National Apprenticeship Week: Meet Mike

This week (6-12 February) marks National Apprenticeship Week - and we love any excuse to shout about some of the great work done here by some equally great members of Team EY. Back in 2022, our parent company, The Go-Ahead Group was named one of the UK's top 20 apprenticeship employers, and as the leading apprenticeship providers in the transport and travel industry.

To find out how some of our apprentices are getting on, our Marketing Officer, Terry Vincent, spoke to some of our Engineering apprentices to find out how they were getting on.

Meet Mike, a second year Bodyshop apprentice working in our engineering department:

Mike, standing second from the right.

TERRY: Hiya Mike, great to see you! So, how's your second year going?

MIKE: Yeah, I'm enjoying it. In the workshop, everyone's nice and we all work together. So, you know, you can turn around to people and ask for help when you need it, which is handy. But yeah, it's a pretty hands-on job, so I enjoy doing it!

Is that why you chose an apprenticeship then? Because it's hands-on?

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I went to college for a year, but I was struggling to do the coursework. Learning here, and in Bristol, it's completely different than sitting down in college full-time. I really enjoyed the workshop part of my college course, but I used to get so behind on the written work side, because I couldn't bring myself to do it every day, all week. It got too much for me. After I left, apprenticeships were the first thing I look at - I just felt like it would benefit me miles more. Even though I did engineering at college, and you're taught all the skills you need, when you put them into practice it's completely different. You learn a lot more, I think.

Yeah, I get that. How's the apprenticeship going overall then? 

It's honestly great. I feel so relaxed when I'm here - obviously, because I'm really enjoying it, so everything feels a lot easier than at college.

And you're studying down in Bristol, right? 

Yeah, I think it's about four or five weeks here (at our main depot in Hull), and then one week in Bristol - which is great, because you're not constantly up and down all the time. It's more spread out so you've got time to concentrate and learn.

That's great. How are you finding the team here at EY? 

Well, like I say, there's always someone around if you need help - you can just ask. Even today, I've just been asking: "Is this OK if I do it this way?", so if I'm not sure how someone wants something done, I can just go up and ask them. You get to learn from everyone - there's a few people in the bodyshop, and they might all have different ways of doing the same job - or different approaches - it's just finding whatever works for you. So, yeah, everyone in there's nice and we get along quite well!

Nice! So, what's the difference between this year and your first year?

In the last half a year or so, I'd say we've been able to do a lot more ourselves, rather than constantly being with someone in the bodyshop. I mean, yeah, it means we probably make more mistakes, but it also means we get to learn from it ourselves. But, yeah, we're a lot more confident in what we're doing - it's good to know that we're definitely learning stuff (laughs).

Yeah, I bet! You'd recommend it then? What would you say to anyone considering an apprenticeship?

Yeah, I'd say try it. If you're doing something that you know you're going to enjoy, it's a great way to learn - you're more keen and willing to engage with it. I'm actually saying the same to my girlfriend at the moment, she's at college but like me, she stressing over the workload, so she's looking for an apprenticeship. It's great - you get to do the job that you want to do, whilst still working towards a qualification - plus you get paid (laughs). It feels more worthwhile than studying with a job on the weekend - it's all in one!

So, to wrap up then, what's one thing that you'd say you've learnt so far that will stay with you during you career?

I'd say probably just how to be at work. Obviously, because this is my first job, it's been really useful getting to know how to adapt to a routine, how to work with other people, and stuff like that. I think that's it mainly.

Brilliant. Well, thanks Mike! See you soon.

If you're interested in joining Team EY, we're looking for people just like you! Head over to the 'Join the team' page in our site menu, and become a 'Hero of the Road' today!