18 Dec Why become an engineering apprentice – Exploring a career in precision engineering and cold forming
In modern manufacturing, performance and innovation are critical. High precision during the manufacturing process is not a wish: it’s a must. Therefore, precision engineering, is an integral process and part of the solution. Precision engineering is the application of technology and techniques to obtain tight tolerances and dimensional control in production.
Precision engineering influences everything from product quality and performance to compliance and customer satisfaction. Without precision, your components perform poorly, reliability, accuracy and above all safety fails. There are many sectors of industries including aerospace, automobile, medical, energy and oil and gas who rely on accuracy and precision.
Precision engineering uses all kinds of technologies to make micro products and components — CNC machine, 3D Printing, electro forming, cold forming, laser cutting, plasma cutting, etc.
What is cold forming?
Cold forming is a precision engineering process. Cold forming continues to be a popular way of creating complex geometry metal components that maintain their dimensional accuracy. Its development has accelerated in recent years because of process improvements, transition to lightweight materials in some applications and growing demand from the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries.
Why pursue a career in these fields?
If you’re interested in making a career in modern manufacturing, there’s no better field than precision engineering, where demand is high in areas like automotive, renewable energy, medical technology, and aerospace for manufacturing applications such as lightweight and strong vehicle assemblies, durable surgical devices, and lifesaving components for airplanes and solar power plants. Beyond demand, the sustainable process of cold forming (less energy and waste) is aligned with global sustainability objectives so your effort can have an even greater impact. It is an innovative career, as materials, automation, and AI keep pushing the boundaries, while good pay and opportunities for different career development make this a rewarding career option.
To determine whether precision engineering is the right field for you, here are a few reasons why you should consider becoming an apprentice engineer.
- Gain practical and relevant experience
There is no doubt that apprenticeships today provide an excellent combination of critical theoretical learning at colleges and practical learning on the job through an integrated training programme. In our own apprentice training programme, for instance, you will be placed with some of the most experienced professionals in the industry, giving you the opportunity to learn about both the theoretical and practical side of engineering and develop your knowledge in a wide range of areas.
- Earn while you learn
That’s right; as an apprentice, you will be earning money while you learn a new set of skills that will help you in the future. It is also unlikely that you will find yourself in debt at the end of your education, which is not the case for many graduates of universities. As well as being beneficial in the short term, apprenticeships also offer a number of financial benefits over the long term, with research showing that apprentices earn over £100,000 more during their lifetime than their non-apprentice colleagues.
- Achieve a nationally recognised qualification
As well as making new friends, gaining valuable experience, and developing sought-after skills, you can also earn a nationally recognised qualification – such as an NVQ. Your career will be able to take off from this solid foundation, as it will prepare you for exploring and securing opportunities in the engineering industry in the future.
- Career growth with a business
It’s likely that if a company offers you the opportunity to train with them, they value you as an individual and hope you will stay with them after you complete your training and apprenticeship. Due to this, apprenticeships offer the opportunity to progress within your chosen company and to set yourself up for a more secure future than other options.
Working in precision engineering and cold forming can be both challenging and rewarding and there is never a lack of opportunity to be creative and build a better future. This career is a perfect fit for you if you’re a perfectionist, a technical person, and are looking to make a difference.
Apprenticeship opportunities
A career in engineering has never been more exciting or dynamic, and Dawson Shanahan, a Luvata group company, is a perfect place to begin your journey into this exciting and dynamic field.
Having been in business for over 80 years, we are one of the world’s leading specialists in precision engineering based in Welshpool. As part of our paid apprenticeship programme, we enable you to gain the skills, knowledge, and experience to allow you to accelerate your career in today’s fast-moving engineering world. Taking advantage of the opportunity to learn while earning brings you a wealth of exciting new opportunities across a wide range of engineering disciplines across which you can succeed. If you are interested in finding out more about our apprenticeship program, please feel free to contact us.