Meet Owen Stanbury, Apprentice - EAL Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineer Mechatronic Maintenance Technician

Owen has been with us for about 6 months as he works towards his apprenticeship at the Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility.

Owen Stanbury, Apprentice

Joining us part way through his apprenticeship, he spends 4 days a week at the Facility and 1 day at college in his second year.

No day is the same which is part of the appeal for Owen, split between the mechanical and electrical departments mixes things up a bit and means that he gets involved with quite a diverse range of jobs and tasks. Owen says: “It’s really interesting to see how the plant works, looking at each process in depth is quite technical and interesting. I hear Mel do her tours with members of the community and it’s surprising discovering how much goes on here.”

A typical day would start with a team meeting to understand what has happened over night at the Facility – to see what, if anything, needs fixing. Routine maintenance is discussed and this is when tasks are assigned.

Owen says: “As part of our daily jobs, we have a check list to work our way through ensuring that everything is working as it should.”

The variety of the role is what attracted Owen into the industry. He hoped that he would learn a broad range of skills which has certainly happened. Owen says: “The Facility has enabled me to learn a large number of new skills and try new things. There are water pumps, boilers and everything is on a large scale, so the learning opportunities are huge. Nothing is repetitive and the skills I’m learning here are really transferable.”

What does the future look like for Owen as a young person starting his career? Firstly, he plans to finish his apprenticeship and then his Higher National Certificate (HNC) which will bring him to around 3-4 years at the Facility. Owen says: “It’s hard to say what my future looks like but having this job and learning everything I have has given me a really good start. The team has been really supportive throughout and is always helping me if I don’t understand something.”

Good luck with continuing your apprenticeship Owen.