Meet the team: what do apprentice technicians do? 

At the Henry Royce Institute at Cranfield University, our apprentice technicians are an essential part of the technical team that keeps world‑leading research moving. Here’s what that looks like.

What do you do as an apprentice technician? 

“At Cranfield, and with Royce I am a part of the technical team that supports day to day research operations. I run various experiments to analyse the properties of advanced materials, as well as how they interact with extreme environments, such as extreme heat, corrosive gasses, and while under load. Currently my primary focus is on electroplating experiments, erosion testing, and Resonant Frequency Damping Analysis (RFDA).” 

Why did you choose an apprenticeship? 

“I chose to study through an apprenticeship as it allows me to get useful educational qualifications for my career, while also getting valuable work experience as a part of the role. Working full time whilst also working towards extra qualifications means that I have a balance between my education, and full-time work.” 

What are the challenges of studying while you work? 

“Compared to my friends who have chosen a different study path, I have found the current final year ‘time crunch’ a little difficult. My full-time role at Cranfield has developed through the apprenticeship, which means that it's harder to balance the time between the educational side of the position with the work.” 

What are the benefits of an apprenticeship? 

“Where a purely educational course would rely on case studies, this apprenticeship enables me to apply lived experience to many of the questions and subjects within the course. This gives me a far more detailed understanding of various subjects, especially health and safety, business improvement, pneumatics and hydraulics, communications, mechanical principles, properties of materials, and engineering mathematics. The ability to apply what has been learned to my day-to-day working life has greatly improved my understanding of all these key subject areas.” 

What advice would you give to people considering an apprenticeship instead of A-levels or BTEC? 

“I think that an apprenticeship is a very good way of getting both educational qualifications, as well as valuable work experience all at the same time. I have met numerous people who believed that an apprenticeship would be ‘easy’ and found out that it can be more challenging than they initially believed. 

 “If you're considering an apprenticeship as the next step in your career, it is a significant but worthwhile commitment. I highly recommend you ask current apprentices about what they do, and to get advice from them on how to get the most out of an apprenticeship.” 

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