Daniel Oulton, a reliability and maintenance engineering apprentice working at Amazon in Swansea, is calling on local people and his fellow colleagues to pursue the career they have always wanted by applying for an apprenticeship.
Daniel started his apprenticeship with Amazon in 2018 and is working towards a qualification to become a reliability maintenance engineer after four years of training study with Amazon and EEF in Birmingham.
Speaking about the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme, Daniel said: "When I was younger I loved science, particularly biology. Later in my education, I started to develop an interest in electronics and the more I learned, the more I loved it. It was then that I decided that I’d like to get a job that involved working in electronics and that naturally led me to this apprenticeship.”
On any given day, I can be doing a wide range of jobs
How is Daniel finding his job at Amazon? “My role is really varied, which is great. It’s in two main parts – preventative maintenance and reactive maintenance. On any given day, I can be doing a wide range of jobs including fitting new cameras, checking systems and responding to problems.”
Speaking on the most important things he’s learned so far, the Swansea local said, “understanding all the processes we have here, and the importance of health and safety. Health and safety is the primary focus of everything we do and it’s the first thought that comes into my mind when I have a new job to do. It’s vital for the site and everyone who works here.”
Daniel is one of over 300 apprentices currently working at Amazon in the UK. Amazon has announced it will create a further 1,000 new apprenticeships for new and existing employees in fulfilment centres and development centres across the country. The new apprentices will add to over 27,500 permanent employees currently in the UK, with pay ranging from an entry level starting salary of £9.50/£10.50 an hour, up to £30,000 a year.
Nine different programmes are on offer across the country to people of all levels, ranging from IT, safety and HR through to software engineering, robotics, leadership and technology.
Two-in-every-ten new apprenticeships will be offered exclusively to Amazon’s existing workforce, providing a route from working on the shop floor through to working on cutting-edge software development, robotics technology and senior leadership roles in the business.
In addition to being fully-funded, apprentices also receive industry-leading benefits including competitive pay, employee discounts, private medical insurance and company pension plan.
For anyone thinking of applying for a place on the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme, Daniel has some advice. “Go for it, but really make an effort. If you don’t understand something, then ask. We have a great team here. It’s a very supportive environment, and we’re always doing things we’ve never done before. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then apply.”
To find out more about the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme visit www.amazon.jobs/apprentices
