An apprenticeship is the start of something great! Living proof of this is James Masefield who recently completed an apprenticeship at Precision Micro, a leading metal component manufacturer using the latest Photo Etching technology.

Now the business’ Benelux Cell Leader, we had a chat with James to discover where it all went right.

Great to see you again James. Quickly summarise your time at Precision Micro for us.

Well I have worked in almost every department in the factory. When I first started I worked in Quality just doing day to day general Quality tasks. After approximately a year in Quality I was moved to a Research & Development team. This team focused on new work; finding robust processes for new jobs. After approximately another year in that team I was moved to a new Benelux team. This team was created to deal with European customers. Six months later I was leading that particular team and have been doing this role ever since.

Wow! You’ve certainly experienced a lot. 

Correct, I found my apprenticeship all very gradual. I like the way the first year, probably the most enjoyable year, is setup. It feels like you’re at work. It doesn’t feel like college.

So you joined your apprenticeship after college?

From school I chose to go back into education before starting a full-time job. I felt school alone didn’t give me any of the skills I needed to go and earn a decent income. Because of this I stayed living with my parents and went into full-time education to develop so I became more valuable to an employer.

And then naturally you progressed on to earning whilst you learn through the apprenticeship?

That’s right. Some positives of what I did with the money whilst learning – passed my driving test, went on a holiday with friends, saved up for a deposit on a car. I now live in my own studio apartment with my partner.

Seems as though you’re really reaping the rewards. In a sentence James, how would you describe your apprenticeship?

A valuable and life-changing experience.

Thanks for your time James.

Having completed his apprenticeship, James is now excelling and heading up his own successful team within the company. If you have the ambition to develop a career in manufacturing, get in touch.