Ben is an Engineering Apprentice with Element Six. He started his Apprenticeship in September 2017 after completing A Levels at The Marlborough C or E School in Woodstock.

Why did you choose to do an Apprenticeship?

I don’t study in the way a university would want me to, I don’t like reading from books for hours on end. Also I found that, for me, there were more benefits to an Apprenticeship.

How did you find out about your Apprenticeship?

I applied for an Apprenticeship at Culham Science Centre, they forwarded me for the Element Six Apprenticeship.

What have you gained from your Apprenticeship?

I have been increasing my knowledge of the engineering world through college, learning the theory and through working, which applies said theory to the real world.

What do you plan to do next?

I plan to finish my second year of college. I have the option of doing a degree if I am getting the grades. Therefore I will be looking at potentially doing that in the future.

How will your Apprenticeship help you achieve this?

My Apprenticeship will help me do this, as it will give me the skills and the knowledge to get the grades so that I might be able to get onto the uni course.

What advice would you give a young person who might be thinking about an Apprenticeship?

Take a look at your situation. There are many differences between Apprenticeships and university, therefore you need to look at each individual factor. For example, what kind of career do you want to have or how do you like learning.

What advice would you give an employer who is considering employing an Apprentice?

You would need to look and see whether your company would benefit from an Apprentice, whether the Apprentice would enjoy working with you and what kind of potential the Apprentice has.

How do you feel about becoming an Apprenticeship Ambassador?

Excited!