We’re just about to nominate Jack for the apprentice of the year award. Let's find out why...
Jack is nearing the completion of his apprenticeship and has made an outstanding contribution to Richard of England (ROE). Jack has excelled to the point where he works on his own projects within the fabrication department. Being trusted to work alone on Aston Martins (DB5’s and DBS’s) is a true testament to Jack’s growth and skill level. He has earned this trust following years of shadowing and taking on board what his mentors have taught him at ROE and the Heritage Skills Academy.
Jack has not had an easiest of paths. He approached the job market with a great deal of professionalism and a decent understanding of mechanics (from working on family cars). However, there were no opportunities. Thanks to the Heritage Skills Academy he eventually found work at a Jaguar restoration company. Despite signing onto a mechanics apprenticeship, Jack mostly worked with their highly skilled fabricator. He loved his apprenticeship and worked hard, however, the business fell on hard times and closed down.
Luckily, Paul (ROE owner) saw potential in Jack and offered him a job at ROE. Initially, when Jack joined us we’d envisaged him working on the mechanics side and we continued his mechanics apprenticeship. During his time within that department he assisted with the assembly of our 2020 Concours d'Elégance winning Aston Martin DB5, amongst other projects.
We eventually realised that his heart was within fabrication and we asked if he would like to switch. Jack decided to make the change and we placed him under our lead fabricator. Meanwhile, Paul nurtured his understanding of each model and their unique details. Jack’s training and experience on the mechanical side was by no means a waste. In fact, the time he spent “on the spanners” has helped give Jack perspective and a broader skill set. Jack is now working towards an additional qualification with the Heritage Skills Academy for fabrication. Jack is not on apprentice’s wage anymore and we lose him every 6 weeks. However, we feel it’s worth investing in young talent, especially someone as talented as Jack.
Almost everything Jack makes is hand formed or created using homemade jigs (steel + wood). He is proficient at both MIG and TIG welding. He has produced “concours level” results working on various sections including:
· Sills
· Door frame rebuilds
· A+B posts
· Floors
· Bonnet rails
· Door bonnets
· Boot fits
Jack has also helped assist with “bigger picture” topics. For example, he had a helping hand in designing the new fabrication workshop layout plan and he made a steel mould for reproducing DB5 fibreglass gearbox tunnels. Jack is also fantastic at writing detailed notes which we use for invoicing and he researches/recommends potential products that could improve our work.
In conclusion, I feel Jack has excelled beyond what you would expect from an apprentice. He is incredibly hardworking, conscientious and trustworthy. His work is very neat and he goes above and beyond. He is also a favourite amongst his tutors at the Heritage Skills Academy.
We feel he deserves the award. Let’s hope the judges agree.
Wow! Amazing work