To mark National Apprenticeship Week Ford has shared the experiences of eight apprentices from across the company’s sites at Halewood, Dagenham and Dunton.
They are a diverse range of ages, backgrounds and skill sets, including hands-on mechanical and mechatronics roles on the line to higher apprentices earning degrees while working full-time.
Check out their interviews here.
What made you apply for the apprenticeship scheme at Ford? I applied for the apprenticeship scheme because I am very interested in engineering, and it offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with mechanical and electrical machinery that will give me transferable skills, that will stay with me for life. Working for Ford also means there will be further opportunities for long-term career development, within the company.
What do you/did you enjoy the most about your apprenticeship? The thing that I enjoy the most about my apprenticeship is developing my skill set, and learning about all of the different areas, new technology, and jobs within the factory.
What skills have you learned recently in your apprentice? Recently I have been learning how to work on and alter the programming for the machines that we maintain and fix here in the factory, using the specialised software we have access to.
Is there a particular experience or opportunity of your apprenticeship that you really liked and could share? One experience I have particularly enjoyed during my apprenticeship is working with the robots that assemble, clean, and produce the components for the engines. You are given a lot of responsibility, as these robots cost thousands, and you as an apprentice get to use the skills you have learned to try and fault find and fix them.
What do you think makes the automotive sector an exciting place to work? The automotive industry is an exciting place to work as it is constantly evolving and is driven by innovation. No two days are the same, and advances in technology and automation means the industry is always moving forward, and new skill sets are constantly being created for people to learn.
Is there any advice or encouragement that you could give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector but worries it isn’t for them? My advice for anyone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive industry but thinks is not for them is keep an open mind and trust your ability to learn and develop. You aren’t expected to know everything straight away, and there are a lot of people who can support and guide you when you need it.
What made you apply for the apprenticeship scheme at Ford? I applied for this apprenticeship at ford to help and extend my knowledge. I have always enjoyed working mechanically and do well learning hands on in a job. I took this opportunity to further skills mechanically whilst learning many other skills along the way.
What do you enjoy the most about your apprenticeship? I enjoy the hands-on tasks that are given to learn from, this is my favourite part of the apprenticeship as I could not find this type of hands-on work through college or school. I enjoy the new people I meet throughout the apprenticeship at DEP and where they can help you through problems that they have faced before in the workplace.
Which skills have you learned recently? Recently I have been learning how lifting equipment performs and works. Currently as a part of this working segment I have learnt so many new skills that I could address and use further into my apprenticeship and work. I have learned how to correctly use lifting attachments, check chain wear and complete PM hoist checks.
Is there a particular experience or opportunity of your apprenticeship that you really liked and could share? In this apprenticeship I have had so many opportunities to better myself with knowledge and skills. I thoroughly enjoyed when me and others were tasked to use CAD to create an iPad stand, then 3D print the stand to test it.
What do you think makes the automotive sector an exciting place to work? I think that if you like anything that is car related, you will find others in the automotive sector which you can communicate with easily and fit in quickly to the environment. I feel that the automotive industry is open to many different types of opportunity where there is always a change of environment if you wish to change. This industry is constantly innovating as well. Each day I learn something new and different then before which makes me excited for work knowing that each day holds something new to do.
Is there any advice or encouragement that you could give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector but worries it isn’t for them? I would say that you won’t know until you try it. At first, I was very wary about wanting to work in this sector but as time went on the excitement and wanting to learn grew. If you would like to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector, then look into it on all of your possible worries and if you felt it would benefit you then go for it and give it a try.
Which skills have you learned recently? Recently, I took part in a Computer Programming Literacy Course in which I learnt how to read and write Python code, as well as using Github. I have already been able to transfer this skill into my day-to-day work, automating daily admin tasks to help improve team efficiency. This is an important skill, that’s transferable to almost any career path, especially to the future of software engineering. Equally, I have recently moved into an EPE rotation, in which I have gotten stuck in learning about electric propulsion systems and the driving force behind Ford’s EV vehicles, which has been provided great motivation and drive to learn more about the future of the automotive industry.
Is there a particular experience or opportunity at work that you really liked and could share? Recently I visited a supplier in Manchester, who converts Mustang MACH-E vehicles into hearses and limousines! This was a really interesting experience to see and assist in the conversion process, especially when much of the work I conducted in assisting was remote. Equally I recently took part in a Guinness world record at the Dunton site, in celebration of Transit’s 60th Birthday. Both are examples of two very different experiences, but are equally memorable opportunities, I otherwise would not have had elsewhere!
