Charitini Konstantelia

Tell us about your previous education and why you chose to do engineering?

Before moving to England two years ago I lived in Greece and went through the education system there. Since arriving here, I have gained several GCSEs and through my enjoyment of mathematics, I chose to take up a Level 2 Engineering qualification, which I have now completed. I also chose engineering because it is a big part of my family life as my dad is an engineer and really enjoys his work. I decided to look at apprenticeships to see what was out there and that was when I found MTC. I came to one of the Open Evenings and that was it – I knew I wanted to come here and I believed it was where I was going to get the best opportunity to progress with my career.

Did you explore any other post-16 training options?

No I didn’t, this was the option I really liked and felt it suited the way I learn and what I want to do with my career.

Why was an apprenticeship the right route for you?

For me, I was drawn to an apprenticeship because of the practical element. Being able to be hands-on and learning at the same time makes the studying a lot more interesting. I also like to see the outcome of my work. I can see the process that I have gone through, each stage and its elements, and then I get to see what I have achieved by sticking to it. There’s no better feeling than your hard work paying off at the end!

What do you enjoy most about your studies?

My overall experience so far has been so much better than I expected. The combination of the training, the course and all of its components, the technology that we use and the facilities that we have access to makes this the perfect springboard for my career. I also really enjoy CAD, the mechanical principles and the practical elements of studying here. Aside from studying and working, I have made lots of new friends and we are quite a close-knit cohort which makes the experience a lot more fulfilling. My only reservation is that I am a bit apprehensive about going into industry, however the skills that I am learning here will prepare me for this and I will be able to show my worth to the companies that I go on to work for.

What have you found to be the biggest challenge in your course so far?

The biggest challenge so far has been learning and implementing the mechanical principles. The topic was complex when trying to understand each principle and how to apply them to solve a problem, but it was still very interesting and hasn’t deterred me from wanting to explore them further.

What are your plans after your apprenticeship?

I am still not certain about the specific sector or type of engineering that I want to pursue, however this is something that I am excited about. I want to experience as many sectors and areas of engineering as possible to work out what I enjoy and what I am passionate about. The opportunity to learn more about specific industries is intriguing and with this apprenticeship and my time at MTC, I am set up to explore the industry and find what works for me.