National Apprenticeship Week 2022

What did you want to be when you were younger?
Policeman (Dog Handler)

Best window joke/pun? Why was the window good at hide and seek?
He was seeing through!

Best memory of working at Epwin?
Seeing the internal change of upgrades on machines and tools, new equipment start-up of a new factory 2 and development of old and new sites.

Derek Bentley

What is your role at Epwin?
I am a Training Facilitator – providing training and assessment to personnel within EWS, to develop and capture skills which are necessary to increase and measure personnel capability. Supporting and championing the NVQ process and the attainment of accredited qualifications whilst providing support through instruction, coaching and mentoring. I’ve worked at Epwin for almost 16 years started with the agency on a 4-week temporary contract to clean the mixing plant. 3.5 years as Operator, 3.5 years as Extrusion Technician and the rest as trainer which I am developing my skills for even more by taking my Level 3 Learning and Development Practitioner. Once I complete my Level 3, the next stage for me is Level 5 L&D Practitioner, venturing into Organisational Development: championing appraisals, talent mapping and succession planning.

What do you think about working for EWS?
I found my true vocation in training. In 2006 I started a job at Epwin but, in 2013 I started my career. In the Epwin Training Department I have more opportunities than I have ever had with any employer previously.

What skills do you feel you’ve developed during your time with us so far?
My entire knowledge and skill as a L&D Practitioner have been developed during my time with Epwin.

What do you hope to get out of your apprenticeship?
To develop my skills and knowledge as a L&D Practitioner even further.

What has been your proudest achievement and why with Epwin or something you’ve learnt?
I was particularly pleased when I qualified as an Assessor as I loved being able to support others in achieving their own qualifications.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
Never knew what I wanted to be until I was 33 years old.

Best memory of working at Epwin?
Being at the forefront in the introduction of Optima to production staff (including the pleasant trip to Greiner Extrusion in Austria).

Any comments about anything else you want to add?
It’s never too late to develop yourself, even if you don’t know what road to take, it’s better to keep moving than just to stop!

Marriella Smith

What is your role at Epwin?
I have only been with Epwin for one month working in manufacturing planning. I help to gather information from stocks, the factory and deliver them in a spreadsheet. I am currently taking my level 3 business admin on a traditional apprenticeship.

What do you think about working for EWS?
I really enjoy it here. Compared to other jobs it doesn’t feel so boring working in the office because you are surrounded by good company and there’s always a lot to do. Not one day is the same.

What skills do you feel you’ve developed during your time with us so far?
My IT skills and confidence has built up since being here it has really focused my mind with the role being so different to what I’ve done before.

What do you hope to get out of your apprenticeship?
I hope to achieve my level 3 and potentially move up to be a manufacturing planner.

What has been your proudest achievement and why with Epwin or something you’ve learnt?
Achieving my level 2 business admin was a big step for me so working towards my goal of level 3 is a massive achievement to where I was in school and where I left, I feel like I’ve achieved to much within that time.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
When I was younger, I wanted to be a hairdresser.

Best window joke/pun?
I wrote a story once about a broken window, its saved in my drafts.

Best memory of working at Epwin?
I worked here for 2 weeks and got stuck in the toilet and I had to call reception to call my boss, so everyone knew I got stuck in the toilet. Not the best memory but the funniest.

Adrian Hawkins

What is your role at Epwin?
My role is a design engineering apprentice and I help to create and update drawings from customers. I am currently on my level 3 engineering technician apprenticeship. I have been with the company just over one year now and came in as a traditional apprentice straight from secondary school.

What do you think about working for EWS?
I think that working for EWS is a good experience as it will allow me to further develop my skills in the area I have wanted to and hopefully will allow me to move onto bigger and better things in the future.

What skills do you feel you’ve developed during your time with us so far?
I believe I have developed working to a time limit as once I have a task, I know that it needs to be completed as soon as possible and since joining I believe I have developed and improved this quite a bit.

What do you hope to get out of your apprenticeship?
I hope to get skills and qualifications that will allow me to progress further and achieve more and become the man I envisioned myself becoming.

What has been your proudest achievement and why with Epwin or something you’ve learnt?
My proudest achievement so far is taking on a project and leading it. Epwin is helping me to further develop my skills and become a better version of me.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
I first wanted to be a dentist. I don’t remember why but after doing some research it seemed engineering would be more suited to my work style and how I am as a person, so I am glad that I chose this path.

Best window joke/pun?
I would make a window joke but it isn’t clear enough so I can’t think of one.

Best memory of working at Epwin?
The funniest memory I can think of was when Rob Shaw came into work after getting a pheasant stuck in the grill of his car.

Callum Haughey

What is your role at Epwin?
My role is to become a Fully Qualified Tool Maker. The duties I have within the tool room are modifying/repairing dies and tools, construct CAD drawing for one off jigs or parts which are used in different departments across the company. The apprenticeship I am on is the tool maker pathway, hopefully to become a fully qualified Tool Maker after my apprenticeship. I have been with Epwin for a year and 3 months, starting as a traditional apprentice but only spending 1 day a week at Telford, as the other days I was at Make UK passing my NVQ level 2 in machining and tooling and my Level 3 BTEC in engineering for the first year.

What do you think about working for EWS?
I have a strong positive opinion of EWS as the time I have spent here has helped me to develop my skills and progress of becoming a tool maker. The colleagues I work with are very skilled and I look forward to learning and developing more from them. I have been presented with the opportunity to do my NVQ Level 3 and my HNC which will help me to learn more about being a tool maker but also getting business knowledge too.

What skills do you feel you’ve developed during your time with us so far?
The skills I have developed have ranged from certain machining skills or techniques which have increased production time for myself but also how the company works and understand the communication between different departments making production run smoothly.

What do you hope to get out of your apprenticeship?
Having more experience in an engineering environment and become a multi skilled tool maker.

What has been your proudest achievement and why with Epwin or something you’ve learnt?
The best achievement I have accomplished while being at Epwin Window Systems is completing my NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 BTEC in engineering but also being able to run and use machines which I had no experience on before for example the CNC EMD wire eroder.

Career path with the company?
My I want to complete my NVQ Level 3 and my HNC and become a full member of staff. If offered, I’d like to complete my NVQ Level 4 or HND/Degree. And then my 5-year plan after that would be to learn the tool tuning side and be able to set tools as well as repair them.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
My family have always worked in the engineering for mining to injection moulding, I wanted to become either a history teacher or an Archaeologist before I left school but decided engineering was more of a better future option for me.

Best window joke/pun?
Entered a window fitting competition. Smashed it

Best memory of working at Epwin?
Meeting and working with experienced tool makers.