The aim of the week is to share stories and information to encourage others to consider how apprenticeships can help us #BuildTheFuture.

We caught up with one of our Apprentices, Ben to find out more.

Ben joined the team as an Apprentice Mechanical Engineer having completed a Level 3 diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Barnsley College.

Ben is working with us 4 days a week alongside 1 day a week at Leeds College of Building studying his HNC in Building Services Engineering.

Hi Ben, why you would encourage others to take up an Apprenticeship?

I would recommend an apprenticeship to someone because of the learning on the job, in my opinion it is a lot easier to learn and understand something when you are at work and you have experienced people around you to help you gain knowledge and understandings of things that maybe a teacher would not. It also Is a great way to build experience whilst still carrying out your education.

What made you choose a career in engineering?

My interest in being able to be a part of designing the future was the main reason I chose a career in engineering; I also wanted to be part of the process for designing and developing the systems in buildings to be as efficient as possible, sometimes before the building even exists.

What has been your favourite part about your apprenticeship so far job?

My favourite part of the job so far has been learning how to do various mechanical calculations that are relevant to building services and sizing equipment used in the design. I look forward to seeing these come to life as the projects come to fruition over the coming months.  

Where do you see yourself heading over the next five years?

I am focusing on completing my education and once my HNC is complete, I will be working towards a Bachelor of Science at Leeds Beckett in Building Services, during this time I will hope to gain a lot of experience working alongside the team here at Sheffield that will help me eventually work towards Chartership through CIBSE.

Adam Machan, Director of the Mechanical & Electrical team at Waldeck added:

“Ben has become a valuable asset to our team within his short time at Waldeck and I wish him all the best as he continues his education and career journey within our team.

“Growing our own talent is a huge priority on our agenda over the coming months and as we look ahead to 2022. Ben’s journey is just one of several successful routes into engineering and we look forward to welcoming other new starters to the business in the near future from Graduate level up to Senior Engineers.”

Find out more about our Mechanical & Electrical Building Services offering here >