Daniel Breen

Engineering Apprentice

I have been fascinated with Engineering and how things work since primary school. My school, in West London, was directly below the flight path for Heathrow Airport, so my interest in Engineering stemmed from those early days watching the planes flying over my school and from my many trips to the Visitors Centre at Heathrow.

I undertook two work placements – one with London Trams where I worked alongside their Engineers and another where I worked in my local secondary school helping with their STEM (Science, Technology, English and Maths) club. Both experiences reinforced my interest in Engineering. I then went on to college to study a Level Three Extended Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and I am now in my first year of the Engineering apprenticeship scheme at Heathrow Airport.

I have been fascinated with airports and planes since I was a child. I only ever wanted to work at Heathrow Airport, so when I found this apprenticeship scheme I knew right away that it is what I wanted to do. This is a four-year scheme, and the first year is at Kingston College studying, and the following three are at Heathrow undertaking on-site practical training in an array of Engineering disciplines – I can’t think of a better way to train for a role.

When I complete my apprenticeship, I’d like to secure a full-time job at Heathrow. I want to become an invaluable member of the Engineering Maintenance team at Heathrow, and inspire others. Considering my learning difficulties, I’m proud that I’ve been able to secure this apprenticeship. I am keen to encourage other young people to get involved in Engineering and will be supporting STEM promotion activities next year when I have completed my college course.

It’s been a great experience so far, I have met a great team of people and have enjoyed every second of it. Bring on the next three years!