Apprenticeship journey: It’s a family affair for Josh

Joshua Harrison is a first-year apprentice at Universal Wolf; studying Fabrication and Welding Engineering at Northumberland College and working within the CNC cell. One of our youngest apprentices; Josh joined the business straight out of school after completing his GCSEs.

The apprenticeship is a family affair for Josh, whose dad Lawrence has worked for Universal Wolf for over 14 years. While at school, Josh completed a work experience placement at Universal Wolf, working in the Goods-Out and CAD departments.

“Once I’d completed my work experience placement, I knew I wanted to work here after I left school. I learned a lot on placement and the teams I worked with were friendly and welcoming. When I heard that Universal Wolf were advertising for apprentices for their 2019 intake, I jumped at the chance to apply.”

For Josh, an apprenticeship was the logical choice. Though there were other options available; he knew he didn’t want to progress to Sixth Form or College, preferring to start a career as soon as possible and make money while he trained. The variety offered by the role is something that makes Josh look forward to coming to work every day.

“People ask what a ‘typical day’ looks like – in reality, there is no typical day; each one brings a new challenge or opportunity. I’ve only been here 6 months; but I have learnt to operate various different machines within the business. I can provide support wherever I am needed, and there’s always something new to learn.”