PE’s Eugene Allen recently paid a visit to Leicester College to have a chat with – George Maynard – an apprentice who has a lot to look forward to in the near future.
Meet George Maynard, a Level 3 Electrical Apprentice at Leicester College. Having enrolled in 2012, George is due to finish his studies in June of this year and hopes to be fully qualified in September after completing his NVQ. So, what was he up to before he became a Leicester College student? “Before enrolling onto the course I had a part-time job that I didn’t really enjoy,” he said. “I applied for a job as a Trainee Telecoms Engineer, luckily, got it after having an interview and really enjoyed it. Being on-site took me back to my childhood building K’NEX as a kid or doing LEGO, it satisfied that need within me.
“Leicester College has done a lot for me, in terms of helping me with the course, and really pushed me, so I thought I might as well go that extra mile and be the best I can be.”
“After two years at the telecoms company I knew what I wanted to do long-term so I decided to come to Leicester College and enrol on to the electrics course. Leicester College has done a lot for me, in terms of helping me with the course, and really pushed me, so I thought I might as well go that extra mile and be the best I can be,” explained the 24-year-old.
Model student
George is every foreman’s dream employee – enthusiastic, hungry to learn and ambitious – as Neil McManus, Programme Area Manager – Construction at Leicester College, explains: “George is an outstanding student. We recently crowned him Apprentice of the Year for a number of reasons. He continuously shows willingness to learn and improve and supports other students and learners in the workshop. He’s the full-rounded electrician, the type of person you want to see in the future with their own company looking to put back into the industry.”
George will soon be competing against some of the most talented young electricians in the country when he takes part in the regional Sparks UK Apprentice of the Year competition. As well as the Sparks event, he also has a trip to Spain to look forward to in the coming months. Every year the college takes a group out to Seville where they get to spend six weeks and experience what it’s like to live and work in a different country.
“We’ve been running this for around three years,” said Neil. “George 
will be going out there and undertaking work that’s part of his NVQ, but working the way the Spanish work which is different to the way we do things here even though both countries adhere to the same European standards.”
George is eager to get over there and most looking forward to the practical element. “I just want to get as much out of the trip as possible, I think that’s more important than anything,” he says. “You can
sit in a classroom all you want, but until you get out on-site and work and experience different things it’s irrelevant. You could be the biggest geek in the classroom but not have a clue when it comes to picking up the tools and getting the job done.”
Looking ahead
A bit of an environmentalist, the soon-to-be NVQ qualified electrician sees his future in renewables. “That’s a big passion of mine, I’m very environmentally conscious,” he explains. “We inhabit a planet that looks after us and we need to look after it. I don’t see a future in fossil fuels or nuclear. I’ve always been that way inclined, but now I have a chance to put that into practice. I’ve got the skills to create renewable energy and I think if we have similar minds that can come together and channel ideas into renewables it will stand us all in good stead for the future.”
