Meet Ben Hale

Name: Ben Hale

When did you join the programme?: I joined the apprenticeship programme in September 2023.

How did you hear about the programme? Was it your own research or suggested by your current employer?
I heard about the programme through my employer.

Can you tell us what the Apprentice programme involves?
The apprenticeship programme involves a combination of learning on the job whilst studying the theory side of everything that goes in to being an engineer, from all the health and safety regulations and rules to the types of machines, tools and equipment used in the day to day working activities.

What attracted you to the programme?
I was attracted to the programme because it is a great way to gain qualifications to further your career whilst earning an income and not getting into debt.

What did you see as the main benefits/advantages of this route into a career versus the traditional university route?
The main benefits of doing an apprenticeship over doing a traditional degree at university is getting three years of work experience whilst attending the course. As well as earning money, unlike a traditional degree which costs a lot of money and leaves people with debt, having an apprenticeship means you already have a job at a company, and by the end of the apprenticeship you will have gained work experience and progressed your career. The straight university route means upon leaving university, you have no work experience which could put you in a disposition when you are part of a large group of applicants for a job.

What surprised you most about the programme?
I was surprised by the variety of different jobs and roles that people on the same course have at their places of work.

What has been the highlight of the programme for you so far?
The highlight of the programme has been the structure of the course which allows me to study but also allows me to progress my job skills. My favourite topic so far has been the ‘preparing and using industrial robots’ module.

What skills has the programme helped you to develop?
The programme has helped me to develop skills such as communication and working with groups of people. It has also helped me to further my ability to work within the Health and Safety regulations that are in place for workplaces and know how to produce the correct types of documentation when carrying out a job.

As an apprentice in year two, what does this year involve? How is it different from year one?
The first year was mostly taken up by full time training in the AMRC and then returning to work towards the end. In the first year we completed the Level 2 standard for the apprenticeship and started the weekly level 3 development knowledge days. In the second year we have done more assignments for the level 3 and have been in work for most of the week training on the job.

What are you aspiring to be/where would you like to see yourself in five years time?
In five years I would like to be taking on my own projects within the business and working with more of our customers.