Kieran Bullivant, Engineering Manufacturing Technician

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What I do

I make specialist metal parts for cars and aerospace, for research and development at one of the government funded Catapult centres. These are centres that support innovative businesses and get access to cutting edge equipment and technical experts so they can bring high-tech ideas to life.

I am not just manufacturing parts, I make and test new processes too. At the MTC, we are working on projects to go along with the government’s net zero target, so we are very much at the cutting edge. I make metal parts for all different companies for use in cars and aerospace, using all sorts of metals. I am one of the technicians that make the parts required and carry out the processes that need undertaking.

I work with metal powders using processes called hot isostatic pressing and cold isostatic pressing. The best way to describe it is to think of sandcastles. It’s a bit like putting sand in a mould and pressing it down to make a shape.

We work for a lot of companies, including big names like Rolls Royce and the aerospace industry. I am pretty hands-on with different machinery – so physically, I’ll be doing it myself or using machinery. There are a lot of ovens, furnaces, and vacuum systems that I operate.

An engineering manufacturing technician working in lab, wearing a protective visor and gloves.

Hear more about Kieran's role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

At school I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I did what I enjoyed! I took graphic design, IT, and history. I became a Technician via a three-year apprenticeship programme at MTC. For my apprenticeship programme, I needed GCSEs, including one STEM subject – and the engineering in my graphic design translated well into helping me get this apprenticeship. I did my first year at technical college and the last two years in industry at MTC, where I am today. Through Level 2 and Level 3, I finished my end-point assessment (EPA) and now I am a chartered Engineering Technician with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

A typical day in my
working life

I start around 7am when we have a morning team meeting followed by a workshop-based meeting, where we get together to go through any new job requests – including work coming in, what steps and processes are needed and what exciting new parts are coming in. Then I will put my work gear on and start working. The process begins with me designing and then making a mould to create the part I want to make. So, if it’s something simple, I could start off in the morning designing the part, get the mould printed, fill the mould with the metal powder and in the afternoon, I’ll put the part in the overnight furnace, so the next day you have a solid part that you have designed, printed, and made yourself.

A typical day in my
working life

If a project runs over more than one day, towards the end of the day, I’ll stop at a point that makes it safe for the project and myself. I can isolate and turn off the system to keep things inert, so it doesn’t damage the product. Once it’s completed, it is satisfying to see that the mould I have designed and printed has produced a final part that is actually out there and being used by some of the big names. Most of the parts that I work on are metals of various types, but there is some work using ceramics. And it’s all teamwork.

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When you start out, the anxiety you feel about not knowing things is normal – everyone else is feeling that too! So don’t worry, you will get there.

The advice I would give to a younger person

Part of my apprenticeship programme is recognised as a fast track to chartership. When I was younger, everyone wanted to go to university. I didn’t want to, but just because I was academic, my teacher assumed I would. When I saw that I could get chartered and have letters after my name via another route, I knew that was right for me. There’s not just one way.

It’s also important that you are excited about your career and are interested in it.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

I enjoy the variety of working in research and development (R&D). Every single week is different. When I first started, I worked on cylindrical cans that are quite simple and now we are getting into really complex pieces – some are huge, five-tonne parts that are taller than I am, down to really tiny ones that you can barely see! It really keeps me engaged and I am now the one that people come to for advice and that is great. We also work with PhD students to prove their theories and hypotheses.

The best bits about working in a team

I actually work in a few teams. In the workshop there is a team of technicians, and we all work together. Then there is the whole workshop team and the engineering team, that are the brains behind the operations. I work with all of them. I find working in a team really helpful because you can bounce ideas off each other and you get supported along the way. No one can do everything and even if they can, they shouldn’t! When you have minute details and processes you have to adhere to, it is much better working together. There are technicians here that can do some jobs much better and faster than I can, so I rely on them for that job, whereas my skills are in filling the powder. We all have our strengths.

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

One of the projects we have been looking at recently is recycling. If the work that I do is actually useful and becomes a successful process, that means I can have a big impact on lowering carbon emissions – that’s really exciting.

The next steps in my career journey

I want to stay on the Technician path. I want to learn more skills and go as far as I can.