My Final Year as an Apprentice Painter

Luke Wood has been at Axis since 2017 and after 4 years of honing his craft, he is now a final year apprentice. Thanks to the experience he has gained from his colleagues, as well as his own dedication, Luke is now fully qualified. His confidence has grown and he is now attending jobs by himself, putting his training into action and using his knowledge to tackle anything that comes his way. We spoke to him about his journey…

Q: What is your job title and when did you join Axis?

Luke: I am currently an Apprentice painter and decorator in my 4th and final year. I first joined Axis Back in 2017, I was 18 years old at the time, and I attended North Kent College.

Q: What have you achieved since you joined as an apprentice?

Luke: Throughout my time at Axis I’ve managed to obtain my degree, graduating last year. I’ve also had the opportunity to take part in different training courses that have helped develop my skills, including my most recent training in how to operate a cherry picker – which was a lot of fun! I’m now going onto jobs without my apprentice master, having to think for myself, it has given me a lot more confidence when tackling a job.

Q: What made you decide to do an Apprenticeship in the first place?

Luke: I think I’ve always wanted to learn a trade, ever since I was young. My grandad was a painter and decorator himself and I would always help him with jobs around the house, I used to enjoy it a lot. After seeing him do it for so many years, I guess that first sparked a passion for wanting to learn a trade.

Q: How did you first hear about the apprenticeship program and what was your day to day experience as an Apprentice?

Luke: I first heard about it when one of my teachers at college pointed me in the direction of Axis. I searched for opportunities online and applied. I would spend one day at college and the rest would be on site. With my apprentice master, we would first go into the property and see what needed doing, after figuring out what materials we would need for the job we’d begin the painting works.

Q: How did you benefit from ongoing support as an Apprentice?

Luke: I’ve benefitted from the vast amount of hands-on experience I have learnt and in addition to this, the opportunities I’ve had to go on different training courses. Thanks to this, I’ve acquired various licences that I would never have been able to otherwise, including my cherry picker licence.

Q: What was the highlight of your apprenticeship and the most challenging aspect of it?

Luke: The highlight has to be the feeling I got when completing my 3rd year as an apprentice; a sense of relief but also proud of myself for my commitment and dedication. I’d also have to say going to jobs by myself and having that confidence in my decisions. I’d say the most challenging thing was getting used to the schedule at first, waking up early in the morning and following site procedures. It was all fairly new to me so I had to learn quickly.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most about the next few years and how has doing an Apprenticeship with Axis helped your career?

Luke: I’m looking forward to progressing with my career and job role. Developing my skills and becoming a more experienced tradesman. The apprenticeship has helped me by allowing me to get my foot in the door, gaining first-hand experience of being on-site and learning from my colleagues. I feel like I can take on any job now and in my future career.

Q: Looking back, what advice would you give to others who are considering doing an apprenticeship?

Luke: My advice would be to always put in 100% when you turn up to work. It’s satisfying when you’ve finished a job and have put all your effort in. Hearing your boss or a resident saying “well done, you did a great job” is very rewarding; knowing your attention to detail has paid off.

If you’re interested in taking an apprenticeship with Axis, read our Work Inspiration brochure here. Or find more stories from trainee to apprentice, here.