combat engineer operations such as digging, demolishing, removing obstacles and filling trenches to support Area Access and Area Denial.
Our approach is often described as a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ in that host vehicles can be adapted to take on various combat engineering roles, or to overcome challenges to mobility. Integration of our products with the vehicle is made via a Pearson Engineering Direct Fit Interface or Pearson Engineering Quick Connect. The most suitable integration method depends on the mission requirements and vehicle capabilities. Our engineers will work closely with end-users and vehicle manufacturers to define the most appropriate route to minimise the impact on the vehicle and to maximise operational capability. Decisions are often based on hydraulic and electrical availability as well as the required role of the vehicle. Our integration kits are used to fit products that are designed to enhance armoured vehicle agility, tactical flexibility and adaptability. They are designed to be configurable and to deliver ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ to operations.
Our recovery capability includes a range of dedicated and multi-purpose blades which are primarily designed to support the recovery of other vehicles and for moving of heavy obstacles. A powerful ground-engaging blade sinks into the earth to hold a vehicle static, acting as the force against which the obstacle can be pulled. The same blade can be articulated to provide some obstacle and earth moving capability.
Surface laid mines represent a rising threat as Armed Forces turn their attention to near peer conflict. Our solutions, each designed to support the missions of dedicated combat engineer vehicles or fighting vehicles, provide a comprehensive detect and displace capability to support deliberate clearance or self-extraction in the face of air delivered scatterable mines.
Our highly configurable rollers have saved countless lives, limbs and assets on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and have succeeded in ensuring ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ for soldiers around the world. Provided as either a full-width ‘route proving’ variant to actively check routes for the presence of Improvised Explosive Devices, or as a track-width ‘self-protection’ variant, our rollers are designed specifically to meet the needs of wide-ranging operational requirements. Our continued Research & Development and our approach to customisation provides confidence to those who use them.
Like all of Pearson Engineering’s products, our assault gap crossing solutions are designed to be modular, to be interchangeable with other mobility and counter-mobility equipment and to support ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ on the battlefield. In a time when units are tasked to ‘march divided and fight united’, independent manoeuvre support is key.
Our range of Mine Clearance platforms and tools provide Armed Forces and other organisations with scalable solutions for mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal and the defeat of improvised explosive devices. Our platforms and their tools can also be used to create mobility challenges for adversaries. Proven around the world, these mine clearance platforms and their tools are designed specifically to meet the needs of different operational contexts from large area clearance to support logistics and peace keeping operations through to clearance in complex terrain.