5th – 11th February 2024
It’s National Apprenticeship Week, a week-long celebration that brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
What does a Lotus Apprentice look like?
Case Study: Georgia
Georgia is completing a L3 Engineering Technician Apprenticeship with Lotus.
Why did you choose this apprenticeship and what aspirations did you have?
I chose an apprenticeship with Lotus because I have a passion for cars and wanted to study engineering. Without this apprenticeship, at 25, I would not have been able to do this. My aspirations for this apprenticeship were to learn about and understand engineering systems and get some industry experience.
Did your apprenticeship meet your aspirations and how?
My apprenticeship at lotus has far exceeded my expectations, I have learnt so many skills and been involved in some exciting projects, giving me a fantastic insight into the world of cars and motorsports. I have had the opportunity to work with and pick the brains of professionals with many years’ worth of experience.
Why do you think it is important for Lotus to offer these opportunities?
I think it’s important Lotus offer apprenticeship opportunities as working, alongside study, cements the learning from the classroom to real world projects and problems. Without opportunities like this I wouldn’t have been able to return to studying Engineering and pursue the career I wanted, as I wouldn’t have had the time to study a full-time course whilst working.
How has the apprenticeship helped you day to day and with your career aspirations?
My apprenticeship has not only helped me learn engineering and job specific skills but allowed me to develop a range of other skills such as time management, communication and problem solving. Being able to work in the industry has provided an amazing experience whilst allowing me to explore many areas of engineering and see how they all link together.
What would you say to someone considering an apprenticeship?
I’d say to anyone considering an apprenticeship to go for it, you’re never too old to learn something new. It may seem daunting at first, but you’ll never look back. An apprenticeship is a great way to accelerate your career, gain new skills, qualifications, and experience without the drawbacks of taking time out of work to study full-time, you’ve really got nothing to lose!
Case Study: Sam
Sam is completing his MSc Apprenticeship in Accountancy or Taxation Professional and is a FP&A Analyst.
Why did you choose this apprenticeship and what aspirations did you have?
Being fresh out of university, I was looking to add some valuable experience to my CV and kickstart the beginning of my journey up the ladder in a career in Finance. The Lotus apprenticeship stood out as offering a lot of variety through different rotations which would help me become a rounded professional, and ultimately enable me to paint a picture of what area within Finance I want to specialise in.
Did your apprenticeship meet your aspirations and how?
The Lotus apprenticeship has exceeded my aspirations and more. The apprenticeship has meant that I can learn so many new things outside of the traditional curriculum and become a more rounded professional.
Why do you think it is important for Lotus to offer these opportunities?
From Lotus’ perspective, apprentices add a motivated and vibrant personality to the culture, wanting to learn as much as they can, whilst adding value to the current systems and process.
How has the apprenticeship helped you day to day and with your career aspirations?
The apprenticeship has given me the tools to get exposure to many different sides of Finance, but also protect me with the learning hours where I can focus on my studies to complete my apprenticeship. This ultimately gives me a great balance between adding work experience and a qualification to my CV whilst also ensuring that my work / study balance is not impacted when demands are particularly intense at work.
What would you say to someone considering an apprenticeship?
Go for it! Having worked alongside others who have chosen against the apprenticeship route, I can see clear benefits through choosing to do it this way.
Case Study: William
William is studying a L3 Metal Fabrication Apprenticeship as a Fabrication apprentice at Lotus.
Why did you choose this apprenticeship and what aspirations did you have?
I chose this apprenticeship, with Lotus, because I have always been interested in the automotive industry and I knew this would be the way forward for me. Learning on the job has always been the best way for me to learn and getting hands on experience, putting the theory to work, and seeing results. The aspirations I had was to work within the automotive industry, specifically working in the Fabrication Shop, producing quality parts for development vehicles and prototypes.
Did your apprenticeship meet your aspirations and how?
