Tom Rathbone – Engineering
Aerzen Machines’ Assistant Engineer Tom Rathbone has made rapid progress in his career since joining the team as an apprentice in 2018.
Tom has combined a demanding role at Aerzen Machines with studying an Engineering (Mechatronics) apprenticeship at Rotherham College. The Mechatronics pathway, that combines mechanical and electrical engineering elements, has allowed Tom to identify his ideal future career – Commissioning Engineer.
Tom said: “I got into engineering because I love cars and wanted to be a mechanic, this job gives me the option to combine mechanical and electrical, and get hands-on with the tools.
“I’ve learned a lot, and the College side hasn’t always been easy, especially since we’ve been learning online due to COVID-19, you don’t get the interaction with your classmates or tutors in the same way you do in the classroom. But, it hasn’t put me off further study, I’m thinking about going down the HNC or HND route to progress my career.
“I’ve been talking to my manager today and there may also be secondment opportunities for me, to go and experience what it’s like to work in another country. We were talking about the USA.”
Tom’s progress on his apprenticeship has been recognised as he’s been awarded RNN Training’s Intermediate (Level 2) Apprentice of the Year Award 2021.
Tom adds: “It’s good to be recognised, it definitely makes a difference to me and is something I can add to my CV.”
Aerzen Machines’ Regional Service Contract Manager, Sarah Chappell, has been impressed by Tom’s progress and nominated him for our Apprentice of the Year awards.
Sarah said: “Tom is the first apprentice I have ever put forward for this sort of award, and that’s testament to the quality of his work. We employ lots of apprentices, and they’re all great, but Tom really stands out.
“Tom is now at a point where he’s a valued member of the team and is competent. I know that if I ask him to do a job, I can be confident it will be completed to a high standard. He learns and progress really quickly and he brings a fresh pair of eyes and an open mind to the job.”