What I do

I make composite materials like carbon fibre, glass fibre and Kevlar which are used to make cars and planes. We work with big aerospace brands by helping develop their ideas into parts, which we then test. After they pass our tests, we produce these parts for them. As I am an apprentice, I work across different zones, learning about all the areas. There’s a resin infusion zone, a clean room for what we call ‘pre-preg’ work and non-destructive testing where we test the parts before making them. We’ve also got a machine shop and high value manufacturing where we have bigger machines for manufacturing lots of parts quickly.

Hear more about Thomas' role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

I wasn’t too sure what to choose for my GCSE options. I knew I kind of liked the engineering processes and liked more hands-on work. I didn't really like sitting in the classroom too much but obviously had to do the standard subjects like English and Maths, but I wanted to do something with my hands as well.

That’s why I chose Engineering, Art and Media GCSEs. I really enjoyed Engineering and working with machinery, mostly on metals. I got my results and knew I didn't want to do A levels, so I looked for an apprenticeship on the .Gov website and I found the National Composite Centre. I did a bit of research on the company and liked the look of the work they do. And then I went for the apprenticeship and thankfully got it!

A surprising fact about my job

We are a research facility, so big companies like GKN Aerospace, Rolls Royce, Airbus, and other top-vehicle brands come to us with their ideas and we work together with them to develop parts, making them lighter, stronger and more durable.

I like working with lots of people, all different ages, with different experiences, and hearing their stories.

A typical day in my
working life

I arrive at work in the morning and look at our resource tracker to find out which job I’ll be working on, and I head to that area. Now I’m in the third year of my apprenticeship, and am more experienced, I can do more. I shadow technicians which is good as I get to experience all the different jobs, and they get me involved, they’re a good bunch of people to work with.

At the moment, I’m working in the pre-preg area and making parts for vehicles. We use pre-preg materials, which are materials that are pre-impregnated with resin. It’s like a dry fibre sheet but has the resin already in it, so it’s easier to use. I lay sheets of these materials together to make strong, shaped, composite material which can be used in automotive or aerospace.

To do this, I have a sheet of material which is a bit like a big sticker. I make sure it's nice and flat and then create a vacuum bag. It’s like at home when you put your clothes in a storage bag and suck all the air out, we do that to make each layer nice and flat. Then I take off the bag, put a couple more layers on, vacuum it again and make sure it’s nice and tight. After this, I put it in an autoclave, which is like a big pressure vessel oven to press it all together with heat. The part will then cure and get very solid and strong and that’s the process of making the parts we use.

I wanted to do something with my hands, that’s why I chose Engineering, Art and Media GCSEs.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

Being an apprentice, I get to work across a lot of different areas and get to learn from great people.

The best bits about working in a team

I like working with lots of people, all different ages, with different experiences, and hearing their stories. They’re good at showing me a task and letting me get on with it. They’re direct and tell me what needs to be done and how to do it and then I get to try it - that works for me, to have the instruction and then being able to crack on with it.

An exciting project I've worked on

I worked on a big (secret!) project which was great as I worked on it from start to finish with the same team and got to see the whole way through the process. It was really nice, a great accomplishment to complete it, especially as we overcame some challenges along the way. It was an amazing feeling to see it finished.

The advice I'd give to my younger self

Don’t be too conscious and not speak out, don’t over think things. People don't really mind what you say so they won’t think anything of it, just ask the question and chat!

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