Olmec celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

At Olmec, the continuous pursuit of excellence through personal and professional development is at the heart of who we are.  We truly believe in developing ‘skills for life’ and we are privileged to offer engineering apprenticeships to young people. We are proud to nurture the next generation of engineers, working with them to develop the technical and personal skills which will enable them to thrive in the workplace and positively shape Olmec’s future.  Our current cohort have made a brilliant first impression with their curiosity, commitment and eagerness to learn. 

Nick, Jake and Charlie joined Olmec in September 2024 and we asked Nick to give us an insight into why he chose to pursue an apprenticeship with Olmec, and how his apprenticeship is developing him both personally and as an engineer.

Nick - Level 3 Apprenticeship in Engineering Fitting
’I came into my apprenticeship through my training provider HETA. I was told about the opportunity Olmec were providing for a potential electrical apprentice and, after reading about the many vision and automation projects they operated in, I was highly interested. When initially researching the company, I came across a previous apprentice’s case study about his apprenticeship at Olmec. His high regard for the company’s support and values piqued my interest. I then had the opportunity to tour the site during my interview, which further strengthened my enthusiasm for automation systems. During the tour, I spoke with Rob, an Allen-Bradley controls specialist. Already deeply interested in programming, I found our conversation fascinating. Learning about how the machines operate and how they are configured to run different products seamlessly at high speeds was particularly intriguing. This experience reinforced my belief that Olmec was the right fit for me.
I would describe myself as academically competent. I enjoyed my education through secondary school and a year of A-level study. I particularly appreciated the problem-solving aspects of assignments and the research required to understand challenging concepts. However, one aspect I felt was lacking was a more practical, hands-on approach.
Now, working at Olmec, I have the opportunity to visualise both the problems and solutions involved in my work. Whereas in college I was given theoretical problems, here I can collaborate with experienced professionals, learning from their years of expertise. This adds immeasurably to the depth and quality of my learning, making my experience far more enriching and applied.
I believe the most valuable part of my apprenticeship has been the relationships I have built throughout my experience so far. When I first started, I lacked practical skills; however, with the support of my managers and colleagues, I have steadily developed new methods and techniques for problem-solving—both in the workshop and through class assignments for my qualification.
Although I have occasionally made mistakes, but I have always received positive feedback, guidance and assistance particularly when working on projects such as electrical panels and mechanical assembly. This support has been instrumental in helping me grow and refine my skills.
During my time at Olmec, I have had the opportunity to work offsite in locations such as Wales and Great Yarmouth. I was able to shadow and assist Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, as well as a Controls Specialist who conducted commissioning tests.
Each visit allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of Olmec’s approach to commissioning, testing, and upgrading vision systems. This experience has helped me conceptualise my role within the broader operations of the company and identify ways to improve and excel in my own work.