Jack’s Story

Name: Jack Robertson

Course: Level 3 Technical Support Technician Apprenticeship

Employer: Teagle Machinery LTD

Jack began his Apprenticeship journey at the age of 16, straight after leaving secondary school, and hasn’t looked back.

After a few short years of training, Jack is nearing completion of his Level 3 qualification, regularly covering a supervisory role, preparing and scheduling jobs and staffing in the Plasma Shop at Teagle Machinery Ltd, one of Cornwall’s biggest multinational companies.

A multi-award-winner, Jack scooped the hotly contested Apprentice of the Year in Engineering and Manufacturing award at the 2022 Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards, while also being highly commended as a shortlisted nominee for Cornwall’s Apprentice of the Year 2022.

Jack commented: “It felt like quite an achievement when I found out I was voted (to win) the Engineering and Manufacturing award as it showed my employer recognised my hard work and dedication.”

Describing Apprenticeships as; “perfect for anyone wanting to work in a real work environment, gaining both practical and life skills”, Jack’s advice for budding Apprentices is to; “always listen and take on board what you are being taught and shown, and to show a real interest in what you do.”

Jack’s main role involves working with various production departments to resolve issues and challenges, as well as working with the design team to help introduce new products into production.

After completing his Apprenticeship, Jack plans to progress to the HNC Level 4 Manufacturing Engineering qualification at the University Centre Truro and Penwith, where he will continue his training in the £7 million state-of-the-art South West Institute of Technology building.

Commenting on Jack’s Cornwall Apprenticeship Award 2022 nomination, Demelza Udy, Apprenticeship Mentor at Teagle, said: “Jack is an absolute credit to Teagle, so much so that he has become one of our key employees. He sets a great example, confidently working in any area of the factory and competently training others.

“Jack has spent a lot of time and effort working to understand the processes, parts, and people at Teagle all with exceptional outcomes.”

Jack believes the knowledge and skills he has learnt throughout his Apprenticeship are all thanks to his valuable industry experience at Teagle and the industry-expert teaching staff at Truro and Penwith College.

Jack commented: “Both my lectures and employers have helped me by teaching me the skills I require and the resources I need to learn these skills, allowing me to work in all different areas at work to gain a full understanding of the company and our different processes.

“My favourite part of my Apprenticeship is learning new skills both at work and at college and then putting them into practice in my day-to-day work.”

Demelza added: “Everybody at Teagle, in all departments and at all levels, is full of praise for Jack. He is an asset to us, and we are extremely proud to have him in the Teagle family. We look forward to seeing how his future at Teagle progresses.”