The ‘Close Brothers’ Degree Apprentice of the Year Award 2020
Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking, wealth management services, and securities trading. They employ around 3,300 people, principally in the UK. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250. Close Brothers, in association with the AMRC Training Centre and the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) help manufacturing businesses grow by funding the next generation of advanced engineers through the SME Apprentice Programme
Finalists for the ‘Close Brothers’ Degree Apprentice of the Year Award
Bethany Cousins – The University of Sheffield AMRC
My work as a project engineer is currently focused on developing the novel manufacturing process of power skiving gears, which has the potential to revolutionise the gear industry. The final goal is to increase productivity on conventional machine tools, preventing the requirement for expensive specialist machines, increasing the accessibility and opportunity of gear production.
The whole experience of the AMRC Training Centre has been a highlight of my career. Aside from achieving a first class honours degree whilst working full time, the main thing I will take away from my time at the training centre is the large network of engineers I met along the way.
I want to continue progressing my career, moving forward to more senior job roles with greater responsibility based on the breadth of knowledge, I would like to continue growing through embracing and overcoming challenges at work, and be respected and recognised by colleagues.
William Morton – Tribosonics
As a trainee engineer, I manage the company workshop, including the manual mill and lathe; manage bespoke projects and necessary suppliers for delivery of customer projects; support the development of new business relationships; develop technology and drive innovation; and design, manufacture, assemble and test prototype and customer products.
My highlights have been achieving an average grade of above 70 per cent in my degree apprenticeship; building new relationships and connections; and applying theoretical knowledge learned through course material and successfully applying this to real-life applications both at work and in the university lab environment.
In my career I want to manage larger customer projects solving more complex problems; work my way up within the business from trainee to engineering manager; and develop my skills in project management.
Adrian Salatowski – Crowle Wharf Engineers
My main roles are toolmaking and quality control. This involves setting up CNC machinery, supervising and training new starters, and designing, programming and manufacturing a broad range of components. I’m also responsible for quality control tasks such as inspecting and controlling components.
My highlights of the AMRC Training Centre are the friendly and skilled personnel who are always there to help, teach and guide, and the well-equipped shop floor facility and trainers as they helped me in taking my first steps into engineering.
Aspirations for the future are to complete my Degree Apprenticeship and I wish to gain enough experience and skills to take up a supervisor role, and eventually a managerial role, and become responsible for an entire engineering department