Hongjie Ma

Full name: Hongjie Ma
Job title: Apprentice Project Engineer
Company name: Tribosonics

Q: Why did an apprenticeship appeal to you?

A: I wanted to gain work experience, as well as be able to study at the same time. This will benefit employers as I will have a strong engineering background along with experience, which will make me a valuable employee.

Q: What are the benefits of an apprenticeship? 

A: The ability to network with people in different sectors and learn skills which can be applied to my current job role. The skills in apprenticeship settings are very diverse, which is key to gaining knowledge.

Q: Who inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?

A: I was always into maths, science and technology when I was younger, so I wanted to do something that fulfilled all these needs. I want to be involved in making an impact with the skills I gain as an engineer.

Q: How will your apprenticeship give you the skills and knowledge you need for a rewarding career?

A: The skills you gain from being in employment involve problem-solving and adapting, which is super important, as issues occur daily which require critical thinking to come up with a solution.

Q: What are you proudest of achieving for your company? 

A: I contributed to a project by using design techniques to come up with solutions which satisfy the customer. My design was able to find faults that we didn't know existed until it was modelled, which allowed us to optimise and come up with a better solution to meet the customer's requirements.

Q: What is the most challenging part of an apprenticeship?

A: Working and studying at the same time can be challenging due to deadlines with employers and the university. It is important to have a strong mindset in order to succeed.

Q: What tips and/or advice would you give to other people looking to do an apprenticeship?

A: Being consistent with doing your work will help a lot when you get further into the semester. When tasks get difficult it is important to complete easier objectives first, and then come back to them on a later day.