Is there any advice or encouragement that you could give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector but worries it isn’t for them? When I first applied for my role as a degree apprentice at Ford, I worried that I would be at a disadvantage because I wasn’t already a vehicle enthusiast; I didn’t know much about cars or vans, let alone engineering. It’s okay to not be an automotive expert already, as that’s what the apprenticeships are for… to learn! Apprenticeships provide a safe space to learn in the workplace, whilst also gaining a degree qualification. My main piece of advice would be to just be confident in your abilities and apply for an apprenticeship. If you never try you will never know!
What do you enjoy the most about your job? The thing I enjoy the most about my job is the impact on the drivers of the commercial vehicles of the future. I enjoy asking myself the question, “Is this decision right for the customer? Is my contribution to the product the best way forward?” My daily projects have a real impact on the final product, which means I get a lot of satisfaction out of my job.
Is there a particular experience or opportunity at work that you really liked and could share? The apprenticeship has offered me many incredible opportunities, from driving Transits at an event in Germany, leading a Ford project for a local college, to visiting the transit production plant in Turkey. I have been able to experience so many different things that I would never have done had it not been for the apprenticeship.
What do you think makes the automotive sector an exciting place to work? I like that I get to see the products out in the world. There’s something exciting about seeing a production vehicle on the road and knowing that you helped bring it there, in some cases having sat in the earliest prototypes for that product and seeing it go from the early stages right up to serving its purpose as a commercial vehicle.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? What I enjoy most about my job is that I can work on projects I find genuine enjoyment and curiosity in, where no two days are the same and I can learn from experienced engineers on a daily basis. We also have the chance to rotate teams every eight months which gives us a well-rounded engineering experience. I study an engineering degree part time, but it means I can have a hands-on approach with my work. It is very satisfying to apply the theoretical knowledge we learn in real-world challenges particularly around commercial vehicles and electrification which is very rewarding.
Is there a particular experience or opportunity at work that you really liked and could share? One of my favourite experiences as a Ford apprentice was having the opportunity to be an exhibitor at the CENEX Expo 2025 where I was able to talk to visitors and other professionals in the industry about all the work Ford does around electrification. It was a particular milestone for me as I felt very confident explaining the work Ford does as well as showcasing our electric vehicles. Another opportunity I have had is working with the Greenpower Education Trust who support young people from ages 8 to 25 in building and racing their own electric karts; it is an initiative that Ford has been the National partner for over 20 years. I was a former participant and winner of the competition and now have the chance to help organise and improve the Greenpower programme.
Is there any advice or encouragement that you could give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector but worries it isn’t for them? A piece of advice I would give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector is that as long as you have raw passion, curiosity, and a willingness to learn, this industry is for you so don’t let fear hold you back. An automotive apprenticeship exists to help you develop into a professional and qualified engineer so don’t worry if you feel you don’t have the right skills or experience early on. While you may assume that there is a particular skillset or personality a company is looking for, the automotive sector has a diverse set of roles from software development to project management to powertrain engineering and so much more.
What made you apply for the apprenticeship scheme at Ford? During the refit of Halewood to manufacture power units, the then plant manager came round to my college and looked at some of engineering course work and spoke to us about the investment Ford had made into Halewood. I was passionate about a sustainable future and saw working for Ford at Halewood as a means to support the green transition while developing my skills at a company renowned for their apprenticeship programme.
What do you/did you enjoy the most about your apprenticeship? The support you get from your colleagues is fantastic and they are able to articulate the particulars of complex problems quite well often owing to their own experiences as an apprentice themselves.
Is there a particular experience or opportunity of your apprenticeship that you really liked and could share? I was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to work with our newly introduced SPOT the Robot Dog. I am responsible for setting up the inspection routes and looking after SPOT on a daily basis. Working with SPOT isn’t quite like anything else I have ever worked with and certainly not what I expected my Apprenticeship to involve.
What do you think makes the automotive sector an exciting place to work? The Automotive industry is an exciting industry to work in due the vastly different experiences you can have on a day-to-day basis.
Is there any advice or encouragement that you could give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector but worries it isn’t for them? The sheer variety of roles you can play in the automotive sector mean that there is always something you can find that you enjoy.
