Technica Trains The Engineers of The Future
Senior engineer teams up with trainee to pass on skills and knowledge
A trainee engineer at Technica, has teamed up with an engineer 42 years his senior to learn new skills and tap into the knowledge of a true expert.
Jack Browning, 22, joined Technica three years ago as an apprentice electrical engineer. Jack had already completed his ‘A’ levels in Physics, Maths and Geography but decided against heading off to University when Bryan Creed, technical director at Technica offered him an apprenticeship.
Explains Jack: “I’d never contemplated an apprenticeship but from day one at the Humberside Engineering Training Association, I knew I’d made the right decision. Hands-on learning was totally different to academic education but I loved it.”
Three years later and Jack has completed Levels 2 and 3 of a City & Guilds qualification in Electrical Instrumentation and has now embarked on an HNC in Electrical Engineering, fully supported by Technica.
Continues Jack: “I’ve spent the last three years ‘on the tools’ in the workshop and out on site but now I’m in the office working in a junior designer role alongside senior electrical engineer, Richard Fitzgeorge.”
“Richard’s been with Technica for four years and has worked in the industry since the 1970s – he finished his apprenticeship back in 1971. There’s nothing he doesn’t know about electrical engineering – he has stacks of knowledge – and he’s a great teacher, I’ve already learnt so much from him.”
“He’s really patient and I get to go with him to meetings and site visits. It’s a whole new challenge for me and I can see what we have to do to design projects before they’re installed, all the calculations required and project management. It’s totally different to being in the workshop and I appreciate the entire process much more now as I am experiencing all the work that goes on before a job can even start.”
Adds Richard: “It’s so important to pass on knowledge and skills to young engineers and Technica shares this forward-thinking approach to learning. I’ve worked with apprentices throughout my career and, as well as teaching them how and why we do things, I learn from them too.”
“Jack is no exception and it’s a pleasure to mentor him. He makes mistakes but he learns from them and that’s vital. We’re currently working on a very big project that requires multiple site visits and client meetings, so he’ll have lots of opportunities to have his say and learn even more new skills from the experience – he’s an engineer of the future and a real asset to Technica.”
