This week we are celebrating Scottish Apprenticeship Week by profiling some of the promising young talent within our business. With a longstanding commitment to in-house training and promoting from within, our apprentices start their career journey at Power Jacks with many going on to have long lasting careers within the business.
We spoke with three of our apprentices, Business Administration Apprentice, Aaron Eaton, Apprentice Fitter, Ryan Edmonds and Apprentice Quality Inspector, Finlay Goodlad to get an insight into their various roles and some of the benefits of undertaking an apprenticeship. The boys have all been making strides in their careers and we’re looking forward to supporting their growth and knowledge as they move through their apprenticeships.
Can you tell me a bit about your current role and responsibilities?
Aaron: I work in the Operations Department, compiling job lists and work packs for the workshop and supporting the Production Planning Manager. In this role I’m exposed to many different departments, so I’ve also been involved in elements of quality, finance and sales.
Finlay: I work as a Quality Inspector, so this involves inspecting a lot of different components, both our own equipment and those from third party suppliers. I’m also responsible for the calibration of measurement equipment which is a big part of my role as I’m currently the main person carrying out this activity.
Ryan: I’m an Apprentice Fitter so this involves assembling our products including our screw jacks and gearboxes and I also sometimes get involved in the taping and blasting of the products.
What motivated you towards a career in this industry?
Aaron: I’ve always been around engineering with a lot of family working in the industry so for the last few years I’d been considering it. When the opportunity for an apprenticeship came up it interested me as I’d always been more open to hands on learning over the university route.
Finlay: I started off my apprenticeship with another company in the oil and gas industry but with the uncertainty in the sector there wasn’t much job security so when I saw the opportunity at Power Jacks it appealed to me as they operate in so many different areas.
Ryan: Like Finlay I also started my apprenticeship at another company but was paid off in 2020. The Apprenticeship Fitter position at Power Jacks was perfect for me as I’ve always preferred working with my hands rather than being computer-based and I wanted to work in the workshop environment.
What stands out to you about Power Jacks as a company to work for?
Aaron: It’s a smaller company so we’re a tight knit team and everyone gets on!
Finlay: Everyone’s really good to work with and the quality of work is to a high standard so that pushes you to be better yourself.
Ryan: I would say it’s the variety of sectors they operate in and the wide range of applications – everything from the military to the roof at Wimbledon!
What are some of the things you find most interesting about your apprenticeship?
Aaron: Having worked with all the different departments across quality, operations, finance and sales it’s interesting to see how the teams interact and how they all come together to deliver the end product.
Finlay: For me it would be the inspection side of things. When something is identified as being out of spec, it’s interesting to get involved in problem solving and coming up with a solution. If this is a third-party component, I’ll have to speak to their teams so it’s good to interact with a wide range of businesses.
Ryan: Again, this is related to the vast applications that the products have, it’s really interesting to be involved with all the different sectors that they operate in.
What would you say is the best thing about doing an apprenticeship over other routes into work?
Aaron: It’s good to get practical experience as well as applying the knowledge that you’re picking up from studying.
Finlay: University never appealed to me as I preferred getting hands on experience rather than learning in the classroom, so the apprenticeship route was ideal.
Ryan: It’s definitely the opportunity to get the hands on experience – it gives you a wide range of knowledge plus you’re going through college at the same time so you’re getting good qualifications and also getting paid at the same time.
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