At 23 years old, Dylan is charging ahead in his career as he launches himself into the second year of his four-year apprenticeship with Mears. Faced with the challenges and surprises of the past year, Dylan has turned negatives into positives and progressed with his development. Whereas many of his peers embark on an apprenticeship soon after leaving school, Dylan went onto college to study electrical engineering.

“It might an unusual way to get your foot onto the career ladder but I have no regrets,” said Dylan. “I knew I wanted to learn a trade when I finished school and going onto college helped me understand that becoming an electrician was the right path for me.”

As his studies at college drew to a close and the daunting prospect of finding a job loomed, Dylan wasted no time. He pounded the pavement, knocked on the doors and handed out as many CVs as he could until his break came with Mears.

From day one, Dylan got his hands stuck in and went to work. Everything was going well and then the pandemic hit. Work changed almost overnight, but Dylan adapted rapidly to the new reality.

“Work was great – I was learning how to do electrical testing to ensure houses were safe; it was a deep-dive into how electrical systems worked. When COVID-19 came about, it all changed suddenly. The nature of our work was flipped upside down but the company took steps to ensure we continued to be paid and were supported. Understandably, the pandemic has impacted the traditional way we learn practical skills on-the-job, but we’ve adapted and are all continuing to learn.”

Apprentices, like Dylan, who complete all the requirements of their schemes can look forward to being offered full-time positions with Mears. We know that an apprenticeship is a journey and it doesn’t matter how or when you get started, we all get to the same goal in the end.

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