Staying ahead of the competition with Joe Kingston
8th February 2026
After participating in the GE Vernova Next Engineers Program, Joe Kingston realised that a career in engineering was for him. Joe shares his experiences of progressing from the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing at Stafford College to his higher-level engineering apprenticeship with GE Vernova.
I chose to apply for a Level 4 higher-level apprenticeship with GE Vernova as they are well-respected and felt like a good fit for me to grow and climb the career ladder in my chosen career.
Joe Kingston, Level 4 Engineering Manufacturing Apprenticeship & HNC Engineering for England (HTQ)
"Having no debt was a strong factor in my decision to go down the apprenticeship route rather than university and I am being paid whilst I study. This industry is really competitive, so by choosing this pathway, I am continuing my education and getting ahead of graduates who won't have benefited from the practical engineering skills I've been able to develop.
I initially found my apprenticeship through the GE Vernova Next Engineers Program. The team there gave me guidance on the opportunities and career paths available to me. This inspired me to really focus on where I wanted to me as initially I was a little lost on what I wanted to do. I got to be part of various activities and workshops which I really enjoyed and was a deciding factor on my next steps.
A typical day in the workplace for me involves completing the various tasks assigned to me as part of my project to reduce cycle times in the factory. I have been involved in creating action trackers and reporting measures to monitor and reduce downtime in an attempt to get the factory operating at it's best. Throughout this project, I have gained important working relationships with senior members of the team and I feel that this time is successfully helping me work on such an important subject which will be hugely beneficial to the company.
My apprenticeship work plays a big part of my role and I am allocated time throughout the week to complete my apprenticeship work. I enjoy the practical side of my apprenticeship more than the theory side as I like getting hands on with a task. Having developed and continue to develop my project management and communication skills, my ultimate career goal is to progress and work towards a management position. Learning how to effectively communicate with other employees and getting people to engage is a powerful skill I will definitely benefit from in my career.
My employer mentor is actually my line manager and he is always willing to take time away from his work to break things down and really help me understand what I'm trying to complete. Even if I'm really stumped and he's had to try and explain in a couple of ways, he doesn't give up trying to support me.
In addition to my workplace learning, I get to attend the Institute of Technology as part of my HNC in Engineering to learn the theory side of my apprenticeship. The tutors are great and take their time to break down the tasks we are set in a way that leaves me with a confident understanding of what we've been taught and how to complete my assignments effectively.
My advice to anyone thinking of studying an apprenticeship and the HNC would be to just go for it. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at NSCG and the Institute of Technology and learnt so much which will help me in my career. The IoT is an enjoyable place to learn and somewhere I look forward to visiting each week."