Daniel

When Daniel finishes his apprenticeship, he will obtain a BEng in Electro-mechanical Engineering from Nottingham University. He turned down a place at Warwick University in favour of his apprenticeship. 

Why did you want to come to UTCN?

I joined UTCN in year 10 because my school didn’t have much in the way of engineering facilities: Only some woodworking equipment. I really liked engineering and had grown up making things at home with my dad and grandad.

What did you like about UTCN?

I got on really well with the staff and found them really helpful. In particular at A level, I got to know the teachers well and I felt like they made the effort to get to know me as an individual. I took maths, further maths, physics and engineering.

How did you come to be a Degree Level Electro-Mechanical Engineer Apprentice at Caterpillar?

I’ve always had an interest in agricultural and construction equipment and so Caterpillar was a great fit for me. They are based in Peterborough which is drivable every day from my home. For the application process I had to submit a CV. I was then invited to do a personality test and then invited to an interview. I think my interview skills and ability to show my enthusiasm and personality are what secured me the apprenticeship.

How is your apprenticeship structured?

I’m currently generally office and lab based whilst I’m at Caterpillar in Peterbourgh. They have a lab (Cat Electronics) where we build machines for testing software. These machines are made of components from the products to simulate being in a machine and to check for errors in the software. Throughout my degree I will do lots of placements with different teams in the software and electronics groups. Each placement and group is focussed on a different product group which is overseen by a different manager.

I’m getting my degree via Nottingham University which will take 5 years. This means a spend one week at university at a time every couple of months doing lectures. Also, every Friday I do online learning which involves lectures and a follow activity.

Any tips for students currently studying at UTCN? 

• Consider your options! I have friends who have gone to university, and from hearing about their experiences I can absolutely see the benefits of the full-time university experience. However, an apprenticeship has advantages too.: Obviously financially an apprenticeship is beneficial as I am paid a wage and I don’t pay tuition fees. I’m also getting lots of work place experience.
• Don’t be disheartened if you get turned down for an apprenticeship. I applied for 6 or 7, got 3 interviews and was offered 2.