3rd Year Apprentice Awards 2020 - Alex Knight

We asked Alex a few questions about his Apprenticeship and winning this award...

1) What is your Apprenticeship? 

I am a technician apprentice in my final year at the Oxford Physics Microstructure Detector (OPMD) Facility in the Particle Physics department in Oxford. At OPMD we build and test radiation detectors used in physics experiments such as the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in CERN.

2) Can you describe some benefits of undertaking an Apprenticeship? 

This apprenticeship has allowed me to work with some extraordinary people, some of whom are truly the best in the world at what they do. For this, I am very grateful as I have learned a lot from them and made some good friends. There are many things I enjoy about this apprenticeship, from the working atmosphere created by staff and students, to the fantastic facilities we get to use. Despite being at the beginning of my career, working with people who are much further along in different career paths, I am still equally recognised and relied upon for the unique skills set I bring to the group. Having been working here for over 3 years now, I have really enjoyed watching how projects I have been heavily involved in, progress and develop. I am looking forward to seeing how they turn out. 

After my apprenticeship, I intend to carry on working at OPMD and see these projects through to completion. 

3) What was your reaction to winning your award? 

I was quite overwhelmed winning the award this year. It was lovely to hear all of the nice things people have to say about me and how I've made a positive impact in my department.

4) What would you recommend to anyone considering an Apprenticeship? 

I found it quite difficult when starting my apprenticeship because it's a big step up and change from school life. I knew very little about what OPMD did and what my role would be. Fortunately, everyone was really supportive, allowing me to settle in quickly and as time passed I grew to really enjoy my role. Therefore, my advice to someone thinking about starting an apprenticeship is to just try it, even if you are not sure or it's not exactly what you had in mind. It's likely you will be working with like minded people in a role that you will enjoy and a program that will give you many career options in the future.