It turned out to be a fantastic evening with Josh nominated in the Outstanding Academic Achievement (Degree) category, Nathan winning in his Craft Electrical category and Oliver winning in his Craft Mechanical category… As if all this wasn’t enough, Oliver was also awarded the coveted title of BAE Systems Apprentice of the Year.
We quickly caught up with Oliver after the event to find out more about the evening and scoping the big prize.
Oliver, huge congratulations, how was the evening?
The evening itself was a pleasant surprise, as I had no idea what to expect in terms of the scale of the event or how the event would go. From the welcome drinks, until the end of the presentations, the night was very entertaining and it was so good to be involved in such an event. It was nice to see fellow BAE Systems apprentices leading the presentations throughout the night, as it felt more authentic and could not have ran any better.
It’s clear to see that he is an exceptional apprentice, who inspires those around him with his dedication and commitment.Glynn Plant, Managing Director
And apart from winning, what was the highlight for you?
I would say the highlight of the night was the time spent at the table meeting new people from within as well as from the outside of the business. Going into the event I only knew one other person and by the end of the night, I had spoken to the majority of the people at the event. It was interesting to get to know a little bit about people’s jobs and what their role is as an apprentice across different UK sites. I have only ever really had the opportunity to connect with apprentices from our Munitions sites, so it was eye opening to connect with our different sectors, speaking to people in the same position as me and also a good reminder of the scale of the community I am a part of at BAE Systems.
How did you celebrate?
To celebrate I didn’t do too much, I let my close family know about the award and spent some time with them across the weekend.
How would you sum up your BAE Systems journey to date?
My BAE Systems journey to date has been a rollercoaster. From leaving school at 16 and moving to Newcastle with a family friend to ensure I could arrive at college on time, then having COVID strike in the middle of my apprenticeship, to then moving roles from an electrical role to my current control systems role, it has been tough. Since the control systems role brings new skills to the Washington site, I spent a lot of time developing the apprenticeship framework to meet the needs of the role, and while this was a challenge, I feel it makes this award even more worthwhile. My overall experience has been full of highs and lows but in the end, I feel that all my hard work has paid off and I am excited for what the future holds.
And what’s next for Oliver?
My next steps are to continue with my day-to-day job; maintaining and improving the control systems and robots, we have on site, whilst also looking to take on a Degree in Control and Automation at the University of Salford to further develop my skills in the industry. On top of that, we are currently seeking an apprentice to start in the department, so it will be fun to pass on my knowledge and help them learn from any mistakes I made along the way.
On congratulating our nominees, Glynn Plant, Managing Director said: “This is absolutely fantastic news and a well-deserved win for Oliver. It was great to meet up with him earlier this week to pass on my congratulations. It’s clear to see that he is an exceptional apprentice, who inspires those around him with his dedication and commitment.
“My congratulations also go to Nathan and Josh, who along with Oliver, have represented our business at the highest level.
“Thank you for all your hard work, you should rightly feel very proud of what you have achieved.”