Robert

Robert is a Degree Level Apprentice at Warren Services. Robert left UTCN in 2018 and joined the School in year 10 in its first cohort.

Robert has been supporting our sixth form students with Find your Future where students are working on a project set by Warren Services to design an on street electric car charger.

Why did you want to come to UTCN?

I had previously been at Wayland Academy but really wanted to do engineering at GCSE level. However this was not something that was offered there. I saw UTCN advertised at a careers fair and liked the look of the engineering and science courses and so I applied. It was also important to me that I could study core subjects like English and history alongside the STEM subjects.  

How did you find your apprenticeship at Warren Services?

Midway through year 13 I started applying for universities and degree level apprenticeships. I was doing A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Engineering and knew I wanted to do some kind of engineering after school but wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. So I applied everywhere! I also saw the careers advisor at UTCN and she directed me to Warren Services and their degree level apprenticeship scheme. I did an interview with them and got the apprenticeship. I had work experience at EX-Heat and been involved in F1 in Schools whilst at UTCN so this also gave me some of the soft skills I needed to go into the degree apprenticeship. 

How have you found your apprenticeship at Warren Services?

My degree is part time so it will take 6 years to complete. I spend 4 days a week working at Warren Services and one day at university. This style of degree suits me better as I’m more hands-on in the way I learn. Also, I wanted to earn money as soon as I left school.

I really enjoy working at Warren Services. I find that they understand your value, meaning my wage increases as I do more qualifications. For example, I just finished my HND which has meant I’ve been given a pay rise. I also pay no university fees but will finish my apprenticeship with a UEA accredited bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics. . 

I’ve enjoyed the structure of my apprenticeship. To start off I was doing a rotation of departments to get an insight into all areas of the business. These lasted around 4-6 weeks each. After that I was placed in the Tech Area department more permanently based on my skills and my aspirations for the future.  However, I often do find myself in other departments when this is needed by the business and workload. I like that I have this flexibility and this means I learn more.  

Any tips for students currently studying at UTCN? 

• Being able to problem solve is a super power as an engineer. This means you don’t need to know everything! Your problem solving skills will mean you can figure it out and if you can’t, it’s OK to ask questions.

• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket when applying for things in year 13. Throw your name out there and see what comes back. 

• Engineering is such a diverse field. There will be jobs out there that you didn’t even realise existed. Do your research!