Daniel Mather, Craft Engineer

Go for it!

I’ve always been interested in how things fit together. And with both Dad and Grandad working at the steelworks, I also knew a little bit about the industry.

While I was studying for my GCSEs, I managed to secure some work experience at Corus which I really enjoyed. Shortly after that, my Dad told me about the Mechanical Apprenticeship scheme and that sounded like a great way to start off my career.

Beginning by learning the basics, it wasn’t too long before I was able to do something really useful. The sense of satisfaction gained by re-building a gearbox or working on a plant turbine, then knowing everything was running just that little bit more smoothly thanks to me, was just tremendous.

The first year of my apprenticeship was spent mainly at college working towards qualifications that would really help my career. After that, I was based on-site, with day release to complete my studies.

I now have an ONC & HNC in Plant Engineering, an HNC in Fabrication & Welding and an NVQ Level III in Engineering Maintenance behind me and am currently working as a Corus Craft Engineer.

Best of all, no two working days are the same, and I get a great feeling of satisfaction when I finish a job. If you want to do something more interesting than study for A-levels – and want to start earning straight away - do like me and go for it!