My apprenticeship has exceeded my aspirations. I have been part of many interesting projects within the business and been given the opportunity to problem solve issues and rectify them by producing a part.
Why do you think it is important for Lotus to offer these opportunities?
I believe that it is important to offer these opportunities because it gives future employees a step in the right direction, especially those unsure about what they want as a career. Whilst on my apprenticeship I have started to shape my future with the experience I have gained. I have started to understand the areas I may not fit well into, and the areas I believe my career will follow.
How has the apprenticeship helped you day to day and with your career aspirations?
Having the chance to complete physical hands-on work gives you the opportunity to decide more accurately what is best for you. I enjoy coming to work every day as there is always a job that requires problem solving; putting my theory and Practical experience to use and seeing the benefits of my work.
What would you say to someone considering an apprenticeship?
If anyone is considering an apprenticeship, I would go for it. Gaining experience in the workplace and putting the theory to work and seeing results was the best feeling during my apprenticeship.
Lotus T-Level Success Story
Case Study: James
James is currently on his second year of an Engineering T Level specialising in Mechatronics.
What are you studying and what drove you to choose this qualification?
I am currently on my second year studying an Engineering a T level qualification specialising in Mechatronics, covering a range of Engineering theory and practical content including Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Materials, Control, Engineering Mathematics and Science, Business in Engineering, Finance in Engineering, Hydraulics and Pneumatics, Quality Management and Project Management.
After completing my GCSE`s I wanted to gain not only the theoretical knowledge behind being an engineer, but the methodologies, and philosophy towards approaching engineering problems, as well as actual hands-on experience. This led me to T Levels as they provide a greater mix of practical and theoretical knowledge/experience over traditional A levels.
How did the opportunity with Lotus come about?
In year 12, I was provided with the opportunity to sign up for an early careers support charity called Career Ready. The programme gives students the chance to meet with a career mentor monthly and sign up for internships at companies relevant to their chosen profession. I was invited to apply, which led to my first internship at Lotus during year 12 in 2023, with my second placement being a follow on from this in year 13 in 2024.
What expectations did you have for joining Lotus?
When offered an internship my initial expectations were that I was just going to be a “Coffee Intern” (An intern who is asked to just get coffee and file paperwork). This
expectation was completely shattered on my first day, with employees immediately treating me like a colleague, providing me real world engineering problems / work
carried out by employees at the company and letting me get hands on with in production components and vehicles.
What have been the highlights from your time at Lotus?
Over my first placement I was completing a wide range of different work and gained a plethora of new skills and knowledge. The entire placement has been a highlight in my own opinion, although if I had to pick out a specific thing it would be the proficiency I gained in CAD, working on the industry standard program CATIA.
What have you learnt over your time at Lotus?
During my first placement I learnt and gained experience on Engineering Drawings and CAD models pertaining to Electrical Harnesses, to carry out hands-on work on both electrical systems and vehicles using the Industry Standard automotive and aerospace CAD Software CATIA v5. I also learnt how an engineering business operates with insight into Lotus as an automotive OEM and the completion of the Electrical Vehicle Safety Training Authorisation.
How will you apply your experience in your studies?
My placement at Lotus has provided me with experience that will and has directly applied to my course. The time I’ve spent working on CATIA has allowed me to model to a much higher-level than during course projects. Lotus has provided me with a groundwork for how I should approach creating a model. The hands-on electrical work has also allowed me to better understand work given to me on electrics, electronics, and electro-pneumatics/hydraulics.
What are your future goals and career aspirations?
I’ve always held a firm interest in Engineering and physics, with my overall aspiration in life to innovate at the forefront of engineering and technological developments. This led me to aspire to work on aerospace vehicles. Lotus has provided me with a plethora of skills transferable from the automotive industry into aerospace.
Keep an eye on our recruitment website for opportunities Careers at Lotus Cars | Lotus Cars United Kingdom or email: earlycareers@eu.lotuscars.com
