Article by Evie Rose Shuttleworth, Year 13
As part of Bradford Manufacturing week, New College Bradford hosted the Apprentice Panel Event which opened opportunities to students to hear from past students and professionals who have taken their leap into hands on learning through paid apprenticeships.
One apprentice shared how he had always wanted to go into engineering, but wasn’t sure university was the right route. With help from the New College Bradford tutors, he explored into other options, eventually achieving an apprenticeship from Powell UK and says he “couldn’t be happier”. Gaining real hands-on experience in estimating, design, and customer projects rather than the 3-5 years of university lectures.
One speaker from Denso Manufacturing said in an applicant they look for skills in “friendliness, honesty, and strong work ethic” and especially those who are eager to learn.
Whitaker at Marsden’s UK explained how his apprenticeship expanded his skills across different forms of engineering, while another apprentice in accounting described progressing from level 4 to 7, growing “skills and confidence” along the way.
