Ben Stokoe is a Grade 2 Engineer with Wentworth House Partnership (WHP), he recently completed his apprenticeship.

Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to speak with Ben and ask him about his experience of the apprenticeship and why he thinks they’re important.

Which apprenticeship did you do with WHP and what did you enjoy most about it?

I have completed the BEng Hons Civil Engineering Apprenticeship. I have enjoyed the sense of progression through work and uni and improving in general engineering knowledge, competence and confidence. Looking back at the work I produced when I first started, compared to now, I believe the quality has improved quite a lot and this gives me a good sense of achievement.

Why do you think apprenticeships are important?

They allow you to gain valuable experience while studying for qualifications. I found that things I learned working at WHP/Keltbray helped me out a lot at uni and improved the level of work I could produce. You can also use skills learnt on the course and see how theory is applied to real engineering situations.

I would also say an apprenticeship gives you a little more added motivation to succeed than when studying full time, this is obviously my personal opinion and everyone is different but I tried full time uni and I struggled to motivate myself as I couldn’t clearly see an end goal. This may be due to not knowing what I wanted from it – the apprenticeship helped me realise.

Would you recommend an apprenticeship with WHP and why?

I would recommend an apprenticeship with WHP as it has helped me develop confidence in myself and my work, as well as allowing me to realise that I am capable of learning and achieving things I was unsure I could a few years ago.

How did you hear about the apprenticeship?

I joined the company as a junior CAD technician and learned about the apprenticeship through word of mouth in the company.

What’s life like at WHP?

Good. I am able to learn from some very intelligent, experienced engineers at WHP. Everyone is more than happy to help out with any questions, and being an apprentice I have had a lot over the years.

What would you say to someone about to start their apprenticeship with WHP?

Don’t be scared to ask questions, everyone starts somewhere and you are not expected to know anything and everything.

I would also learn from my mistake and plan some time each week to fill out any apprenticeship obligations such as 20% off the job training.