In our new Day in the Life series of articles, we go behind the scenes at Lomas Engineering to find out more about different people’s roles and what makes them tick!
First, we caught up with 20-year-old George Grant, who is coming to the end of his Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship.
‘I’ve been doing the apprenticeship for 2 years now, working 4 days a week at Lomas and 1 day a week at Rotherham College. The college element finishes later this year.
It’s been an excellent experience. I enjoy learning on the job and getting stuck in, but I also like having the opportunity to go to college to learn different skills and other aspects of mechanical engineering.
Prior to this I was working for a similar organisation and had started that job straight from school, but when I saw the opportunity to go for the apprenticeship, I jumped at the chance. It’s great to be able to work and earn money whilst still learning and gaining a qualification.
On a daily basis, I work on most of the cutting machines, manual lathes and CNC lathes. My supervisor Will is very supportive and the other senior staff members are always on hand if I have any questions.
I’d love to stay on at Lomas after I’ve finished my apprenticeship. It’s a really enjoyable place to work. I’m happy to come into work every morning. There’s no stress, the people are great and it’s just a good environment to work in.
My aim is to get better and better at what I do. I want to be able to use every machine and become an expert on it all, like the others in the team. I’d also like to learn more about the other sections within the company, like grinding.
The best part of the job is seeing what can be produced. It’s rewarding to have worked on a product and then see the finished item, knowing how it’ll be used within the aerospace industry.
The hardest part is having to remember my maths from school. We sometimes have to work out angles using trigonometry, which can be a bit of a challenge!
I’d recommend an apprenticeship to anyone interested in a career in mechanical engineering. You’re never on your own – between your colleagues and your tutors, you get loads of help. When I’m not at work or college, I go to the gym regularly. I also enjoy relaxing on the X-box and spending time with my friends and family.
