We’ve finally reached summer and we’re excited to provide you with an update on how our apprentices, Charlie and Jay, are progressing with their apprenticeships at electrical engineering company, Darke & Taylor.
If you’ve been keeping up to date with this blog series, you’ll know that we’ve been following this apprenticeship experience through the eyes of Charlie and Jay from the very beginning. When we last caught up with Charlie and Jay at the start of the year, they were reflecting on some of the experiences, advances, triumphs, and challenges that they’d faced during their first year. You can watch the video update here: https://jtltraining.com/darke-taylor-apprenticeship-blog-a-winter-update/
Now, having completed almost two years of their apprenticeship, we spoke with both apprentices to see how they feel they have progressed since they started. Reflecting, Charlie told us, “My knowledge of the trade has increased massively, and I feel I have learnt so much. I’ve gained tons of experience being on site and I’ve enjoyed working alongside people I get along with.
(Pictured – Charlie at work)
“Since the last update, I have moved on to the maintenance side of Darke & Taylor for three months. It’s been great to experience different areas of the business and to understand how they work and what they do. At college, I’ve recently been studying inspection and testing, which is applying well to my work on the maintenance side of my apprenticeship. Despite being unsure of switching over to maintenance at first, as I didn’t know anyone, I soon became a lot more confident coming to work every day as I got to know the two electricians I work with better.
“Over the last year, I feel my personality has matured a lot as I am now in a routine. I believe I have developed professionally too, as you have to be very serious as an apprentice – there is no time to mess about – which I have learnt now. In terms of support from my JTL Training Officer and Apprentice Support Officer, they have both been so helpful and I appreciate that they always let me know that they are just a phone call away.
“During my second year of training I’ve mostly enjoyed the extra experience I have gained. Looking ahead to my third year, I will be finishing my college course, so I’ll be primarily focusing on my apprenticeship with Darke & Taylor. I’m excited to gain more experience on site and learn even more.”
(Pictured – Jay with his JTL Training officer)
Jay echoed the same positiveness as Charlie, saying, “During my second year of training I have enjoyed having the knowledge to complete tasks on my own, as well as knowing that I can work stuff out and solve problems by myself.
“Whilst at college I have been learning about inspection and testing which is good as it’s exactly what I’m currently doing at work – it helps you understand why you wire things in a certain way and how it all works. I have also been working with my employer at Aynhoe Park, which is a 17th-century country estate in Northamptonshire. On this project I was given more independence with my work, which I felt enabled me to learn a lot more and how to figure out problems by myself. Additionally, I’ve been doing some off-the-job learning in the form of an app which has allowed me to practise testing on my phone, as well as help me understand the testing procedure and process.
“Reflecting on nearly the last two years of my apprenticeship, I feel that I have progressed a lot with my confidence and now feel comfortable being left alone to complete tasks that I enjoy and have experience doing. The last year in particular has made me more mature as there is a certain way you need to act while on site, especially in terms of being professional in front of the client and others. My relationship with my JTL Training Officer and Apprentice Support Officer has also been a big help as they have always been in contact with me and helped with any issues or concerns.
“In terms of the third year of my apprenticeship, I am most looking forward to finally being classed as competent and of course the pay rise will be nice too.”
It’s fantastic to hear from Charlie and Jay on their positive progress as they come to the end of the second year of their apprenticeship. We look forward to catching up with them in their third year to see how they’re getting on.
Find out more about our JTL electrical apprenticeship here: Installation and Maintenance Electrician Apprenticeship
