On successful completion of the two year Level 2 Engineering Apprenticeship at the College’s Farm Lodge campus, he progressed to the Level 3 Engineering Apprenticeship which was his stepping stone to becoming a Higher Level Apprentice and paved the way for him to do a Foundation Degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.
Jack explained: “My dad, Gary, did a HND at the College and is now a mechanical engineer. From a young age, I wanted from to be an engineer as well but just wasn’t sure what kind of engineer I wanted to be. The Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeship programmes gave me a solid foundation and broad understanding of engineering, and this helped me decide to focus on mechanical and manufacturing engineering.”
Admitting that maths was not his strongest subject, he said the guidance and support he received from College lecturers from the very start of his journey to become an engineer was ‘amazing’.
“I did struggle with maths at first, but now I’d be a lot more confident about tackling even complex calculations. The lecturers were brilliant and I made good use of the support materials they had on Canvas (the College’s Learning Management System).
“It’s tough but very satisfying when it all comes together, and you see the benefits of the hard work you put in.”
As a Higher Level Apprentice, Jack spends one day a week in College and four days with his employer, Vaughan Engineering Services in Mallusk, a leading mechanical and electrical building services engineering contractor which operates throughout the UK and Ireland.
He said the apprenticeship programmes had given him an ideal balance between theory and practical experience.
“At College, the topics are explored in greater depth and then when I’m at work with Vaughan Engineering, I get ‘hands on’ experience working alongside qualified professionals with an opportunity to apply what I was taught in the classroom.”
With the benefit of hindsight, Jack said the apprenticeship route was definitely the right one for him and he has no hesitation recommending it to others.
“I have got such a good foundation and broad understanding of engineering by working my way up through the apprenticeship training at Levels 2 and 3 to The HLA and Foundation Degree. I absolutely loved it and would encourage others to do an apprenticeship!”