Apprentice Case Study

Ben Marston - Second Year Construction Apprentice

Finning UK and Ireland second year apprentice, Ben Marston, talks about his experience of the Finning apprenticeship scheme. 

What made you choose to pursue a career in engineering?

I enjoyed working on bikes when I was younger and worked on my own and with other people. After that I progressed to repairing and maintaining Land Rovers. I have always been interested in engineering and wanted to pursue a career in plant. 

Why did you choose to apply to complete the Finning apprenticeship? 

I chose the Finning apprenticeship as I have always had an interest in engineering and wanted to learn more about plant. The Finning apprenticeship is one of the best apprenticeships available and will give me a good start to my career and a job for life. 

What are you enjoying the most about your apprenticeship?

I enjoy working with the machinery and the diversity of the machinery you can work on and the different challenges presented by these. The role is very varied and you are never doing the same job twice and you are always kept busy with jobs and working with other people, learning new things. There are lots of opportunities to go out to customer sites and work on machinery there as well.

What are you finding the most challenging about your apprenticeship?

Getting all of the time you need to complete your academy work alongside doing the practical work in the workshop.

What do you hope to do once you have completed your apprenticeship programme?

I would like to go into field service engineering.

What advice would you give to anyone considering applying for an apprenticeship programme at Finning?

Don't give up!

On reflection, what did you think of the recruitment process before you started your apprenticeship? 

The recruitment process was long but just be patient as they will always tell you if you do or don't get through to the next stage. 

What would you say about the support you are given as an apprentice? 

The support is always there when you need it. In the workshop you can always ask the engineer you are working with or use other available resources if you have any questions. When in training, if you need help with work or things outside of work the training staff are really helpful and there to support you.