Meet Ashley, one of our mentors of the apprentices at BRUSH Switchgear in Wales. He’s been with the business for 49 years, having joined as an apprentice himself. He is now an Aftermarket Product Engineer.

Ashley has played a key role in the development of so many apprentices during his long career with BRUSH, always driven by his desire to act with thoughtfulness and kindness towards every individual. And it’s an approach that’s proven to succeed.

“There’s an element of pride in seeing people you’ve mentored as apprentices become successful managers,” he says. “Because I know I’ve had a little bit of input in their development.”

His apprentices would actually say Ashley’s impact on their careers has been far greater than that, with many stating they’ve never forgotten his advice and opinions.

“I see my role as helping to ensure apprentices understand the business,” says Ashley. “Because the more knowledge they attain at this level, the more they can take forward into the business, and that will help BRUSH when they eventually move into new and different roles.”

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.

Meet Justin, a Field Services Manager for BRUSH Transformers. He started his four-year BRUSH apprenticeship straight from school in 2001, “fresh faced with the David Beckham Real Madrid-era look,” as he puts it!

Having always liked engineering, drawing and creating things, when an opportunity for an apprenticeship at BRUSH came along, Justin jumped at the chance.

He spent three years working on transformers, with a short secondment in Abu Dhabi. Having always wanted to be paid to draw and after helping set up our drawing office in the Middle East, on his return he was told about a similar role here in the UK. “I went through the interview process and the rest is history,” he says.

Justin is a great believer in the power and importance of apprenticeships: “They give you confidence, belief and the chance to grow personally. I’d definitely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone, and have done to my 21-year-old brother. And apprenticeships at BRUSH give you the chance to work on technology that’s designed, built and delivered in the UK, which is very rare in the industry.”

Justin’s appreciation of apprenticeships at BRUSH is music to the ears of Martin, who helped mentor Justin throughout his apprenticeship. You can view Martin’s profile here.

Meet Martin, Tap Change Service Manager here at BRUSH. As he explains, “A tap changer bolts onto the end of a transformer and allows customers to alter the voltage.” Martin’s been in his current role since 2019 but actually started at BRUSH back in 1985 as an apprentice.

“My apprenticeship here has enabled me to see the world during my career. I’ve been to the Middle East (ten times), India, Poland, Indonesia, Singapore, everywhere!”

No wonder he’s a big believer in apprenticeships at BRUSH: “They set you up for life, basically, giving you a good grounding in the business. They also further your education and get you started in life.”

Since his own apprenticeship, Martin has played a key role in mentoring others, including Justin who is now in a managerial role himself (you can view his profile here). 

As Martin says: “Here at BRUSH, you’ll learn actual skills on the job while getting paid. And you’ll get to learn technical skills at college. Both aspects marry well together. It’s a brilliant way to do it. I highly recommend BRUSH apprenticeships!”