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Meet Angeliza Robinson

Mechanical Fitting Technician

Angeliza is a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

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What I do and how it makes a difference

I help build and maintain specialist equipment at a big science laboratory. This includes powerful particle accelerators which are used for all kinds of experiments, from helping scientists understand tiny particles, to helping food companies look at chocolate at an atomic level, to make it taste better.

The equipment I build and look after is used by scientists from the UK and all over the world. I like knowing that what I do helps make discoveries and answer big questions.

How I became a technician

At school, I realised early on that I didn’t enjoy sitting in lessons all day. I loved practical subjects and preferred learning in a more hands-on way.

Because of that, I moved schools so I could go to a UTC, which is a University Technical College. This meant I could focus on technical subjects that really interested me.

How I became a technician

At school, I did triple science, computer science, creative media and engineering. Some were GCSEs and others were BTECs, I just picked what I enjoyed and what suited me best.

By the time I was doing my exams, I already knew I didn’t want to go to college full-time. I wanted to be out in the real world doing something practical.

How I became a technician

I spotted an advert on Indeed (a job advert site) for a Level 3 Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship at STFC (the Science and Technology Facilities Council), and thought it looked interesting.

I decided to apply, even though I didn’t know much about the job at the time. I knew I wanted to do something in engineering, and this seemed like a good fit.

How I became a technician

I was successful and got the role and am now doing a four-year apprenticeship, which I started when I was 16.

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A typical day in my
working life

Most days, I start at 8am and spend about half an hour working on my studies for my qualification. Then I head over to whatever project I'm working on that day. My supervisor gives me a task each week – it could be building something new or getting parts ready for someone else to build. I’m usually working from a drawing, a 3D computer model, or a thick booklet called a procedure, which is kind of like a detailed IKEA manual.

A typical day in my
working life

Depending on the project, I might be helping in the clean room, prepping parts, or installing equipment like beamline guides on a particle accelerator. Particle accelerators are like race tracks for tiny subatomic particles.

A strong magnetic field is used to move the particles at high speeds, and guides are used to make sure they stay inside the accelerator, and don’t go banging into the sides.

A typical day in my
working life

We fire the tiny, fast particles into the thing we want to study. We look at what happens in the collision, which tells us information about the object at a subatomic level. It’s pretty amazing!

My work is really varied, which keeps things interesting. I usually finish around 4pm, but my hours can shift depending on what project I’m working on.

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I wanted to be out in the real world doing something practical.
Do what’s right for you, even if it’s different from what your friends are doing. If something feels right, go for it.

A surprising fact about my job

One of the most surprising things is how many different people use the particle accelerators that we help build. We’ve had scientists researching particles, universities doing experiments, and even food companies looking at chocolate atoms. The range is massive.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

I love that I'm not stuck at a desk all day. I do have a desk, but I barely use it. Most of the time I'm out on site, moving around, working with my hands, building and fixing things.

I also really enjoy the variety – no two days are the same. One day I might be helping build a particle accelerator and the next I might be in the clean room working on parts for a piece of equipment going all the way to America. It feels exciting to be part of such big things, even when the work is really precise and technical.

The best bits about working in a team

One of the biggest skills I use is problem solving. Sometimes the instructions or diagrams we get don’t match exactly with how things go together in real life, so I have to figure out how to make everything fit without damaging anything.

As an apprentice, I'm never working completely on my own. There's always someone around to help or guide me, especially because some of the equipment is very specialised. Depending on the project, I might be in a team of three or four, or with a much bigger group.

There are lots of apprentices at STFC, so it’s nice to be learning alongside others at a similar stage. There are also very experienced technicians who have been there for years. We try to learn as much as possible from them because they have loads of knowledge. They’re always happy to help.

My favourite piece of equipment

My favourite thing I’ve worked on is a special chamber in the nuclear physics lab. It’s got two motorised parts that must move perfectly in a vacuum, and it's used to check the thickness of samples before they're sent off to the big particle accelerators for testing. I built most of it myself, so I feel really proud of it – it’s the project that’s like 'my baby’.

I also love working in the clean rooms. They’re really high-tech spaces where we build parts that go on big experiments like the ones at CERN. Everything has to be spotless and done to exact standards – it’s intense but really rewarding.

What I like to do in my spare time

When I’m not working, I’m usually either studying for my qualifications or chilling, playing games on my PC. I’m in the final year of my apprenticeship, so I’ve got loads of referencing and coursework to finish.

When I do get time, I like drawing. I used to use pencils and fine liners, but now I draw digitally on my iPad using an app called Procreate. It’s a fun way to relax. I also used to train in Taekwondo, which kept me active and taught me a lot of discipline.

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

The coolest thing I’ve done is help build a part for the Large Hadron Collider, which is the biggest particle accelerator in the world. It’s underground at CERN (the European organisation for nuclear research) and it spans the border between Switzerland and France. The fact that something I helped make is now being used in such a famous scientific machine is pretty amazing.

The next steps in my career journey

I’m finishing my apprenticeship this year. After that, I’m hoping to be offered a two-year job contract at STFC, depending on which projects get funding. Nothing's certain yet, but I hope to stay and keep building amazing things.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Try something new, even if you’re not sure about it. I didn’t know anything about UTCs or STFC when I started. They turned out to be the best moves I could have made. Do what’s right for you, even if it’s different from what your friends are doing. If something feels right, go for it.

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