What I do

I make parts for buses, trains and large vehicles out of sheet metal. We don’t make whole trains or buses but produce and supply products that go into machinery or equipment in the defence, rail and transportation sectors.

Hear more about Hollie's role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

I studied engineering at school and remember making model planes out of sheet metal. I went on to do product design and history at A-level. I knew I didn’t want to go to university, so I looked at apprenticeships and found the opportunity at Hydram on the government website. I started when I was 18 and completed the apprenticeship over two years. I’m now studying for my Higher National Certificate in Manufacturing Engineering.

A typical day in my
working life

When I first get in, I turn on the two or three machines I will be running that day and complete the necessary safety checks. As we work in shifts, I will check if my colleagues have left me a note that I need to follow up on. Then I review my job card to see what I’m doing for the shift before setting up my machine and tools

I'll check each of the drawings before starting to machine the parts. Operating the machines is very technical. If you programme something wrong or even put a decimal point in the wrong place, you can end up damaging a machine.

A little more about
my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

My team are supportive - if anything goes wrong, we work through it together.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

Working with our brand-new machine, which is the size of a caravan! As it works slightly differently from our older machines, I’ve been trained on how to operate it, which was really interesting.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

Nine apprentices sitting on sofas socialising

Meet other technicians

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