Apprentices Share Experiences of Earning and Learning at Polypipe

Students Maxx Shearer and Hollie White are currently undertaking Apprenticeships with local manufacturing business, Polypipe. We spoke to Maxx and Hollie about their journey so far, and how Apprenticeships can support learners in getting hands-on experience in the workplace.

“I was originally drawn to this Apprenticeship because of the technical drawing and modelling aspect. I really like product designing as I like seeing what I draw come to life, and go into finite details,” says Maxx, who started his Technical Engineer Apprenticeship role with Polypipe in 2023.

Hollie agreed, adding: “I’m currently undertaking a Operational Management Apprenticeship, and found the flexibility and freedom more suitable to my work and home life.”

Though Maxx and Hollie are on different Apprenticeship pathways, they both say they’ve found the experience surprising and insightful, and they both credit their time at Polypipe with expanding their knowledge and skillsets.

“What surprised me the most would be the amount of engineering knowledge there is to gain, you never stop learning,” Maxx reflected. “You aren’t expected to know everything all at once, they help guide you to learn and understand in a way that works for you.”

For Hollie, it’s the skills she’s developed on her Apprenticeship that have made her time at Polypipe so beneficial. She shared: “Everything I’m learning in the classroom is relevant to my role, and my work informs my assignments in return.”

Looking back on her journey, Hollie says being on the Apprenticeship pathway has been an achievement in itself, and she is looking forward to using her newly developed skills in her career. She said: “Before I started the Apprenticeship, I always found a reason not to. Then this opportunity came up and it has been so valuable for me. I can fit learning alongside my job, and I intend to use what I’ve learnt to look at my career from another perspective.”

Maxx agrees and is excited to take his skills to the next level. “My next steps as of right now are to start another Apprenticeship in a degree setting.”

Now looking ahead at their futures, Maxx and Hollie are both enthusiastic about the value of Apprenticeships, and encourage prospective learners to explore the option. Maxx shared: “With an Apprenticeship, you get real world experience and it’s a great way to learn.” Hollie added: “The best advice I could give would be to just go for it. It’s never too late to start your journey.”