Why this apprentice is championing the OEM Apprenticeship

Twenty Two year old Jake from Meath went from feeling bored and unfulfilled in his work to embarking on an exciting engineering opportunity with an Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) Apprenticeship and his story is an inspiring one.

Whilst chatting with Jake his enthusiasm was obvious from the outset, his story is a familiar one, he was in a job that didn’t challenge him and he knew he wanted to change that. ‘’I was working in a call centre in Dublin doing the same thing day in, day out, I had no interest in it and I just couldn’t see myself going any further with it. I didn’t have a clear career path at the time, but I knew I wasn’t happy and I wanted to do something I was passionate about. I also wanted to work somewhere closer to home so when I saw the ad on jobs.ie for the Apprenticeship programme with OEM and Turmec I jumped at the chance’’ he explained.

Jake says he had always been interested in working with machinery and the design aspect of the industry but he had no idea how to go about getting a job in that particular field. ‘’Before I took on my apprenticeship I had only had a few design skills and I really wanted to expand on that and gain some hands on experience. After I heard about the OEM Apprenticeship, the process of applying for it was actually very simple, I sent in my application and Turmec called me in for an interview. Once I passed the interview, I completed a colour vision test and after I passed that I was given a start date.

The OEM Apprenticeship that Jake is part of was launched by Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board in collaboration with Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and leaders in the manufacturing industry. It gives apprentices like Jake the opportunity to train in a diverse range of engineering skills and processes, which are highly sought by Irish companies in the engineering sector. This type of apprenticeship is aimed at the OEM Installation and Service sector which sells to national and international markets. It traditionally leads to full time employment by an OEM company and the also offers the brilliant possibility of progression to Bachelor of Engineering degrees.

Turmec which is the company Jake is working with, has nearly 50 years of experience in the engineering and recycling industries. This involves the planning, designing, manufacturing, installing and supporting the very best recycling equipment solutions in the industry, making it fantastic place for anyone with a passion for engineering like Jake to work in.

Since working with Turmec, Jake has had the opportunity to get involved with many design projects, which he finds very rewarding. ‘’The great thing about working with Turmec is that I’ve been able to see how everything is designed and put together right from the start. I love that I’m now involved with projects from the beginning, designing something, seeing how it works, implementing it and then making any necessary changes to help with the efficiency and then seeing it through to the end.’’

When asked if he found working in a big company with concepts that are very new to him daunting, Jake said he was delighted with the support he’s received. ‘’When I arrived at Turmec, I wasn’t thrown into the deep end at all, my mentors were brilliant they showed me everything and explained it’s design purpose and then it all made sense to me. I was nervous at first using the software but the engineers in the office were fantastic with helping me doing the design work. After a while, muscle memory takes over and it just clicks and becomes second nature. After helping with the design software, it was great to have the opportunity to go down to the assembly line and watch first-hand how the design works and how it puts things together. It was also so beneficial for me to see what issues they might have on the line and recognise what part of the design aspect can be improved the next time to help them change it, that was really cool being able to recognise the problem and help fix it.”

 Jake also loves the mix of disciplines that the apprenticeship brings him “I love that I’m in a work environment Monday to Friday at home in Meath for part of the year and then I get to go to college in Limerick for a 16 week block.  What I’ve learnt from my time at college is there are so many types of engineering and so many different learners with different interests and skill sets. Right now I’m studying alongside one guy who is working in agriculture and girl who’s working with chainsaws, so it just goes to show how vast the industry is and that it doesn’t matter your skillset because you’ll learn so much from your work mentors and college tutors” he said.

For anyone thinking of becoming an apprentice Jake has some practical advice for them. “I would say do your research and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  I was a bit worried at first about the maths element because I was never that great at maths in school. First year was ok but I was terrified about second year because it features physics which wouldn’t be my strongest point. However the tutors are brilliant and take the time to go through everything with you and then give you the tools to do it yourself. When I first thought about applying for an apprenticeship, I researched the company I wanted to work for which was Turmec and I looked up what they do and watched Youtube videos on engineering in that particular industry. I would say keep an open mind about the whole process and just go for it, I did and now I get to work at home for a number of week and study in Limerick for 16 weeks and I love it!”

For more information on becoming an OEM Apprentice see: https://oemapprenticeship.ie/become-an-oem-apprentice/