James Graham, Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician

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What I do

I work at a site that makes respirators (face masks) for the NHS and also masks to protect people from things like paint fumes and dust.

I look after the machines that make the products. When a machine breaks down, it’s my job to figure out what’s wrong and to get it up and running again.

If our machines aren’t running, we can’t make as many masks as we should, and that matters because these respirators help to keep people safe.

I also do preventative maintenance, which means planned jobs to look after the machines, and help prevent them from breaking down in the first place.

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician James, wearing safety glasses, fixing a machine containing a large belt drive.

How I became a technician

For my GCSEs, I chose computer science, geography and I also did a BTEC in food tech, which was fun.

Originally, I thought I wanted to be a computer programmer.

After Year 11, I went to college and did A-levels in maths, physics and computer science.

How I became a technician

After a while though, I stopped enjoying the computer science. I realised it was the maths and physics that really interested me, especially mechanics and learning how things work.

The original plan had been to go to university to do a computer science degree, but now I had to rethink my options.

How I became a technician

I gave myself some time to think about what to do. I wasn’t really aware of apprenticeships at the time. It was my mum who mentioned them one day.

I went on the government website and applied for loads of apprenticeships that looked interesting and that I was qualified for.

How I became a technician

Eventually, I was successful in landing this role, which is a Level 3 Multi-skilled Maintenance Technician apprenticeship.

It feels like I kind of fell into this route, but it has turned out quite well!

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A typical day in my working life

Our site runs pretty much 24 hours a day, five days a week, so I do rotating shifts.

This week, I’m working from 6am to 2pm on Tuesday to Thursday, and 6am to 12pm on Friday.

Next week, I’ll be on the night shift, which starts at 10pm and ends at 6am.

A typical day in my working life

When I get into work, the first thing I do is have a handover meeting with the previous shift.

They explain what’s been going on and any jobs we need to pick up.

After that, I either crack on with the tasks that have been leftover, or I start planning my day.

A typical day in my working life

If a machine’s broken down or won’t start properly, I’ll go and sort that out first, because in a factory, downtime costs money.

Once a week there’s a planned maintenance day, where machines get turned off during the day shift. This means we can do preventative jobs, like replacing bearings, lubricating parts and checking sensors.

A typical day in my working life

For any work that we do, we make sure it’s noted down on our job management software. This means we have a record of what’s been done, so we can keep track and take responsibility for it.

Every Monday is college day, where I go to learn about engineering and mechatronics (that’s where mechanics meets electronics and automation).

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Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician James, wearing safety glasses and a hat, using a multimeter to test some electrical components on a wall.

What I love about my job

I really like stripping things down, taking things apart and learning how they work.

A lot of the machines are really complicated, so it takes time to learn how they are put together and how everything works.

I’ve always been interested in how things work. Even when I was a kid, I fixed my own bike and I took my Xbox apart when it started running slow or making funny noises.

I never broke my Xbox, but still made sure my parents never found out!

The skills I use most

You have to be good at working with your hands. It’s very practical, physically demanding work.

Problem solving is really important too. I need to work my way around an issue and to look at things from different perspectives. It’s sometimes easy to get tunnel vision, and to focus on just one thing, but then I could miss something else that’s contributing to the problem.

Communication matters too, because you won’t get very far trying to figure out everything on your own, talking through a solution always helps.

I really like stripping things down, taking things apart and learning how they work.

You don’t need to know what career you want when you’re in school, or even by the end of college. Don’t put that pressure on yourself – you’ve got time.

A little more about my everyday role

The best bits about working in a team

In each area, there’s usually two or three maintenance technicians on shift at a time. On busy days we might split up, but we work together for bigger jobs.

The best bit is seeing different people’s perspective and experience coming together to solve problems. We never argue, but we might have disagreements about the best way to go about doing something.

Eventually, you see things come together, and the outcome is better than it would have been if just one person did it on their own.

My favourite piece of equipment

I like using big power tools, things like angle grinders and welders – anything that throws up sparks!

An angle grinder is a handheld tool with a disc that spins really fast. It can cut through pretty much anything. I use it for cutting material down to size if I’m making brackets or spare parts. And of course, I wear safety kit whilst I’m using it - safety glasses and a face mask.

What I like to do in my spare time

I play a lot of video games. I’m also into combat sports - I competed in karate from about age 7, then I moved into mixed martial arts. I got injured recently though, so I’ve had to stop for a bit.

I spend a lot of time in the gym – I go there pretty much every day after work. I’ve also got into skiing recently because lots of people that I work with ski. All the apprentices went to France this year and it was lots of fun.

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

It was fantastic to complete my endpoint assessment, which is the big final multi-stage assessment towards the end of your apprenticeship. I got observed doing a job, did an exam and then I got interviewed. I had to prove I’m competent, safe and can work properly.

From day one, they lay out the end game and what you need to achieve in about three and a half years so you can set targets along the way to completing it.

A surprising fact about my job

Some of the machines I work on are massive. Some are bigger than a big room, and some are about two storeys tall.

The moulding line is about 50 metres long. It’s strange to think that something so big is needed to create something as small as face masks!

The next steps in my career journey

I finish my apprenticeship in a few months. After that, I want to carry on learning. I could do a HND (Higher National Diploma), and I’d love to do a degree apprenticeship.

I’d also like to go for chartership one day – that’s where you become a registered engineer and get letters after your name.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Be sure of yourself. I spent loads of time second guessing my decisions and worrying that I was running out of time.

You don’t need to know what career you want when you’re in school, or even by the end of college. Don’t put that pressure on yourself – you’ve got time. It’ll work out.