National Apprenticeship Week 2024: Will Hudson, our Mechanical Engineering Apprentice

As this week marks National Apprenticeship Week 2024, we’re placing the spotlight on some of our amazing apprentices – past and present. Here, we speak to mechanical engineering apprentice Will Hudson who joined us in 2022.

What is your role and what does it involve?

I am a Trainee Mechanical Design Engineer, which involves working within the design team on projects to design and develop mechanical systems within buildings. This ranges from high-profile new builds to smaller refurbishment jobs.

On a daily basis, I am working to develop designs for ventilation, heating and water services – providing clients with effective and sustainable solutions to suit their needs. I complete drawing work for these designs using Revit and AutoCAD.

Where does your interest in engineering come from?

I have always been interested in how things work, taking things apart and putting them back together again – which I have also done with cars during my spare time over the years. I think that’s where my interest in engineering stems from, trying to find solutions to problems and trying to solve them in the most efficient way possible.

Why did you opt to join CPW and its apprenticeship programme?

CPW is a people-oriented business that is striving to generate and nurture the next generation of engineers. I liked the approach CPW takes with its apprentices, including them within the team from the start, being involved with projects, as well as completing training to help us develop our technical knowledge.

I wanted to go down the apprenticeship route to learn about the building services industry and be able to apply the knowledge from the academic course at the same time.

What is your advice for someone considering an apprenticeship?

I would say that you will get as much out of an apprenticeship as you put into it.

I would also say that visiting sites is very important. This means you can see the systems that you are drawing and designing, making it easier to understand what they do and how they are installed in reality.

What is the best lesson learned during your apprenticeship?

One big lesson I have learned during my apprenticeship is to always ask questions. If in doubt ask the question, everyone around you is there to support you and to help you on your engineering journey. It's better to ask the question and get the help that is needed than to work on guesses or assumptions.

What do you hope to achieve in your career?

As I progress through my career, I would like to build on my knowledge and be able to do what my mentors have done for me, sharing their knowledge and the experiences they have to help build and support the next generation of building services engineers.

For more information about our apprenticeship programme, visit our apprenticeships page.