A day in the life of...

Marcus Probitts, Engineer

What is your role? I am a Shift Engineer working for Draught Beer/Large Pack. I predominantly look after all the machines that package our beer into casks and kegs.

How long have you been at Greene King? Just under five years (September).

Tell us your career story? I started at Greene King straight after school on an apprenticeship when I was 16. I completed my college work on a day release and the rest of my learning was on the job. This really suited me as I was keen to get stuck into work and to not be in the classroom all the time. The Engineers taught me everything I needed to know and guided me through which I am grateful for. I completed my apprenticeship last September and was offered the role as full-time Shift Engineer. It was very satisfying that after four years of hard work I finally reached my goal when at times I wasn’t sure I would reach it. It seems like only yesterday when I started.

What does a typical day look like for you? I start at 5:30am and complete daily checks and boiler checks such as water softness, boiler pressures and water tests to ensure the plant is safe to run. From then on, every day is different. My phone rings for a break down which one minute could be resetting a conveyor the next I could be driving a robot. Some days the phone doesn’t stop ringing and it can get very busy.

What do you love most about your job? I love that I’m always learning, every day I’ll learn something new as there is such a large amount of equipment to fix, its never the same and the team I work with are always happy to help and teach me anything I want to know.

What do you enjoy most about working for Greene King? The people in the engineering team are awesome, they have taught me so many different skills and continue to do so. Its nice to be working with friends who I can both work with and go for a beer with just as well. I enjoy the surprise that each day can bring as well, I never know what I’ll be walking into.

What would you say to someone that may be considering an apprenticeship? I would recommend it, hands on experience is just as important as the theory and is a good way to earn money at a young age. It gave me a foot in the door to engineering whilst still learning and being able to learn from mistakes.