The perfect launch-pad, The JCB Academy
Josh Machin started at The JCB Academy when they first open their doors back in 2010. Josh looks back on his time there as the perfect launch-pad for his time as an apprentice.
Josh said: “As a young boy growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, I was always fascinated to hear my dad talking about his job and thought a similar career would be great.
“When he took me to a JCB Academy Open Day at the Britannia Stadium I realised a future with JCB would be ideal and I was enrolled at the age of 14 in the first intake at the Academy in 2010.
“The JCB Academy was a building-block for my future and I was fortunate to be able to get to know some engineers at the company during my work experience.”
Whilst studying at The JCB Academy he gained his work experience at JCB in the Research Department, this gave him a taste of the career he wanted to pursue and when he enrolled as an Advanced Apprentice in the Electrical and Electronics field in 2012, he was delighted to be posted to the same department.
Twenty year old Josh has thrived on the mix of academic learning and practical tuition that his apprenticeship offered. Alongside his on-site work during his apprenticeship at JCB, Josh studied a Level 3 NVQ Diploma and a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Engineering before taking a Foundation Degree in Electrical and Electronic at Derby College.
“My plan is to graduate in 2016 and then go to study for a BEng in Electronics at university,” said Josh.
“I aim to build up a portfolio of qualifications so that I can further my career at JCB.”
With his current work in the Research Department at JCB being widely praised and his apprenticeship successfully completed last year, Josh is well on the way to achieving his ambition.
