Level 3 Science Manufacturing Apprenticeship: Kane Murrell

I wanted to undertake an apprenticeship to help me grow and learn as much as possible whilst having a mix of hands-on work and theory at college. A practical apprenticeship seemed a rewarding route for me as it would allow me time to develop and cement my existing knowledge.

Describe your apprenticeship experience….

I have had a great experience in my apprenticeship, not only for the support I have had in work and college, but the additional training that has been provided to help me grow to support myself and Cranfield. I have been able to attend open days to talk about apprenticeships and learn about scientific fields I didn’t even realise existed!

How did you complete your 20% off-the-job training?

Cranfield has been great with providing lots of off-the-job training. They have also supported me in providing me time and travel expenses for attending block learning and experiments at college.

How has the apprenticeship benefitted you personally/professionally?

Personally, it has been great getting to know lots of different levels of staff and students at Cranfield. Even though I have finished my apprenticeship, I still meet a lot of new people and everyone works as a team. Working with specialists and experts has really reinforced my understanding of several fields and disciplines. Professionally, the apprenticeship has helped me understand what the University needs from technicians with skills that range from problem solving or maintenance, to laboratory safety and willingness to learn. I now have proven skills and experience in science manufacturing and I use these in my everyday work.

Did the apprenticeship impact on your personal time and if so, how did you manage this?

The apprenticeship did not affect my personal time at all as I did most of my learning during my 20% off-the-job training. I did have to use good planning skills to complete my college work and evidencing during this time but my line manager was supportive in giving me the time that I needed. I did commit some personal time to represent Cranfield at local career fairs to promote apprenticeships. These were well worth it to help future talent understand the variety of apprenticeship opportunities that may be available across the University. I hope that I have inspired more people to join the engineering/science field!

What would you say to anyone else considering embarking on an apprenticeship?

It is a great way to experience ‘hands-on learning’ which is supported by theoretical knowledge of your studied area. It provides you with skills and experience to apply in many fields of engineering or science.