Catch up with Tim Bruce

We caught up with our University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre apprentice alumni to find out about their apprenticeship highlights and where they are now.

Full name: Tim Bruce
Age: 29
Employer: NIKKEN Kosakusho Europe Ltd
Current job title: Assistant General Manager
Apprenticeship pathway: Mechanical Maintenance

When did you start your apprenticeship?
2014

What’s your entrance song and why?
The Killers - Mr Brightside. One of my all-time favourites.

Who would you choose to play you in a movie of your life?
Sean Ward - I've been asked a few times if I'm ‘Callum from Coronation Street’.

What did you spend your first big pay cheque on?
Parts for my car.

What was the highlight of your apprenticeship?
Getting into the Apprentice of the Year finals a couple of times.

Tell us your AMRC Training Centre hero and why?
Richard Devine - a great tutor on the HNC course who was always willing to help and very easy to get on with.

Tell us about a typical day at work?
Currently, the majority of my day consists of covering for the service manager, who is project manager for our new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Managing NIKKEN’s service department involves a variety of tasks, including: planning and coordinating work for a team of in house and external engineers; providing technical support and training to service team members, business managers, sales team members, customers and other staff both in the UK and around Europe; liaising and ordering from suppliers / purchasing, sales orders / invoicing and stock management. I am also starting to assist the general manager and director, learning more about the general running of the business as opposed to just specifically in the service department. 

Tell us how an apprenticeship kick-started your career?
An apprenticeship allowed me to develop key skills that I still use to this day; having a good foundation is essential. After developing my skills in the workshop, I then progressed into a more office-based role and my career progressed from there. Completing the BTEC and HNC helped greatly with my ability to provide technical support to NIKKEN staff and customers.

What’s next for you?
As NIKKEN’s new ERP system nears completion, my involvement in assisting the general manager and director will increase, and my time will be shared between the running of the service department and the overall running of the business.