Proud To Have Been An Apprentice

Over 30 years ago, in 1988, I was an engineering apprentice at ICI Wilton, where I was part of the 400th year Spanish Armada invasion commemorations. Involving over 130 Spanish battleships in 1588, the fleet intended to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I.

When the fleet was spotted off the shore of England, a system of interlinking beacons were lit along the South Coast from Cornwall to London, to give warning of the arrival of the invading army.

This meant that the English sea captain Sir Francis Drake and his men had time to prepare defences and gather weapons. Drake’s ships were able to stop the invasion and defeat the Spanish fleet, before it could reach the English shore.

Back in 1988, I remember using an acetylene torch to roughly cut out the spikes of our beacon, while other apprentices filed the spikes smooth. It was lit, along with the other beacons in the chain, for the 400th anniversary. Recently I visited the beacon located at Birk Brow near Guisborough England, where the beacon still stands proud today.

Reflecting on my career over the last 30 years, a lot has changed since then, I’m older, wiser and more level-headed, but, most of all, I remember standing proud:

• I remember standing proud after being nominated for apprentice of the year on two occasions, from over 100 apprentices.
• I remember standing proud while being made redundant on 3 occasions, which I embraced as opportunities.
• I remember standing proud while being deemed awkward because I didn’t want my career to move backwards by down-skilling, so I moved forwards and became a chartered engineer via client sponsorship.
• I remember standing proud while being told that my day release was being withdrawn due to site policy, half way though my engineering degree. While some were allowed to finish their degrees, flying in the face of the site policy, I moved forward and self-funded a Masters Degree from Manchester University in Pharmaceutical Engineering, missing out on a distinction by only 2%.
• I remember standing proud while being sidelined for projects, but now I mentor project managers and advise on £20m+ projects. I now sit in boardrooms at a senior level as an equal.
• I remember standing proud on numerous occasions, while standing up for quality, to safeguard patients, while being threatened with my job.
• I remember standing proud while refusing to immediately sign a Validation Summary Report I knew nothing about or told to ‘look for another job’ and guess what… I looked for another job.
• I remember standing proud when I was in the NHS and being aghast at the money wasted due to the incompetence and actions of senior managers and directors.
• I remember standing proud when others falsified maintenance records and disregarded quality systems. I've since helped to remove incompetent engineering companies from projects, because they were not actually willing to conform with GMP best practices.
• I remember standing proud when an ‘experienced’ Clean room supplier specified office fans for a clean room HVAC system, where sterile products were to be manufactured.
• I remember standing proud during an FDA audit, where I was complimented by the inspector, for answering questions that others, more senior, could not.

Now I’m a Chartered Engineer (achieved through client sponsorship), recognised as a Fellow with IHEEM and chair of the Medical Device Technical Platform. I stand proud and am able to say that I started my career as an engineering apprentice, standing to attention next to my engineering bench vice. I’m proud to stand and defend what was right in the face of adversity. I’m proud to stand and be a leader with integrity.

I have skills in my hands and experience in my head. Never underestimate the power of self-belief and starting your career on the bottom rung and climbing one step at a time.

I stand proud to ensure that, to the best of my ability, patients are safe and life science companies comply with regulatory requirements.

I'm proud to have been an apprentice, as it’s allowed me to achieve more than I ever imagined.

I'm proud to stand up for quality, in the face of adversity, to safeguard patients, which could be the family you love.

What are YOU proud of?