Mark Edwards

Name: Mark Edwards

School: Chosen Hill Sixth form

Apprenticeship: Electronic Engineering

Company: GE Aviation

Current job role: Section Manager at GE Aviation

After sixth form Mark decided university wasn't right for him and decided to do an apprenticeship instead.

"I felt that University wasn’t the right pathway for me, because it wasn’t structured enough. I passed my A-levels the year they introduced the tuition fees which put me off going. The amount of debt you could incur was a real factor because of the uncertainty surrounding it.

I've been able to progress through the company quickly due to my apprenticeship as I did a 3-year rotation in different departments. This showed me, even though I wanted to be a Software Engineer the different ways you can use your skills and how different parts of the business worked.

My top tips when applying for an apprenticeship:

You need to be proactive, I would recommend contacting local companies to see if they are hiring.

Be prepared to be outside your comfort zone and make the most of any opportunity you get as you never know where it might lead!"