So Gary, why did you choose an apprenticeship rather than a full-time education route?
I actually applied to Glasgow University to do a 7-year Architecture Degree and met my conditions. I was all set to go and had a bit of an epiphany. I suddenly thought that going to university whilst taking a loan out to maintain my social life without a guarantee of a stable job at the end of it seemed like a scary situation to be putting myself in. I ripped up my conditional offer and took the apprenticeship route instead. To this day, it’s still the best decision I’ve ever made.
How do you think apprenticeships can bridge the gap between education and practical work experience?
I think apprenticeships do this perfectly. The theoretical side of education is often very difficult to comprehend, there’s a hell of a lot of calculations and design that’s hard for a lot of people to get on board with on paper. More often than not people like to see it applied to take it in and understand it fully. I’m no different, I still need to get myself on site at times to look at a problem in-situ to understand it. And funnily enough, this is the main difference with an apprenticeship versus a degree or similar. You spend time with real experts, applying the new learnings to real life situations every day, whether that be with projects, designs, defects or maintenance
What opportunities has joining Portsmouth Naval Base as an apprentice given you?
Being at the Naval Base, allows you to go on rotation with many different teams and tackling various problems on different types of Ship or Infrastructure really broadened my understanding as a developing engineer. Spending time with far more experienced engineers and other disciplines such as Project Managers, Commercial and Safety reps, who have a broader and deeper understanding of the assets and the process brings you up to a higher level so much quicker. In my experience, both throughout the apprenticeship and thereafter, I’d strongly suggest that apprenticeship graduates are far more equipped for life as a qualified engineer than university graduates when they exit their respective education periods; and I think this is largely down to the exposure to the full spectrum of process and people it takes to deliver something as complex as an Infrastructure Project or a Warship Support Programme.
Can you share a specific project or task during your apprenticeship that significantly contributed to your professional growth?
Thinking back, I was very close to the end of my formal apprenticeship at the time, but I can’t avoid mentioning being able to work on the HMS Victory Hull Support System Project. BAE Systems were designers of the replacement support system which is now installed beneath HMS Victory in No.2 Dock in the Historic Dockyard. I joined the project just before the start of the removal of the old system and replacement with the new. I had the amazing opportunity to take on Lead Engineer role for the delivery phase of the project. This was a defining and challenging experience in many ways for me, most notably with the risk and reputation around HMS Victory to the Royal Navy here in Portsmouth – we simply couldn’t get it wrong! It was a fantastic project to be involved in that required really good collaboration across all teams and our subcontractors who were physically working in the dock. We also had a very close relationship with the customer, the National Museum of the Royal Navy who were very keen to understand how the project was progressing, all of which I was central to as Lead Engineer.
How did mentorship and support during your apprenticeship influence your career path?
I had the great fortune of being very well looked after by more than a few influential engineers and managers in my time. From a technical, professional and development perspective there’s always been a lot of structure around evidencing what I’ve achieved, picking the right experiences that would broaden or deepen my skillset and reflecting on what I had completed to track and evidence the journey I’d been on. I’ve always found this very helpful and reflecting on it now, it’s allowed me to continue to pick the right experiences for me and not re-cover old ground in any new jobs I’ve gone for since.
Under the NAW theme of skills for life, what skills do you think you have developed by starting your career as an apprentice?
Moving away from home so young was a big step for me, that forces you to grow up quite quickly. But, from a general apprenticeship perspective, I think that it creates a sense of accountability you don’t have when you’re in school, or might not be created so naturally if you went to university. You are held to account by senior people as it’s not possible for you to be a passenger when you’re working as part of a team, with deadlines to hit on really important projects. You get used to functioning, delivering, and communicating as a part of a bigger team and begin to take responsibility for yourself as a result.
How have you continued learning during your career?
I’ve been very fortunate to progress my academic qualifications since finishing my apprenticeship, studying for a BEng (Hons) in Engineering and an MSc in Engineering Leadership and Management. That marks the end of my formal academic journey, but professional development opportunities have been endless. These include training in Project Management, General Management, Safety, and Auditing, all of which have been instrumental in my career progression.
The biggest lessons I’ve learned, however, have come from managing people and teams. True success for me is about creating high-performing teams that deliver on a shared set of goals. This is always a challenge given the diverse group of disciplines, ages, backgrounds, and inter-business interfaces involved—but it’s also incredibly rewarding and fun!
What advice would you give to anyone considering an apprenticeship scheme?
I’ve had the privilege of mentoring many apprentices and university graduates who have followed in my footsteps. My consistent advice to them is to maximise the benefits of the apprenticeship. The effort you invest is directly proportional to the rewards you reap. People I’ve worked with, and those who now work for me, greatly value a strong work ethic and a challenging mindset.
It’s crucial to always question, challenge, and bring fresh perspectives to existing processes, as there’s always room for improvement. I wish you the best of luck with any applications you are considering. Ensure you bring that challenging energy into any role you undertake and take pride in your contributions—after all, they bear your name.
