We caught up with some of our Power division to find out more about their careers so far and why choosing to start an apprenticeship in 2022, might just be the best decision you make!
Paul Ward, who heads up our Power division shared:
“We’ve been taking on apprentices for over ten years now. We have a fantastic success rate of recruiting both school and college leavers and training them to become valued members of our team, so much so, that 60% of our current Power team began their career with us as an apprentice.
“Our apprenticeship training scheme sees employees gain a broad range of experience across Power, Electrical and Instrumentation disciplines. Academically, some choose to continue their studies after completing their HND’s at college, by going on to study for a degree.”
We interviewed Craig Nuttall and James Adshead, who both started their careers with us as apprentices, to find out more.
How long have you worked at Morson Projects and what is your current role?
James:
I’ve worked at Morson Projects for 4 years now and I am currently an Engineering Apprentice. My day-to-day duties include providing CAD support for one of our senior engineers as well as assisting in a variety of other office duties. Working alongside a senior engineer, I am able to continually improve my knowledge and experience, creating a foundation for what I hope will be a successful and rewarding career.
I study part-time at UCLAN, on day release each week and will be officially completing my apprenticeship in the coming months when I receive my certificate for completing my NVQ in Design and Draughting. Once I have completed my apprenticeship, there are further opportunities at Morson Projects for progress onto further education.
Craig:
I have worked at Morson Projects for just over 9 years now and my current role as a Junior Electrical Design Engineer involves managing my own projects whilst working alongside our clients’ engineers.
My day-to-day job role is to design and develop electrical drawings on AutoCAD, that represent electrical panels at substations.
What has been your career highlight so far?
James:
A highlight for me has definitely been having the opportunity to travel to Scotland and other places within the UK to visit different sites. Our projects are located in a variety of places across the UK, so being able to go out and visit these sites is great experience and is a welcome change of scene from our typical way of working.
Craig:
As briefly mentioned above, my career highlight has been attaining a First-Class Honours Degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University.
What is the next step for you in your career?
James:
I want to continue to learn and improve within work over the next few years with the goal of being able to produce design-based work, as well as being able to undertake draughting work in order to further progress my career.
As well as my NVQ, I am currently in my final year studying for a BEng having completed my HND in previous years.
After completing my degree I will assess my options regarding further education however In the future I would like to obtain Incorporated/Chartered status.
Craig:
The next step in my career is to become a Chartered Engineer (CEng) working towards becoming a Senior Electrical Design Engineer.
Why would you recommend an apprenticeship to an aspiring engineer?
James:
I would highly recommend an apprenticeship to school and college leavers as an alternative to the traditional route. After finishing my A-Levels I was unsure whether an apprenticeship was a viable option in trying to work towards an engineering career but after working in the industry for 3 years and having spoken to others across the industry, I truly believe that apprenticeships can be beneficial to the traditional university route as you finish with the same qualifications but with more practical experience, as well as the opportunity to start earning instead of being straddled with debt.
Craig:
Yes, I would highly recommend apprenticeships to young adults as you get paid whilst you learn. Engineering is an interesting topic as it is continuously evolving. As a former apprentice I learnt more about what I was doing in the drawing office as I was taken to site being shown what each project involved.
To find out more about our Power division please contact Paul Ward on 0161 707 1516, or for more information on apprenticeship opportunities, please ask for Becky Hicks.