As this week marks ‘National Apprentice Week 2022′ we thought that we would shine a spotlight on Declan Downey, one of our valued Apprentice Site Engineers to share his experience of undertaking an apprenticeship with Miller.

What is your job role at Miller and how long have you been working with us?
a. I have been working at Miller for two years and four months as an Apprentice Site Engineer.

What were you doing before you started your apprenticeship with Miller?
a. I was at school! I joined Miller straight from school.

What made you choose an apprenticeship?
a. I had always wanted to do an apprenticeship from being in high school. I liked the idea of going straight into employment and gaining first-hand experience whilst earning and gaining my qualifications at the same time. It seemed like the best fit for me.

How did you hear about the apprenticeship opportunity here at Miller?
a. I heard about the apprenticeship through TDR, a local training provider who told me directly about the opportunity at Miller. TDR prepared me for my interview and equipped me with the necessary skills to carry out the role.

What does your day-to-day life at Miller as an apprentice look like?
a. Every day is different. I travel from site to site to see customers who need support on various things such as warranty or help to install our attachments. I’m gaining technical experience whilst also developing customer service skills which are both great for my development.

What has been a highlight of your role?
The highlight is travelling around the country, it is great to go to places that I would never have considered if I wasn’t doing this job. It’s great to be able to support customers wherever they are.

What do you hope to get out of your apprenticeship?
I hope to get the training and technical experience to kickstart my career, it’s already helped me to decide that I want to pursue a career in the construction industry so hopefully, at the end of my apprenticeship, I will have the skills to stay in construction.

What advice would you give to others looking to start an apprenticeship?
Start looking early, get your head down and work hard and it will pay off. I’ve been given so many opportunities at Miller, it was worth the hard graft.

Our apprenticeships give you the freedom to start your career straight after your GCSEs, gaining valuable qualifications, experiences, skills, and knowledge whilst earning a salary at the same time. Get in touch to start your career with Miller today!