To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (February 5-11) we’re sharing insights into some of our apprenticeship roles at Selwood.
Here, we sat down with Lanson to find out why he chose the apprenticeship route and what he enjoys about his role as Apprentice Pump Technician.
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
“I did carpentry for two years but decided that wasn’t the career path I wanted to go down. I knew there were opportunities in plant and engineering at college, so I spoke to the advisors, and they recommended I do an apprenticeship.
“They sent my CV out to various companies, and I received lots of calls asking for interviews! Working at Selwood appealed to me because not only did I get the impression that it was a great place to work, but they gave me the opportunity in the interview to talk about myself and my interests, not just about how much experience I had.”
How do your studies work alongside the apprenticeship?
“I do a two-week release at college, so I work a few weeks at Selwood then two weeks attending college. My course is three years, split into three phases. I’ll do coursework throughout and then an exam at the end.
“I’ve worked in Selwood’s Repair Centre in Hixon for the last four months and I’m really enjoying it – I haven’t had a bad day yet! Every day is different.”
What skills are you learning?
“I’ve worked on each type of Selwood pump now and have been shown all the basics by the Fitters. It was all new to me before, so I feel I have a lot of new knowledge and skills in repairs. This includes how pumps and their engines work.
“Typically I will be shown how to do something and then given an opportunity to do that myself. I value this as I can learn from any mistakes and keep practicing until I get it right.”