At Howden we are passionate supporters of attracting young talent to our workforce. Read our current and previous apprentices' stories
Describe your apprenticeship journey?
I believe the successful completion of my modern apprenticeship was the springboard to my current successes and to date I recognise this as my greatest achievement. The manufacturing industry appealed to me as it resonates with my personal beliefs and motivation. The ability to work hands-on, with technical standards, the influence of resources, capital and budgets all ignite my passion and personal ambition.
What opportunities have you gained through your apprenticeship?
I am excited by the opportunities that technology will bring to the manufacturing industry in the UK and empower the next generation. Due to the rate of change of markets and new technology, a fearless agility will be essential for the leaders of tomorrow.
I started my journey off at 17 years old not knowing much about the industry but always having a passion for building things and engineering. My Howden apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to do both and during this time I learned invaluable experience about our company products and how they operate. It also taught me key skills which allowed me to develop as a person and professionally.
It has given me the opportunity to work on specialised engineered to order equipment, be involved in executing our products which are shipped all over the world, build great relationships with the people I work with and our customers, but most importantly for me its allowed me to do what I am passionate about for a living. My apprenticeship ultimately gave me a great platform to learn about Howden products and how they operate which has allowed me to progress my career in the company.
My apprenticeship allowed to leave school at 17 and go straight into a great working environment, whilst furthering my education. An apprenticeship is a learning environment like no other. As well as educational and hands on skills, it allows you to develop core skills to develop you both professionally and personally. Since completing my apprenticeship I have been in 4 different roles within the Howden, a company which has been extremely loyal to me and continuously supports all aspects of my development. I have absolutely no doubts I would not have achieved what I have achieved in my working life if it had not been for me starting off in the Howden apprenticeship scheme.
I have had the opportunity to continuously develop my education to degree level alongside working with a product that is required all over the world and to me I take a great deal of satisfaction from that. I am now in a position where I lead, manage and develop others and as a 17 year old school leaver who didn’t want to go to University, I couldn’t have dreamed of that. I would recommend an apprenticeship to any school leaver, the opportunities from there on are absolutely endless.
I started my apprenticeship by going to a training centre for 6 months. There I learned the basic knowledge needed for starting out life in the factory. This has also let me get to know other apprentices that I started alongside.
Once I finished at the training centre I came back to the factory. Since then I have been following a rotation plan where I go round each individual department learning different aspects of engineering and the product. It’s a great experience doing this as I learn loads of new skills and meet different people.
My apprenticeship was a very exciting and rewarding journey. I enjoyed being part time at college then being hands on in the factory. I feel you learn different parts of your apprenticeship in the factory you perhaps wouldn’t in college for example tooling. I began my apprenticeship in PCT and completed in in Howden.
During my time I have had the opportunity to learn of some very experienced and knowledgeable tradesmen and work alongside new apprentices starting out their journey.