Elijah Moshi has been curious about mechanics for as long as he can remember. “I’ve always liked breaking things down, understanding how they work. As I neared the end of school and started to think about jobs, I knew I wanted to do something practical. That’s why I thought of engineering. It looked like a good career.”
Now 22, Elijah is on his way on that career, as a Support Technician at Siemens Healthineers in Eynsham, near Oxford, working on the production of MRI scanners.
Clearing the final hurdle
Elijah chose an apprenticeship pathway with Siemens Healthineers, combining college study and practical training over three years. The final stage involved completing a written Performance Indicators Review. It had to be in his own words and demonstrate his understanding and competence against the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment.
IMechE assessed Elijah’s review as part of his Professional Competence Assessment. Two independent Institution members examined his submission and mapped it against the required competencies, before both agreed Elijah had met the necessary standard.
Elijah achieved Level 3 Engineering Technician certification and became the 7000th apprentice to have their review successfully assessed by IMechE. “It was a relief after all the hard work – and funny to be number 7000!” says Elijah.
The expertise behind the assessment
“IMechE is an Apprenticeship Assessment Organisation,” explains Chris Atkins, Assessment Partnership Manager at IMechE. “We offer an expert and independent apprenticeship assessment service.”
IMechE is proud of its role supporting apprentices and the members who give their time as assessors. “We have a roster of about 18 volunteer assessors who are all engineers or former engineers and professionally registered with IMechE,” says Chris.
“One of the reasons they take on this important role is because they want to give something back to engineering. They are helping to support the next generation coming through.
“I’d say IMechE has a more hands-on approach than most assessment organisations. For example, we always ensure our training partners have a dedicated support colleague who can help. Of course, we also have the heritage of a mechanical engineering specialism dating back to 1847. I personally think it all puts us ahead of other providers.”
IMechE going above and beyond
IMechE supports starts well before the assessment itself. Chris and his team help apprentices, colleges and employers prepare for the Professional Competence Assessment. “We provide bespoke, pre-assessment support sessions for free, covering the whole country. We go to wherever the college or training provider needs us to be,” says Chris.
“The aim of these support sessions is to break down, simplify and explain the process,” he explains. “We want to remove any preconceptions, concerns or fears the apprentices have about the journey they are about to undertake.
“We can’t proofread apprentices’ work prior to it being submitted. But during our pre-submission support sessions, we can provide examples and suggestions, so they have the knowledge they need to write it themselves.”
A career just beginning
Having successfully navigated his apprenticeship, Elijah is looking forward to opportunities ahead. “One of the reasons I chose this path instead of university was that I wanted to get a qualification, as well as learn hands-on skills. I didn’t want to put all my eggs in the one basket of a university degree and have a lot of debt,” he says.
Elijah is very happy with how things have turned out: “I am doing something productive and, at the same time, am able to consider whether I stay here or move into another industry in the future. I have a full-time job with a salary and am looking at buying my first property.
“I chose a Level 3 Engineering Technician pathway because it’s so broad – there are so many careers to go into. And I applied to be an apprentice with Siemens Healthineers because I knew they are a good company that treats you well.
“Reflecting on my journey, there are two things I would suggest anyone thinking about an apprenticeship should consider: the qualification you will walk away with and the company you are working for. These are great places to start.”
Could you be an IMechE Apprenticeship Assessor?
Could you use your engineering experience and become an IMechE Assessor to help apprentices demonstrate their abilities? Benefits include supporting the next generation of engineers, CPD, and a nominal fee to recognise your valuable contribution.
Contact assessment@imeche.org for more details.