Joe Leverton

Employer: Primetals Technologies
Job title: Apprentice engineer
Studying: Level 3 - Technical Support Technician

Q. What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?

I've had a passion for engineering as far back as I can remember. As a little boy I was constantly taking things apart and putting them back together again to see how they worked. 

After school and a spell in the army, I worked in various jobs. I was working in a breaker’s yard taking old cars apart when I realised I needed to follow my lifelong passion, and the way to do that was through a career in engineering. 

Q. Why did an apprenticeship appeal to you? 

I knew I wanted to be an engineer, but at the age of 24 I had bills to pay. I couldn’t afford to take years off work to study at college full-time. I needed a way to train while earning a salary, and that’s what an apprenticeship gives you. 

Q. How is your apprenticeship giving you the skills and knowledge you need for a rewarding career?

The key part is that I am working four days a week alongside my studies. This means that for everything I'm learning I can then see the real-world applications of it, and how it actually works in industry. 

For example, I do a lot of work with engineering drawings. Last year on my course I learned the drawing standards, and then back at work I was able to identify them and understand how drawings come together and why. This practical experience gives such a strong foundation to what I learn.

Q. What is the best part about doing an apprenticeship at the AMRC Training Centre? 

Taking the leap and starting this apprenticeship is the best decision I've ever made. My experience at the AMRC has been great. The tutors are all really good, the content is delivered well, and it's a great facility. It’s allowing me to progress in the career I've wanted for a long time. 

Q. Tell us about your job at Primetals Technologies. 

I work on spare parts enquiries for our rolling mill clients. A big part is understanding the different types of mills and equipment used for producing flat sheets and plates of aluminium or steel. 

I work with clients from all around the world on orders of half a million euros and above. I review the type of steel or aluminium mill they are operating, study our drawings to identify the most suitable manufacturing options for the required parts, calculate costs and submit our offer. 

I've also been responsible for creating a list of recommended spare parts for one of our major projects to ensure they can keep their plant running 24/7. If they don’t have the right spares, a failure could potentially shut down their facility for months, so it’s very important they have the right maintenance parts on hand. By doing this job I’m freeing up other members of the team to travel and work on other projects.

One of the highlights of my time at Primetals was a trip to northern Spain to visit, inspect and test a large hydraulic unit before dispatch to the client. It was the first chance I’ve had to see one of our manufactured assemblies up close. I can look at drawings all day but seeing it in real life gave me the same sense of wonder I had when I was a kid. It also really helped my understanding of fluid engineering.

Q. What advice would you give to someone looking to do an apprenticeship?

I would say get straight into it. Find as much information as you can, talk to anyone you can, then take that leap. You won’t regret it.