National Apprenticeship Week: Developing career-ready skills with Tom Boswell
9th February 2026
Tom Boswell works as a Level 4 Manufacturing technician apprentice at GE Vernova in Stafford. Benefiting from a rotational apprenticeship programme and currently working within the lean manufacturing department, Tom talks to us about this aspirations for a career in engineering.
"Getting real-life experience in the workplace is really important to me and I'm enjoying the hands-on learning a higher-level apprenticeship offers."
Tom Boswell, Level 4 Manufacturing Technologies Apprenticeship and HNC Engineering for England (HTQ)
"I chose to study a higher-level apprenticeship because I knew I wanted to work in engineering as a career. I'm gaining the in-demand experience engineering companies look for without having the debt of a higher education course. I feel that I learn better by doing things more than being shown something on a screen and this apprenticeship does exactly that.
I was coming to the end of my Level 3 Advanced Manufacturing course at Stafford College when I found out about GE Vernova and the apprenticeships on offer. I've always had an interest in cars and Lego so I really enjoy anything engineering based and this seemed like a logical career for me.
My apprenticeship has allowed me to get involved in a variety of exciting projects on rotation including a lean continuous improvement process at work and the integration of a master tracking system which will help with on-site building projects.