Building for the Future – Meet Our Apprentices

Whilst we are focused on maximising our performance in the present, we are always making sure that the future is in good hands too. As part of National Apprenticeships Week 2023, we sat down with a selection of our latest Apprentice cohort to find out how the Team are helping them build their skills and further their careers.

What department do you work in, and what are your day-to-day responsibilities?

Grace (I.T Apprentice): At the moment, I am part of the Technical Support Group, so we deal with first line support with all users within the company, so no two days are the same. We also had experience in other areas of the IT department, so we did a week with the systems tests with the trackside team, which was really useful. I saw a lot of things I’ve never been exposed to before.

Lily (Direct Purchasing Apprentice): I chase orders from suppliers, place orders with suppliers for car parts, check everything is in for the tests and development events that we need. Jacob (Aero Machine Shop Apprentice): I am programming CNC machinery from billets of material and turning them into parts of the car, for development.

Matthew (Technology Engineering Apprentice): I work in the Technology Engineering department which gets involved in all different areas of the factory, over the winter, our main role is to do with the rakes.

Thomas (Aero Car Technician Apprentice): I work in the Aero Model Shop. That includes making lots of parts that get taken up and put on the car for the wind tunnel sessions and we test them against base lines. Once produced, they will come out of the Rapid Prototyping and be rubbed down, painted to the right colour we use and then quality-checked before being put on the car!

What skills are you learning during your apprenticeship?

Thomas: Problem-solving is the biggest one for me. Not everything goes right, but it is how you adjust and react to that. Teamwork as well. I have a lot of great people around me, supporting me. Being the newest person in the team, it is all about working together to get the job done.

Matthew: Problem-solving and teamwork is a big aspect of Formula One and I have definitely been developing my that and the ability to work under pressure as well. I got into F1 through the Netflix documentary, which is where I became a fan of the sport.

Jacob: I feel like I’m learning to work in a team environment, and get the maximum out of myself and therefore get as much performance out on the track as possible.

Lily: Communication skills with suppliers and different departments within Mercedes, quotation tendering, those sort of business skills.

Grace: Lots of practical IT skills which I already had from school. I can actually put it into practice now and see how a lot of things work, like networking, virtual networks, which is cool. Communication skills too, as that is not something I have had experience in before in the workplace. I definitely feel that has been improved while I’ve been here because I get to speak to a wide range of people.

How have Mercedes helped you develop so far?

Jacob: I feel they’ve helped me develop my skills in engineering as well as learning to programme and run manual machines.

Thomas: A big one for me is they’ve helped me develop my model making skills, I came in with A Levels and some experience with handiwork on the side but developing my model making skills into a really high standard. You think in F1 everything is precise, it is even more precise when you work within it and see the standard. That was the biggest shock to me but getting up to that standard helps me see the progress I am making.

Grace: A lot of people that I work with are really helpful and are always there for me to ask questions, so colleagues is the top of the list for me, the most helpful, the most supportive. We have quite a lot of meetings about how we are progressing with the apprenticeship as well as online chats with the apprenticeship provider as well. There is so much support from lots of different areas.

Lily: My team and the people I work with, and the departments I engage with have been so supportive. Answering my questions and giving me advice, I am also doing a course that gives me the knowledge and so there has been good support with that and organising it. My course is external, so the education part, and then there is the Mercedes side for the practical element.

Matthew: They’ve been great, the skills that you learn extends from machining to model making, pressure testing with the rakes, it’s really varied.

What are you most excited about for the rest of your apprenticeship?

Matthew: I’m excited to work on future cars and experiencing my first championship win.

Lily: Keep learning and developing and experiencing my first full season with the team, as I joined in September. This will be my first proper season here where I have contributed to the car, and I am excited to see it out on track and know I helped work on it.

Thomas: Solving challenges along the way. The number of challenges you come across is going to be a good test of the skills I have learned and how I am going to apply that to the problems that will face me.

Grace: I am excited to hit the end and pass, I have the qualification and achievement then, and I know I will be qualified in the things I’ll be doing. I am then excited to see what opportunities open up for me, within the company too, so we’ll see.

Jacob: The learning and development and seeing the future of the car and how we develop.

Where would you like to be in five years?

Grace: I would like to be part of the track team, that way I would never get bored! It has been my dream since I was a kid to work at the track. So that would be pretty cool. We have also spent a bit of time with the trackside team to see what kind of things they get up to, which has been really interesting.

Lily: Hopefully still at Mercedes, finished my apprenticeship, gained a couple of years more experience, moved up in the company and building on the skills I am getting now. And carrying on learning and developing.

Jacob: I would like to think I would have completed my apprenticeship and been a vital part in the success of the development and future of Mercedes. I started in September last year and it is a four-year apprenticeship.

Matthew: I would like to be on the Race Team, which is a long way to go, I have got to get F4 experience first, and then build myself up. We are looking into start that and do weekend work with some F4 teams.

Thomas: I would like to be on the race team but also, I just want to progress within the company, whether that be CAD design, something in a different department full-size. But I’m happy where I am at the moment and also happy to progress.

How would you describe Mercedes in three words?

Matthew: Challenging, enjoyable and varied.

Grace: Exciting, busy, fun.

Thomas: Innovative, inclusive and challenging.

Lily: Challenging, in a good way, teamwork and unique, because it’s not like anywhere else.

Jacob: Exciting, fast and togetherness.