What I do

I am based at a large water treatment plant and responsible for checking equipment and maintaining water filters and the equipment that monitors the quality of water to customers. We supply thousands of homes with water – it’s around 15 million litres of water a day.

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

How I became a technician

I’ve always loved being outdoors, so I knew I wanted a job that wasn’t an office based nine-to-five. At the end of my first year in sixth form, I wasn’t enjoying classroom-based A-level learning and wanted to do something different, although I wasn’t sure what.

Through my school I saw this apprenticeship, it appealed to me and so I applied. I went through an interview process including team building exercises and workshops followed by individual interviews.

I got the job and that started my journey on a two-and-a-half-year apprenticeship. It was eye opening going into the workplace at 16 but the team were very friendly, so it wasn’t too scary!

It is a really good job and pays well, so I can also have the life outside of work that I want.

You need to be reasonably fit in this role as there is a lot of physical work, but you don’t have to pass a fitness test!

A typical day in my
working life

I am based on one large water treatment plant and work starts at 7.30 am. There will be a little bit of admin work and organising stuff at the start of the day. We then have a meeting at the control system for the site, look through the data from the night before and identify any potential problems. We then go out on site and fault find any issues and deal with them.

Routine checks take place of all the plant equipment as well as maintenance of water filters and equipment that monitors the quality of the water. A part of the job is dealing with contractors, including taking delivery of various chemicals that we use to treat the water. You need to be reasonably fit in this role as there is a lot of physical work, but you don’t have to pass a fitness test!

A little more about
my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

Teamwork is vital and I really enjoy it - when there are big problems to solve, the team comes out in force to work together to find a solution. It is really satisfying.

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

Just after I had finished my apprenticeship, we had a big issue with one of the sites and part of a building ended up getting destroyed by a burst pipe. There were lots of people involved but I was solely responsible for dealing with the situation. It meant lots of communication and problem-solving, then I had to write a report on what had happened. That was a key moment when work became very real – it can be stressful and there can be time pressure, but you feel you are making a difference. My apprenticeship built my confidence and gave me better interpersonal skills to deal with situations like this.

The next steps in my career journey

I am really happy in this role and continuing to develop my skills. Wessex Water has loads of career routes in management, science and engineering, so there are loads of options for me to consider in the future. I might do a Higher National Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma (HND), or a degree in some field of engineering further down the line.

The advice I'd give to
someone younger

Pick something that you enjoy. Just because you embark on something now that doesn’t mean you have to do that for the rest of your life. Take any opportunities that come and don’t waste time doing things you don’t enjoy.

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

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Jack Campbell