SCOTT RUDDOCK

Company - Northern & Yorkshire NHS Assessment Centre

Advanced Apprenticeship - Electrical Engineering

Support service installations and their maintenance are an essential part of the NHS and form a vital link in Health Care Provision. An electrician in the NHS is responsible for installing, repairing and maintaining a range of electrical equipment in the healthcare environment.

20 year-old Scott from Stockton began his Advanced Apprenticeship in 2004 with the Northern & Yorkshire NHS Assessment Centre. He spent his first year off-the-job training at NETA. He has recently been awarded the 4th Year Apprentice of the Year Cup and has been taken on as a permanent member of staff at the University Hospital of North Tees. Here he gives a first-hand account of his experience as an apprentice.

“I decided to apply for an Electrical Engineering Advanced Apprenticeship as my dad is an electrician and it seemed like a good career to go into, with good pay and plenty of opportunities.

“The first year of my Apprenticeship was spent at NETA’s Billingham site where I began working towards my NVQ Level 2 and my Key Skills qualification. I also began the National Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Hartlepool College.

“My tutor at NETA, Colin Robson, was great and gave me a good insight into areas including health and safety, basic electric skills and the safe use of tools. My portfolio was based on a number of practical projects, which gave me my first hands-on experience of electrical engineering.

“When I completed my initial training at NETA I was based at the University Hospital of North Tees. During this time I completed a number of additional training courses over and above the Advanced Apprenticeship framework which have helped me in my role at the Hospital. These include a HNC in Electrical Engineering, PAT testing, 17th Edition, Inspection and Testing, Maint persons (sterilizers) maint and testing of porous load sterilizers, Maint persons (sterilizers) maint and testing of transportable unwrapped instrument and utensils sterilizers, Welding courses and Deaf Awareness courses.

“These were done in addition to working towards my NVQ Level 3 qualification, which I have recently completed.

“The achievement I have been most proud of throughout my training is having my Level 3 E Portfolio used as an ‘Exemplar’, which means that it is now being used by assessors as a benchmark which other apprentices’ portfolios are measured against.

“To top it all off, I was recently named 4th Year Apprentice of the Year due to the standard of my portfolio and for getting it in early. I received a trophy, a silver plate and a voucher towards tools and it was good to be recognised for all of my hard work.

“I was really pleased to be taken on as a permanent member of staff at the University Hospital North Tees at the end of my apprenticeship. The role is really interesting and I get involved in all aspects of electrical maintenance and installation.

“I would definitely recommend an Electrical Engineering Apprenticeship to others. It was hard work but it was definitely worth it to gain the skills and knowledge I now have to use in my future career.”