Mechanical Fitter Apprentice
Location: Rosyth, Scotland
Sector/Business unit: Marine
My apprenticeship, why I chose it, and why I chose Babcock:
I chose to start at Babcock as a Mechanical Fitter Apprentice because I’ve always had an interest in mechanics and fixing things. My dad was a mechanic, and I always admired how handy he was – from putting up shelves to completely redoing the kitchen himself, to working on the car at weekends. I aspire to be as knowledgeable and practical as he is.
I believe mechanics is a broad and transferable trade that can benefit me in many different areas of life. I also hope that, because it’s such a versatile skill set, it might take me to places around the world that I wouldn’t otherwise get to see.
I wanted to work for Babcock because the scale and calibre of the work is both exciting and meaningful. I was especially drawn to the idea of contributing to global safety. Babcock operates across many sectors – marine, aviation, land, and nuclear – which really appealed to me as someone interested in engineering as a whole. I’d love to explore different opportunities across the company in the future.
I’d also heard great things about the Babcock apprenticeship, especially for mechanical fitters, because of the range of work on refits – including exploration vessels, ferries, and the aircraft carriers, which I’m very excited to work on.
My favourite part of the programme:
My favourite part of the programme so far has been my time at college in the first year. It was a fun and helpful experience with a practical course that really prepared us for the job.
The people were brilliant, and I’ve made lots of close friends that I still meet up with regularly. The lecturers were fantastic too – very knowledgeable and with hands-on industry experience, which made their teaching even more valuable. It gave me more confidence in my own abilities. I’m looking forward to returning for my HNC course and seeing what new skills I can learn.
My most rewarding project/experience:
My most rewarding experience as an apprentice so far was the annual service I completed alongside my tradesperson while I was with the maintenance team.
It felt meaningful knowing we were servicing an operating piece of machinery that plays a crucial role in one of the site’s projects. The machinery was fairly complex, with many filters to change and different oils to work with. It was a fun, hands-on job, and I’d be more than happy to do it again.
My work-life balance:
My work-life balance at Babcock is great. In my role, based at the Rosyth site, we benefit from a four-day working week, which gives me much more time to spend with friends and family. Having a long weekend every week is a real bonus.
The annual leave allowance is also very generous. At Rosyth, we can take leave in single-hour blocks, so if you only need to leave an hour early, you don’t have to use up a full half-day. It’s a really flexible system that helps you make the most of your time off.
My development:
I feel my development is very well-supported at Babcock. The Emerging Talent team is friendly and experienced, and they go out of their way to ensure you’re getting the best opportunities to succeed and complete your apprenticeship to a high standard.
Support doesn’t stop there – tradespeople on the job are approachable and always willing to help, and supervisors are understanding of the apprentice role. They ensure we get time for college work like logbooks and try to assign us to more interesting jobs that will enhance our learning and help us progress.
