Two brothers complete apprenticeships at same Northampton-based company – 10 years apart

Engineering is definitely in the blood of two brothers who both completed an apprenticeship at the same Northampton company within a decade of each other.

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, Rob and Andrew Gibson, who work at Duston-based CooperÖstlund, have looked back on their career paths and talked about how apprenticeships provide the perfect opportunity to earn as you learn.

Rob, 33, knew from a young age that he wanted to be an engineer and started his apprenticeship with the gas engine specialist in 2008, completing his NVQ Level 3 in mechanical manufacturing engineering.

He moved up the ranks quickly, working as a technician for three years before being promoted to Lead Technician, then Operations Engineer, then Technical Support Manager – his current role.

Rob’s younger brother Andrew, 25, recently completed his apprenticeship at CooperÖstlund after joining the company four years ago and is now a Junior Rebuild Engineer.

Andrew, who qualified as a Level 3 Advanced Mechatronics Engineer, said: “With Rob’s background, I knew where I wanted to work and I always wanted to join the same place. It was just a case of waiting for an apprenticeship to come up.

“I knew I wanted to learn and earn at the same time and an apprenticeship gets you ready for the job itself – you learn a lot before you set off into the deep end.”

Rob agreed, saying: “I wanted to get on with my career and earn money at the same time. I wanted to dive straight in and get my hands dirty. I learn by doing, so this was the right route for me.”

Rob said his apprenticeship taught him to problem-solve, a critical skill as an engineer.

He said: “From the beginning, CooperÖstlund encouraged me to work things out for myself, which as an engineer, is what you have to do. When you’re in the middle of a field, working on an engine, the buck stops with you, so you have to be able to work through the problem yourself. That sets your mentality for your whole career.”

Andrew said help from CooperÖstlund made his apprenticeship journey easier, saying: “The support I have received from CooperÖstlund throughout my apprenticeship has been nothing less than exceptional, from colleagues taking time out of their working day to show and teach me different aspects of engines, to trusting me to conduct various tasks without the aid of other engineers.”

Another CooperÖstlund employee, Luke Beaney, has also gone down the apprenticeship route and has one final assignment to complete before he qualifies. He said doing an apprenticeship developed his sense of responsibility and the ability to work with different people.

Both Luke and Andrew faced the additional challenge of COVID-19 and subsequent college closures and lone working requirements during their apprenticeships.

Dan Walters, CooperÖstlund’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Apprenticeships bridge the gap between education and employment and help to develop skills ‘on the job’.

“We are extremely proud of our apprentices – their success is our success, too. We’ve had some fantastic apprentices so we fully support National Apprenticeship Week.”

National Apprenticeship Week runs from February 6th – 12th.