What I do

I maintain the galleries at the Science Museum. I make sure everything is switched on, everything is working and make sure we keep things up to date. I’m always talking with the team to see how we can improve things and keep innovating to make it the best experience for the public. I’m often making parts or coming up with plans for exhibits that could be improved. I also help maintain exhibits and interact with members of the public.

How I became a technician

At school, I wanted to work in electrical installation. But then at college, there were a couple of bumps, meaning I couldn't get onto that course, so I went for an engineering course instead. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but I became way more fascinated by the engineering industry – I hadn’t realised the things you can do with engineering! After doing a BTEC Level 2, I started to look for apprenticeships. The Science Museum just stood out to me, it’s a place where everyone goes, but you never get to see what’s behind the scenes. And here I am - I’ve been really enjoying the apprenticeship, it offers even more than I was hoping for. The experience is great and there are so many things you can do here - electrics, engineering, maintenance, plumbing. We’re involved in so much and it’s really helping to develop my career.

A typical day in my working life

Usually in the morning, we start with PPMs, which is our Planned Preventative Maintenance. I’m usually given four objects to maintain, and I go round and make sure they are functioning properly. If I spot any problems, I’ll go back during the day to work on that exhibit between other jobs. From around midday, we could be working on a multitude of things! I might be down in the workshop making things and getting them ready for the gallery. I might be in the gallery interacting with visitors. Something I can’t wait to be trained up to do is running the red steam Mill Engine and explaining to the public how it works – it gets such big crowds! Sometimes we get problems or repairs for the gallery called in over the radio that we weren’t expecting and we will go and analyse the situation. If we can’t figure out how to fix it, we’ve got an amazing wider team who will be able to help.

You will always get rewarded and never be left empty handed if you keep putting the effort in every day.

A little more about my everyday role

What I love most about my job

I love the creative freedom. I don't just get told to do something and do it. I can go and see what’s going on, bring it back to my team to discuss ideas and then off I go on a project. I can take a whole project from start to finish, and then have it on display in the museum for people to use. Hearing them say, “this is amazing” about a project I’ve worked on makes me really happy.

The best bits about working as a team

We have a very good team here. I really like the fact that you can go to them for anything. There’re so many different skills in the team - people who come from carpentry, electrical or engineering backgrounds, or working in factories. It’s great to be able to get different bits of knowledge from different places and always be learning. I will then be able to pass that knowledge down to someone else in the future.

The skills I use most

The three big ones are mathematics, communication, and teamwork. We work with different dimensions and we’re making things from scratch, so there’s loads of maths involved. If I’m in the gallery running one of the interactives, I’m communicating with members of the public and answering questions like “How does it work?” or “When was it made?”. Teamwork is important too, we’re always working as a team and need to make sure we’re working well together.

My favourite piece of equipment

Definitely the lathe, which we use to cut and shape wood and metal. It’s a really versatile machine, and I’ve become so confident with it lately. I’ve slowly become better at using it through my apprenticeship and it’s so satisfying that I can now just hop on the machine and do what I need to do. My favourite equipment to run in the gallery is the Toyoda Automatic Loom. It brings such a big crowd in and I get to explain how it works and answer questions. Everyone wears clothes that originally came from this kind of loom, so they are always amazed to see it in action!

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

There's an orrery in Wonderlab, that demonstrates how the solar system works. I worked on the main gearing and parts for inside the Earth. Everyone uses that all the time and it gets such great reviews, plus children like looking at it for hours. It’s good to see our hard work being appreciated, it’s an amazing feeling.

What I wear for work

I wear work trousers and steel toe-capped boots to protect my legs and feet. On my upper body, I wear a Science Museum jumper or shirt to protect my own clothes. I wear goggles to protect my eyes, and sometimes noise defenders if I’m working around louder machines, such as the Toyoda Automatic Loom. I wear gloves if needed. You’ve got to stay safe.

My school days

When I was at school, I liked being out the house and exploring – getting to know the world around me. My whole family had bikes and we used to ride a lot. I was the one who would fix them. I’d always be looking at things to do or fix, which is kind of like engineering – I just didn’t know I was doing it at the time!

What I like to do in my spare time

I really like going to the gym, keeping myself fit and healthy. I like getting out of the house and spending time with friends and family.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Keep trying and don’t give up. You will always get rewarded and never be left empty handed if you keep putting the effort in every day.

Glass cases holding artefacts in a museum

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