Charles Ashwell Turns Practical Skills into a Professional Engineering Career

Charles Ashwell has always been drawn to engineering. From an early age, he enjoyed STEM subjects at school, and liked the idea of working with his hands and building things. After leaving school, he got a BTEC and spent some time in general warehousing jobs before he joined Michael Smith Switchgear Ltd (MSSL) as a labourer, before progressing to a panel-builder role.

When the opportunity for a formal apprenticeship arose, Charles seized it - recognising that learning and progressing would give him long-term career potential. He enrolled in an apprenticeship through Leicester College, which gave him both practical and theoretical knowledge of engineering.

Apprenticeship and development

Charles commenced a 42-month Level 3 Engineering Fitter programme at Leicester College, covering electrical theory, PLCs, hydraulics, pneumatics, material science and project management.

During his apprenticeship, Charles found the blend of hands-on work and classroom theory at Leicester College especially satisfying.

Charles said: “Gaining the general engineering knowledge was really important - particularly electrical knowledge.

“Knowing the electrical theory is key - it doesn't teach you how to build a switchboard, but it does reinforce why we do certain things the way we do.

“At College, I enjoyed studying electrical maths, PLC systems, material science, and learning how theory underpins the work engineers do in the field.”

His experience at MSSL meant that the transition into formal training was well-supported. The apprenticeship helped him gain a “well-rounded view of the business” including wiring, CAD design and engaging with R&D tasks.

Current role and future prospects

Today, Charles works in the offices at MSSL as a CAD designer. Although he has moved away from purely practical roles, he remains connected with the workshop floor -measuring panels and engaging with colleagues on site.

His role bridges the theoretical and practical: he is involved in design tasks, liaising with the workshop, and helping manufacture panels used in major infrastructure projects.

Charles believes that his apprenticeship experience is seen as a key strength in his development within the business. Many of the skills learned during his course - interpreting drawings, planning work, using the right tools, checking quality, working safely, interacting with project managers and engineers - translated directly into his current role.