Freya Wood, 20, grew up by the coast in Plymouth and now she’s living her dream as an apprentice marine engineering technician building and testing luxury yachts.
What do you do?
I work for Princess Yachts, a leading British luxury yacht manufacturer. As an apprentice I’m not tied to one section and I really like that we can move around different engineering sections every couple of months. It means my working days are all very different.
In my time since starting in September 2020 I’ve been based in the factory itself, working in a helm which steers the boat, and as part of the outside crew.
I’m there from 7am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday apart from Wednesdays when I’m at college.
When I come in I’m assigned a job by my mentor who explains what I need to do that day and then I get on with my tasks.
Each day is so different but among the tasks I’ve done has been looming a boat, which involves running electrical cables through every section which can be very physical when working on a 95ft boat.
I’ve also been lucky enough to assist with sea trials out on the water. They can last about eight hours and involve lots of sound checks to make sure the boat is up to speed and functions well.
We listen out for vibrations and certain sounds, such as a high pitched noise, which can indicate there is an issue. We also run other tests on parts of the boat from anchors to windscreen wipers.
What inspired you to choose this career?
I’ve lived by the sea in Plymouth my whole life, so I’ve never been too far away from that world. But outside of school, my interest was always in cars. I enjoyed working on them and fixing them.
That’s how I knew from the age of 13 that engineering was for me.
I loved knowing how things worked. Engineering lessons or courses weren’t available for me in school, so I didn’t know much about it, but something sparked an interest. I could never shake it. It drove me to where I am now.
I always enjoyed physics and maths and wanted a hands-on job, so at 16 I left school to go to college and get a basic understanding of engineering.
I really wanted to understand the industry and to find out whether it was the career for me.
I heard about the apprenticeship, applied and the rest is history.
How are you finding the apprenticeship?
I’m in my third year and it’s been challenging. Each year gets slightly harder – whether it’s longer assignments or trying to balance my workload with college.
I do three full days at work, one day at college and overtime. It can be tough at times but rewarding.
Why should others follow your footsteps?
I was someone who really did not like school, or exams. I’m a practical learner so this was the best route for me.
Apprenticeships really are such an amazing option because you’re being paid to learn.
Being thrown into the work means you can put the things you learn into action.
Also, it’s nice to have that balance between classroom settings and work settings.
I would say if you have a big interest in something, then you should really look into it – don’t put it on the back burner.
Talk to teachers and people who are well informed, it’s always good to talk to other people.
Lastly, try not to put things off for too long because it becomes harder to get into.
What are your ambitions?
After my apprenticeship I want to become a qualified engineer for Princess Yachts. Eventually I have ambitions to leave England and to work somewhere coastal in Europe such as Italy.
You can find out about a wide variety of interesting and fulfilling technician roles at https://www.technicians.org.uk
