MARINEGUARD - THROUGH THE EYES OF AN APPRENTICE I joined MarineGuard in the summer of 2017 after applying for several engineering apprenticeships. I wanted to make sure that the route I was going down was something that I could stick at and, hopefully, succeed in. I was looking for something versatile, challenging and rewarding. When researching MarineGuard prior to my interview, it was immediately clear that this company and its line of work were completely different to others that I had considered. Here was a company offering the opportunity to work on and develop sophisticated equipment for superyachts. It was this combination of the unique line of work and innovative products that led me to make my application for the apprentice position. I spent my first six months at SETA, an engineering training centre that equips apprentices with a base skill set and understanding, which meant I could enter the workplace with a level of competency. I had very little background knowledge of the tools or electrical principles, so this background learning was crucial. After this six-month period, I joined MarineGuard. I have to admit, initially I was very nervous - although I knew the company provided security, I didn’t know anything about the equipment, how it’s made, or how it’s then implemented for use.
My first task at MarineGuard was to wire up IR scanners for a particular project. I was shown exactly how to do this and then how to test them; an ideal learning method, and I could appreciate the extents the MarineGuard team will go to, ensuring a top level of work is delivered by their ualified engineers. With the scanners wired, I then learnt what the recorded values meant and gained an insight to how the equipment works in practice. rom that first task, to nearly two years later, and I find myself now working on a varied mix of challenging and exciting projects. rom building, testing and configuring cameras, to building the majority of our rack equipment for the intruder system, and to building an array of security equipment that will be installed around the yacht. I’ve been able to gain a solid experience with many of the products that MarineGuard produce, and for each piece of equipment I now have a more thorough understanding of its design and use, just as a ualified engineer would. MarineGuard have given me more responsibility as my skills develop. What began as me needing constant communication
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