Meet Emma, a former BRUSH apprentice who currently works in the services department as a Contract Engineer. “It’s like a project management role,” she says. “I’m dealing with customers directly, as I manage orders from intake through to completion.”

Emma enjoyed school but dropped out of college to get a job. Her father worked in Switchgear at BRUSH and asked her if she was interested in an apprenticeship. “I looked at what BRUSH offered and thought: this is interesting. It was a chance to learn, get qualifications and hands-on experience in a job while getting paid. It was a win-win!”

She finished her four-year apprenticeship in 2013, having worked her way around different departments including Engineering, Purchasing and finally Servicing. “That’s where I discovered I wanted to be, liaising with customers and managing projects. Dealing with customers direct really interests me.”

As for the future, Emma has her sights set on a supervisory or managerial position at BRUSH. And she knows her apprenticeship has given her the foundation and experience to help her achieve that goal.