Two-time Apprentice of the Year winner, Sam Lawson, was offered the role of Production Engineer at British Engines Group company, CMP Products, during the final year of his Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship.
We caught up with Sam to find out about his time as an apprentice and his role as a Production Engineer…
What is your job role and how long have you been in the role?
I began my Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship at CMP in 2018 before moving into the role of Production Engineer in 2021 in the final year of my apprenticeship.
How did you find out about the apprenticeship and what about it appealed to you?
I was studying for A Levels in English, Business and Sport when I saw an advert for the British Engines Apprenticeship+ Scheme on social media. Like a lot of young people towards the end of school, I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to go down, however I knew I wanted to do something hands-on where I could learn and develop. After looking into the apprenticeship scheme, I decided it was something I’d like to pursue.
My uncle, who also works in engineering, had heard about the British Engines Apprenticeship Scheme and spoke highly of it. He actually showed me around the factory he worked at which made me even more interested to explore a career in engineering!
What made you apply for the role of Production Engineer?
When I was an apprentice working on the shop floor, I often assisted the production engineers with projects. This helped me to get an understanding of what their role involved which made me realise this was the direction I wanted to go down. Luckily, towards the end of my apprenticeship, a Production Engineer role came up so I applied and got the job.
What opportunities has the British Engines Group provided for you to advance in your career?
So far, I’ve completed an HNC and HND in Mechanical Engineering, which have really helped to improve my knowledge and skills. For the past year, I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to do next and have decided that I’d like to pursue a BSc in Mechanical Engineering at university with support from British Engines.
How would your colleagues describe you?
I think people would say I’m always happy and smiling! Everyone on the production team has a good relationship and helps each other out, so I’d like to think they would say I’m positive and easy to work with.
Where does your motivation come from and who inspires you?
I’d say my uncle definitely played a part in inspiring me to get into engineering, but to be honest, a lot of my motivation comes from within! I’m always looking to learn something new so I can better myself and develop.
Tell us an interesting fact about you?
It might be a bit strange but when I was two or three years old, I had to wear an eye patch! I had a birth mark on my eye which affected my vision so they would cover my ‘good’ eye to strengthen the vision in my ‘bad’ eye, but it ended up correcting itself anyway.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
My family and friends are important to me so I spend a lot of time with them. I’m also a big Newcastle United fan so you’ll always find me at the matches!
This year I’ve been lucky to travel a lot, I’ve been on seven holidays! I’ve been to Ibiza, Palma Nova, Prague, Dublin, Dubai, Singapore, Bali and Germany to watch Newcastle play Dortmund in the Champions League. It’s a hard choice, but I think Dubai has to be the best place I’ve visited, although Singapore is a close second!
Do you have any career highlights?
Winning Apprentice of the Year twice has to be my best achievement. When I started my apprenticeship, a colleague told me to “get your head down and be eager to learn” so that’s what I did and it obviously paid off!
What are your career plans?
I’m concentrating on the short-term at the moment, I didn’t expect to get a Production Engineer role so quickly after finishing my apprenticeship, so for now, I’m focusing on developing and learning as much as I can in this role.
In the long-term, I want to get more qualifications so I can progress within the business. Hopefully I’ll continue doing that next year by starting my Mechanical Engineering degree!
Thanks for speaking to us Sam, we wish you the best of luck in your future career at the British Engines Group!
Find out more about the British Engines Apprenticeship Scheme.