Following in his dad’s (and granddad’s!) footsteps has put the foundations in place for a great career for Taylor.

Describing himself as more of a hands-on learner, choosing an apprenticeship after leaving school proved the right choice for him.

Three and a half years on and picking up his completion certificate from NETA Training, he said this certainly feels like something to be proud of, particularly as he was among the first batch of school leavers to skip GCSE exams due to Covid.

“It has been a great experience learning and building my confidence in the workplace,” said the 19-year-old from Hartlepool, who secured a mechanical apprenticeship, working alongside his dad, Tony, at Antlia Services Ltd.

Of choosing a career in engineering, he said: “This is what I have grown up around.  My dad was a fitter, my grandfather was a fitter, in fact a lot of the family have worked in the same type of area.”

Looking back on his time served as an apprentice, he laughingly describes working in the same company as his dad as “an experience”, though with Tony always there to cheer him on, its clear the pair hit it off as workmates.

Tony said: “It has been nice to spend time with Taylor and see him progress.  I was always keen for him to have a trade as it is something to fall back on.”

As it turns out, the 19-year-old found his niche and has now been snapped up by the Middlesbrough-based pump supply, servicing, maintenance and repair specialist as a rotating equipment technician.

Antlia Services’ general manager Adrian Thompson said: “We are a great believer in the apprenticeship route.  It is an effective way to teach someone the basics and get them into the workplace.

“Through apprenticeships we are able to develop quality professional staff, and this is why Taylor has now gone on to secure a permanent job with us.”

Keen to continue investing in the quality of the team, he added: “Our aim is now for him to eventually go on to study his HNC.”

As for Taylor, he said: “I’m pleased to have finished my apprenticeship and, for now, it’s a relief to have finished all the paperwork.”