Name: Nathan Riches
Employer: JCB Excavators Ltd.
Job: Aftermarket Training Assistant.
Age: 24

Background: Nathan is Aftermarket Training Assistant for JCB Excavators at the JCB World Headquarters in Staffordshire.
Having grown up on the family farm in Norfolk he gained an interest in agricultural machinery from an early age. On leaving school at 16 he started an apprenticeship at a local agricultural dealership as a trainee service engineer.
After completing the three year apprenticeship Nathan decided to further his education by leaving the dealership to enrol on a degree course at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire. Although the course was mainly classroom based he kept one hand on the tools by working holidays at a large farm on the outskirts of Norwich, undertaking general repairs on all type of machinery.
On achieving a Degree in Agricultural Engineering with Business Management Nathan applied to JCB and was successful, starting at his current position at the JCB Training Centre in March 2005
  
Q. What first made you want to become an engineer?
A. Growing up on a farm, I was always messing about with all kinds of machinery and as got older my father would get me involved with the routine maintenance and servicing of the tractors to the stage that I was responsible for making sure that tractors were serviced at regular intervals. From there it seemed to make sense taking it a stage further to start an apprenticeship.

Q. Do you think an apprenticeship is a good way to learn a trade?
A. Definitely, it gives the ability to experience the job ‘Hands On’ in real life situations, you become part of a team very quickly, there are plenty of experienced people to help you and also you earn money while you do it!

Q.  What made you decide to start a Degree course?
A. I knew people who were at Harper Adams University College and happened to glance through a prospectus at the available courses. I had no idea that such courses were available; this got me thinking about whether I would be able to do it.  I decided that if I didn’t have a go now I might be too late and I would be always be wondering “what if?”

Q. Was the degree course and university what you expected?
A. The course was hard work at times with assignments and exams but the lecturers are very helpful and have a lot of time for the students if you need a little extra help or a few pointers. There was plenty of time to socialise and meet people with similar interests; I made some of the best friends I’ll ever have at Harper Adams. I got far more out of it than I had expected.

Q. How did you hear about the position at JCB?
A. I received a letter through Harper Adams telling me than JCB were recruiting for many different jobs, I just thought I had nothing to lose and got an interview. The interviews were structured to find out what jobs you would be suited to. I was offered the position at the training centre and took it.

Q. Do you have any regrets about choosing engineering as a career path?
A. No, not at all, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done so far. The apprenticeship stood me in good stead everything else I have done. I don’t get my hands on the tools so much now but it’s good to have the practical background when talking about machines. Even now when I go back home to the farm in Norfolk I’m still asked “can you just take a look at my tractor? Its leaking oil”, I still enjoy it, the buzz you get by fixing problems with people machines is great.

Q. What is the best part of your job?
A. Working with the apprentices, although they are involved with construction machinery I can relate to what they do and it takes me back to my apprentice days. I went on manufacturers’ courses during my apprenticeship and always wondered what it would be like to work for the manufacturer - now I know!”