Former soldier Natasha leads the way for aspiring female engineers
Natasha Armitage is on a mission to inspire the next generation of female engineers.
Meet Lewis and Callum, two engineer apprentices who have recently joined the KCOM team as full-time field technicians.
It’s the independence that Callum Clark is enjoying most.
The independence that earning a wage gives him. The independence of being able to drive his own van.
The independence of graduating from being an apprentice to a trusted engineer, able to head out on jobs and help customers by himself.
“Coming straight from college I had no experience of being in a work environment, but by joining KCOM I’ve learnt from all sorts of different people and really been made to feel part of a team,” says Callum, who is one of two trainees who have recently passed their NVQ qualifications to join the company as full-time engineers.
Callum, 20, who studied maths, physics and chemistry A Levels at South Hunsley Sixth Form College before joining KCOM, said: “When a lot of my friends were going to Uni, I thought the best course for me would be to get an apprenticeship – where I could learn, get a qualification and earn at the same time.
“When this opportunity came up it was a perfect fit,” said Callum who is now part of the KCOM team installing the latest comms and IT solutions for businesses across the region.
“They put me through my driving test, which was a big deal for me, and I’ve been mentored really well all the way through. I’ve really enjoyed it. And now I’ve passed my apprenticeship it really feels like a big achievement, a big step up.
“Now I can look forward to what’s going to happen in the future.”
Former Winifred Holtby student Lewis Bryan, 18, of Kingswood, has also passed his 18-month apprenticeship and is now part of the army of engineers rolling out KCOM’s £85m Lightstream broadband network in Hull and East Yorkshire.
And if you think Lewis looks familiar, it may be because he was one of the KCOM engineers immortalised as a bright yellow Fuzzfeed puppet for a series of short, fun films during Hull’s reign as the UK City of Culture 2017.
“I was never much one for sitting in a classroom,” said Lewis. “I’d much rather be out and about learning on the job.
“I wanted a job that would give me the skills that would set me up for the rest of my life, and I think that’s what it’s been. I was buzzing when I got offered the apprenticeship. It’s a good job, it’s good money and there are opportunities to progress. It has been challenging at times - learning the job, learning the skills - but it‘s also been really rewarding. I think you get out what you put in.”
Lee Allison, KCOM’s head of engineering operations, says recruiting engineers from the local community is a win-win situation, benefiting both the company and the wider economy of Hull and East Yorkshire.
He said: “We run apprenticeship programmes to reinvest in the local economy while, at the same time, developing the strategic skills and the workforce KCOM needs for the future.
“By investing in apprenticeships, KCOM gains a pipeline of loyal skilled workers, who bring new ideas to the table.”
Lee added that KCOM was now looking to launch a new engineering apprenticeship scheme called Aspire which will lead to many young men and women joining the company.
He said: “It’s a proud moment for me to see Callum and Lewis achieve this career milestone. They will be a great asset to our engineering team.”
If you think you could be part of the KCOM engineering team visit https://www.kcomcareers.com/jobs to see the latest vacancies.