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I really like the mix of working my day job at A&D Sutherland in Caithness and then going down to Glasgow for block release as part of my apprenticeship.
In Glasgow, I normally stay for a couple of weeks and there are three different colleges that I attend – the National Construction College at Inchinnan, then we learn welding at Greenock and electrics at Paisley.
At the colleges, it is a mix of classroom and workshop learning and we cover all the essentials like hydraulics, pneumatics, electrics and wiring.
All the plant mechanic apprentices come to Glasgow, so you get to meet other apprentices from all over the country and there is always a good atmosphere.
When I was young, you would always find me trying to fix things, especially cars, so to be doing this every day for a living is just brilliant.
I work on everything from forklifts and telehandlers to excavators and a variety of different saws used to cut and process the stone from the quarry.
It is such a rewarding feeling to watch something you have repaired drive out of the workshop – there’s nothing better. Every day is different, and every job is different.
I’ve got another year of my apprenticeship still to do but the learning won’t stop there. I want to continue to learn as much as I can about the machines and equipment I work on. Industry and the equipment we use are changing all the time and it’s important to keep up with that.
To anyone considering an apprenticeship in construction, I’d say go for it!
Whether you’re a business looking to take on an apprentice or interested in starting an apprenticeship yourself, head over to our Apprenticeships page for more information.