Our latest new starter blog comes with a slight difference. Joe Clark has already been working with us for a couple of months, getting to know the team and gaining experience on site. Now, he has enrolled on the same programme as current apprentices Eddy and Jacob, with his course starting in November.
What began as summer work after finishing his A levels has become an opportunity to pursue a career in engineering. I sat down with Joe to find out what sparked his interest, what he has learned so far and how a project in Rotterdam helped build his confidence.
Finding a different direction
Before joining One2Call, Joe studied psychology, biology and PE at college. His original plan was to become a physiotherapist, ideally working in football, but by the time he finished his A levels, he had decided to explore something different.
The opportunity to join One2Call initially gave him something productive to do over the summer. Once he started working alongside the installations team, though, his interest grew.
“To start with, Nick (Bass) asked me to do some work for One2Call over the summer and after doing it for a bit, I found it quite interesting. I like seeing everything behind the scenes that you wouldn’t usually see.”
Getting involved in the work gave Joe a better understanding of what a career in engineering could involve. What began as a summer job became an opportunity he wanted to take further.
Learning on site
Much of Joe’s experience has come from working alongside our engineers on customer sites, helping with cabling, CCTV and door access installations.
He has been learning the practical skills involved, including terminating cables, while seeing how the different stages of an installation fit together.
“Even just learning about security and cabling has been useful. Terminating cables is probably one of the biggest things I’ve learned so far.”
Being involved in installations has also changed how he sees the technology businesses rely on. A finished system only shows part of the work involved.
“I didn’t realise how many steps there were. It’s not just putting something in. There are people working behind it to keep everything running.”
His first few months have already taken him to sites in London and Norwich, as well as around Sheffield and Nottingham. Working in different places has given him opportunities to watch how experienced engineers approach each job and learn from them.
Settling in with the team
Although Joe already knew some of his colleagues before joining, starting the job still meant getting used to unfamiliar tasks.
He went out with Luke on his first day, and having an experienced engineer alongside him helped him work through those early nerves.
“I was a bit nervous about the things I didn’t know how to do, but that went quite quickly.”
When I asked what had helped him settle in, Joe pointed to the welcome he received and the time colleagues have taken to explain things.
“Everyone was friendly from the start, so it was a nice place to be. They’ve helped me out, taught me things and taken the time to show me.”
More recently, he has been setting up his accounts and getting familiar with our internal systems. Learning several new tools at once has been one of the more challenging parts of starting out, but he is gradually getting used to how everything works.
Having Eddy and Jacob around also means he can speak to colleagues who have experience of the apprenticeship he is about to start.
Building confidence in Rotterdam
One experience that stood out during our conversation was an eight-day project in Rotterdam.
Working in a large warehouse as part of a three-person team gave Joe the chance to take more responsibility. With plenty of work to get through, Jordan assigned him tasks that he could complete independently.
“There were only three of us in a massive warehouse. Jordan set us a task, and I felt confident enough to go and do it myself.”
It gave Joe an opportunity to put what he had learned into practice. He was becoming more comfortable completing a task without someone beside him throughout, as well as thinking about what needed doing next.
“It was about doing the work and thinking about what to do next. When I came back, I felt like I knew what I was doing more and felt more confident doing it myself.”
That made Rotterdam a memorable project for more than the opportunity to work overseas. It gave him a clear sense of the progress he had made in his first few months.
Preparing for the apprenticeship
Joe has now enrolled on the Information Communications Technician apprenticeship, following the same programme as Eddy, with his course starting in November.
He has already begun preparing, including completing initial assessments. Having spent time doing the job before starting the course is something he feels will help.
“Doing the work over the past few months feels like it’s going to help when I start. I’ve got some basic knowledge already, so I won’t be learning everything at once.”
His advice for someone considering an apprenticeship comes from that experience.
“Get as much knowledge as you can before starting.”
For Joe, trying the work first has helped him understand what the role involves and given him a foundation to build on during his training.
Looking ahead
As Joe gains more experience, he is keen to learn more about configuring systems and resolving problems on site.
Alongside understanding how equipment is installed, he wants to become more confident using the software and tools needed to get it working.
“I want to learn more about the systems and technology, and configuring things on the laptop. If something happens on site, I’d like to be able to get the laptop out and sort it myself.”
It is a practical goal that builds on what he has already learned. With his apprenticeship approaching, Joe now has a clearer idea of the skills he wants to develop and the work he wants to take on.
