I was made aware of the JJS Manufacturing apprenticeship by my parents and decided to go along to the Open Day to find out a bit more. Being so close to where I lived meant it would be easy for me to get into work which was an important factor for me when looking at different schemes. Before I went along I had a number of questions I wanted answering; like what was the pay scale, what kind of work would I be expected to do, what level of course would be provided, how many days holiday would I get each year and would it be possible to progress within the company.
During the Open Day all of my questions were answered and I had a good opportunity to talk with a number of staff at different levels – including those already on the scheme. Whilst walking around the building it was good to see that the factory and office spaces were clean and tidy and I also learned a bit more about the flexi-hour system.
After looking at other apprenticeship schemes I was pleased that the pay being offered was competitive for my age. I joined JJS in September 2015 and I’m currently working towards my BTEC Level 3 Electrical and Mechanical Engineering on day release at South Leicester College once a week. After I have completed my BTEC Level 3 I have the opportunity to then move onto an HNC which will take around two years to complete.
Megan’s story
Having undertaken a Level 2 NVQ in Engineering at school I knew early on I wanted to pursue a career in this kind of area. I felt that completing an apprenticeship would be the best way for me to get involved ‘hands on’ especially due to my lack of previous experience. I was told about the JJS Manufacturing apprenticeship scheme by my parents.
My first 6 months after joining JJS was dedicated to experiencing the different areas and processes around the factory and I thoroughly enjoyed working in several other departments including; logistics, test and through-hole assembly. I have now taken up a permanent position within the Quality Assurance (QA) department. There are so many different, interesting aspects to my job; from inspection to investigation, which means there is always something new for me to learn.
During my time with the company I have been given the opportunity to attend a number of training courses and plan to attend others in the future to support my personal development.
Luke’s story
Before joining JJS I previously worked in a local garage as a trainee mechanic. It became clear to me after a while that this wasn’t an area that I wanted to carry on working in so I started to look for other local opportunities. I heard about the JJS Manufacturing apprenticeship and decided to go along to their Open Day.
During the Open Day I found out much more about the pay scale, holiday entitlement, discounted gym membership and what kind of courses JJS would support me with should I be successful. The flexi-hours system sounded good and I liked the fact I would have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of projects due to the wide range of customers and products JJS supports.
Walking around the factory it was clear to me that the environment I would be expected to work in was both clean and safe – something that was very important to me. Everyone I spoke with on the day were polite and I was also impressed with the workwear each employee receives when joining.
I joined JJS in August 2015 and have already worked on a number of different products. I am currently working towards my Level 2 NVQ in Electro-Mechanical Engineering at Leicester College.
Ryan's story
When I started looking for a job I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to carry on my education in some way and I’ve always had a strong interest in wiring/electronics as they are interesting subjects to keep up to date with.
When I saw JJS Manufacturing advertising their apprenticeship scheme in the Swift Flash, I straight away looked on the website to find out more. It was full of helpful information about what the company does and the products it manufactures.
At the time there were a number of different roles available on the shop floor but I was interested in the wiring department. During my interview I explained this was an area I was keen to get into and I am now working my way around the company to build up my skills. I’ve already worked on a few wiring jobs which have given me a good opportunity to demonstrate the skills I’ve gained over the past year since working here.
Once I have finished my training I hope to move into the wiring section on a full time basis. Right now I’m studying for my Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Leicester College and have completed my first year/Level 2.
