Troy Blamire, Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician

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What I do

I work in the maintenance department at Tridonic, where we manufacture LED lighting products. My job is to keep the machines running, so the factory can keep making circuit boards. This involves regular servicing of the machines and fixing them if they break down. If you’ve ever been to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, the LED panels there are from us!

A man facing down on a work bench working on a piece of equipment

How I became a technician

I went to a UTC (University Technical College), which is a type of school that’s more focused on hands-on learning and technical skills. For my GCSEs, I chose design and technology (product design), computer science and manufacturing.

After Year 11, I stayed on for sixth form and did a T-level in design and development for engineering and manufacturing. T-levels are a two-year course that mixes classroom learning with an industry placement (work experience) in a workplace.

How I became a technician

My placement was at Tridonic. I needed to do 300 hours there for my course, but I ended up doing about 550 because I enjoyed it and they offered me more time with them. They offered me an apprenticeship if I passed my T-level – thankfully I did, and I’ve been here doing a Level 3 Mechatronics Maintenance Technician apprenticeship ever since.

I’m now two years into my four-year apprenticeship, which involves working at Tridonic four days a week, and going into college once a week.

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A typical day in my
working life

I work the day shift, from 7am to 3:30pm. I usually get in at about 6:45am. The first thing I do is check the maintenance boards to see what needs doing, some jobs are fixing urgent breakdowns, and others are planned servicing of the equipment and machinery.

A lot of my day is maintaining machines called Fuji NXT’s. It’s part of a production line that builds circuit boards.

A typical day in my
working life

Imagine a panel with about 16 circuit boards on, sliding along conveyor belts. The machine picks up tiny components from feeders using a vacuum like suction and then places them onto the right spot on the circuit boards, it’s so clever.

I also do preventive maintenance on many machines, which includes jobs like replacing air filters, lubricating shafts and guide rails, cleaning machinery and checking gauges like pressure and temperature.

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Try new things. If you don’t find something you like, just keep trying – there will be something out there for you.

One of my proudest moments was doing the BBC Bitesize Careers Tour with Technicians: We Make the Difference, where I talked to students about my job.

The skills I use most in my job

The biggest one is communication. If you need help, you can ask for it. Even sending emails saying things like, “this has been serviced, please note this for next time…” matters. Communication’s a big thing here.

Problem solving is massive too. Sometimes you’ll notice that something isn’t right on the production line, and you have to work backwards to figure out what went wrong and where the issue is.

It’s helpful to have good manual dexterity (be good with your hands) and have attention to detail, because some of the parts I work with are tiny and fiddly. The heads of the machine are about the size of my head, but the bits inside need careful, precise work.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

Honestly, it’s the people. The maintenance team is really friendly – it’s a nice place to be.

I also like the feeling that what I do really matters. If a machine goes down, production slows down. When I service something and it runs smoothly again, it’s satisfying because you know you’ve helped keep everything moving.

The best bits about working in a team

There are normally three technicians working the day shift in maintenance, and the other technicians rotate their shifts, so I’m often working with different people.

I enjoy working in a team with a wide range of ages and experience. It’s been great learning from people who’ve been in the industry much longer than me. You learn loads because they’ve seen so many problems before and they’re happy to help you figure things out.

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

One of my proudest moments was doing the BBC Bitesize Careers Tour with Technicians: We Make the Difference, where I visited a school and talked to students about my job. It felt good to be able to add that to my CV.

The next steps in my career journey

I’m about halfway through my four-year apprenticeship. Right now, I’m on permanent day shift, getting into more advanced stuff, and learning new things every day.

What I like to do in my spare time

I used to be heavily into trials riding on bikes when I was younger. It focuses more on balance and precision than big jumps or speed. I started around 13 or 14 and competed in a few events.

Now I spend more of my free time gaming on my Xbox.

My school days

At school, I was into practical subjects like design and technology - product design and manufacturing. Design technology was the one that really pushed me towards doing a T-level because I quite liked that class.

I also used to be really shy. I started being more confident once I got into work environments where you have to talk to people and you feel part of a team.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Try new things. If you don’t find something you like, just keep trying – there will be something out there for you.