Apprentice Insider: Josh, Medstrom R&D
To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we’re speaking with some of the many apprentices currently working and developing careers within the Medstrom family. To begin, we’re talking to Josh, currently an apprentice in R&D who has gained valuable experience across several different departments, providing him with new opportunities for learning and development. Hear more from Josh about his journey with Medstrom so far.
Q: When did you start working with Medstrom and how did you end up in the apprenticeship role?
A: I started with Medstrom in March 2020 as a Temporary Assembly Operative in the Manufacturing Team at Medstrom House. At the time, I was helping to build some of the new Medstrom Solo beds and after 10 weeks I was offered a permanent role within the team which allowed me to stay on with Medstrom. I worked in that role for just over a year, at which point I saw a vacancy for Service Engineer role.
I applied for the role knowing I wasn’t qualified but fortunately the senior management team decided to take a chance and offered to convert the position into an apprenticeship within the service team. This was brilliant experience as I had come from building Medstrom’s flagship bed, then to maintaining them out in the field, as well as Medstrom’s range of other equipment.
Q: How has Medstrom supported your learning and development?
A: What’s great with my apprenticeship role is that Medstrom always gave me more opportunities to explore other areas of the business and my own passions. Overall, I spent nine months in the Service Engineering team and then during a review with my manager I mentioned that longer term I would like to work in R&D. This was fed back to and they decided to offer me the opportunity to move to R&D and change my apprenticeship accordingly.
Medstrom has supported me throughout my entire career, offering me constant learning opportunities and allowing me to work with people in the business that have a great wealth of knowledge and experience in this industry and others.
Q: How is your role balanced between working at Medstrom and studying?
A: Outside my day to day role, I go to college one day a week and study all aspects of career-based engineering. This covers mechanical and electrical engineering, manufacturing techniques, as well as using CAD to create and design my own products.
Additionally, the course covers aspects like quality assurance and how to implement best practices in my working methods. Outside of using these skills at work, they’re also coming in handy as I’m renovating my own house. This is real benefit that doing an apprenticeship has afforded me – becoming a Qualified Engineer as well as earning a salary at the same time.
Q: What does 2023 have in store for your learning and development?
A: 2023 looks to be a very interesting year for R&D at Medstrom. I hope to develop my skills using CAD (Solid works) and using our new, in-house 3D printer to produce prototypes for new product developments Through producing more prototypes, this will also help with my development in using hand tools and completing technical drawings.
Q: How would you describe working for Medstrom and would you recommend an apprenticeship role to others?
A: Working for Medstrom has given me a career and a clear pathway of progression and in the nearly three years I have been here, I have learned a huge amount, both professionally and personally. I have worked with hundreds of different people around the business, everyone of which has been great to work with and they are always available to support and provide guidance.
Seeing as it is National Apprenticeship Week, I would say doing an apprenticeship gives you so many opportunities to learn, grow and work, whilst earning a salary at the same time. It has been an amazing experience, and one that will continue throughout my apprenticeship, I’d recommend it to anyone.
To find out more about opportunities within Medstrom for career development and how you can join the growing Medstrom family, CLICK HERE.