What made you apply for the apprenticeship scheme at Ford? I applied for this apprenticeship due to my interest in manufacturing. From a young age I was always interested in cars and how they worked, so I saw this as a massive opportunity to see behind the scenes and learn a lot more about them. Another reason for why I applied was because I was aware of how good the apprenticeship scheme was here through the likes of my brother, who had previously served his time as an apprentice at Ford Halewood. Finally, the main reason for applying for this job was because I wanted to become an electrical engineer, as I believe having these skills will be very useful in later life.
What do you/did you enjoy the most about your apprenticeship? Learning every day and gaining knowledge all the time. There isn’t a day in work where I don’t learn or come across something new.
What skills have you learned recently in your apprentice? I have picked up a lot of skills recently due to me moving onto a new area within the last six months. This area had different machines to past areas I had been on such as the Junker and Mae machines. I have learnt how these machines run and how to fix some of the common faults on them. The main skill I have learnt as of late would be how to clear out NC and PLC data from the NC.
Is there a particular experience or opportunity of your apprenticeship that you really liked and could share? I was put forward for a media day when the E-Drive was launched, this put me out of my comfort zone, but it helped me be more confident in pressure situations. Another experience I liked a lot was the start of my second year which involved coming into work for four to five days a week. This was a daunting experience, but it was amazing to finally see and understand what goes on in work on a day-to-day basis. There has been courses I have been on with other apprentices which I enjoyed as well.
What do you think makes the automotive sector an exciting place to work? It is always evolving. New ideas are constantly being made, and you can see that with your own eyes each day. The E-Drive is a perfect example of that, as I have seen the difference between the machines that make the part for the electric cars and the machines that make the parts for the non-electric cars.
Is there any advice or encouragement that you could give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector but worries it isn’t for them? All I would say is, go for it. It is a great experience, four years where you will meet new people, learn new skills and progress as a maintenance engineer. The people who you work with are always there to help and teach you new things that you will need for the future, these are the people who will guide you to being the engineer you want to be when you finish your apprenticeship. Ford Halewood is a perfect opportunity for anyone who is debating whether to do an apprenticeship as they have already planned, by starting to manufacture electrical power units which will secure work for the future. The biggest tip I can give is to get stuck in and have a go at any job you get asked to do, If you show you are interested then you will go far in this sector.
What made you apply for the apprenticeship scheme at Ford? I chose to apply for a position on the adult apprenticeship scheme at Fords, to learn about the systems we use and how to maintain them and deal with breakdowns, and it was important to me to be upskilled and gain knowledge in the latest technologies to future proof myself.
What do you/did you enjoy the most about your apprenticeship? This is a tough question to answer, as there is so much choice, but if I had to narrow it down, the most enjoyable aspect of my apprenticeship would be gaining the confidence of those sharing their knowledge and training me from the Skillnet team and of those seasoned Maintenance teams within my area, that enables me to expand my knowledge to be able to reach my end goal of becoming part of the Maintenance teams.
What skills have you learned recently in your apprentice? Presently I am working on a problem that I have been asked to solve by my senior supervisor, I have designed, prototyped and developed a full working system that solves the problem, at its core uses a Raspberry pi, that integrates in to our PLC systems, so I had to do a lot of self-learning on python coding and other aspects to make my system perform as I expected. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose anymore as I have submitted a patent request!
Is there a particular experience or opportunity of your apprenticeship that you really liked and could share? My time in college with Skillnet was an experience I’ll never forget, I was extremely anxious about re-entering formal education after so many years, due to having a troubled experience in my school years, everyone at college, from the lecturers to the other apprentices made me feel welcomed, helped me when I was faced with difficulties, and it was great to grow together as a team, which made the experience a very positive one.
What do you think makes the automotive sector an exciting place to work? Personally, I think this industry makes it an exciting place to work in, due to the advancing technologies we are using currently, and that of future technologies being trialled, this helps us as a company to be at the top of our game, and to produce quality products that ultimately will be more affordable to the customer.
Is there any advice or encouragement that you could give to someone who wants to start an apprenticeship in the automotive sector but worries it isn’t for them? I would say, if you are looking to work within an environment that utilises the latest technology to manufacture its products, to gain knowledge and understanding of a wide range of different systems, then the automotive industry is for you.
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