Nearly two years later, he’s combining one week a month at college with hands-on experience across commercial electrical projects.
More than learning the technical skills
For Kayden, the practical experience is one of the biggest advantages of taking the apprenticeship route.
“For me the most important thing is learning a skill. The longer you do it and the better you get, the more rewarding it is.”
College covers the theory, including electrical science and design, while his time with Prolec gives him the opportunity to put that knowledge into practice on real jobs.
As his skills and confidence have developed, he’s become more independent and able to take on greater responsibility within the site team.
He’s also discovered that he particularly enjoys the planning side of commercial electrical work – thinking through how a job should be approached and how things such as cable routes need to fit around everything else happening on site.
A team you can ask
Of course, becoming more independent doesn’t mean being expected to know everything.
One of the things Kayden talks about most positively is the support he gets from the people around him.
“I never feel scared to ask anyone. Everyone is more than willing to help you out.”
The experienced electricians around him don’t just show him how to do something; they take the time to explain why – including the regulations and standards behind the work.
And the support isn’t limited to site. As Kayden works towards his NVQ, he can spend time in the office when he needs some help with the written elements of his qualification, drawing on the experience of the wider team.
His progress is also reviewed every six months, giving him the opportunity to look at where he is now and where he’d like to go next.
So, what comes next?
For now, Kayden is focused on completing his apprenticeship, refining his skills and gaining more experience in areas such as electrical testing.
His longer-term ambition is to take on more responsibility within Prolec and eventually become the person leading jobs himself.
And when we asked whether he’d recommend Prolec to someone else considering an electrical apprenticeship, there wasn’t much hesitation:
“100%. I haven’t had any negative experiences since I’ve been here. It’s all been very positive and I’ve been supported very well.”
For us at Prolec, bringing apprentices through the company is about more than filling a future skills gap. It brings new people and ideas into the team, while giving experienced electricians the opportunity to pass on what they’ve learnt.
And for Kayden, what started with shadowing the team is gradually becoming a career of his own.
We look forward to seeing where he takes it next.
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