Careers at Bentley Motors

We asked our Series Supplier Quality Engineer Apprentice Ollie Lycett to share his experience as an apprentice at Bentley Motors...

Apprenticeships: 8 years at Bentley with Level 3 Mechatronics Engineering Technician (completed). Level 6 Electrical Engineering Degree Apprentice (current, year 2)
 

What inspired you to choose a Level 3 apprenticeship at Bentley Motors rather than going to college or sixth form?

I didn’t particularly enjoy school or the academic side of education. However, engineering was the one subject I genuinely enjoyed and performed well in, because it was practical and hands-on. That was the point where I realised, I wanted a career in engineering.

Bentley was an obvious choice for me. It’s a prestigious brand known for producing luxury and importantly, high-performance cars. When I looked into the apprenticeship structure, the job role and the qualifications on offer, everything aligned with what I wanted to learn and develop. The opportunity to gain real-world experience, earn recognised useful qualifications, and be paid while studying made it a far more appealing and practical route than traditional education.

I chose the Level 3 because I knew University wasn’t the right path for me, and I wanted to pursue something practical that I genuinely found interesting with the bonus of earning a wage and no debt! The apprenticeship I applied for consisted of five qualifications: Level 2 and Level 3 IMI, a Level 3 BTEC, and Level 2 and Level 3 NVQs. The IMI qualifications taught me how vehicles work and how to work on them in practice. The BTEC broadened my understanding of engineering, covering areas such as robotics and PLCs. The NVQ allowed me to develop hands-on experience and practical skills in areas such as electrical work and welding, while also enabling me to directly relate what I learned at college to my role in the workplace.

I realised a lot of companies in the engineering industry look for apprenticeship qualifications with a reputable company!

What was the transition like moving from school into a Level 3 apprenticeship, and how did Bentley support you in those early months?

I’ll be honest, there are some trade-offs with an apprenticeship. It’s a different environment to university, it’s a full Monday-to-Friday working week, and you don’t get the same school holidays.

That said, there are a lot of positives that balance this out. You have lots of annual leave to book off, a consistent shift pattern which makes it easier to plan things outside of work, and all weekends are free. Additionally, consistently earning money throughout your apprenticeship as during university a lot of students need to work on top of their studies to afford living costs. Therefore, they must work evenings and weekends unlike an apprenticeship.

On top of that, Bentley provides a huge amount of support when transitioning from school into full-time work. Everyone is very approachable, understanding, and supportive, which makes that transition feel far less daunting and much smoother overall.

During your Level 3 apprenticeship, what did a typical week look like and how did learning on the job compare to classroom learning?

Each year of the apprenticeship was different. In the first year, the programme was mainly college-based and as you progress, the balance gradually shifts towards spending more time in the factory. Collage days were split into different subjects, for example one day might be IMI, another BTEC. Some of this learning was practical and workshop based, while other parts were more academically focused.

In the workplace, I could apply and develop the knowledge and skills I had learned at college. I was trained by skilled and experienced colleagues who supported me in developing the competencies needed for my role. As time goes on, you’re given more responsibility, it’s not standing around watching someone all day or making coffee!

Personally, I much preferred the practical, factory-based side of the apprenticeship, as I found it more engaging and enjoyed getting hands-on and being actively involved in the work.  I spent some time learning about the engines along with building them and testing them in the engine department.  

We heard you changed your role towards the end of your level 3 apprenticeship to better suit your interests, how was this process?

Towards the end of my Level 3 apprenticeship, I moved to a new team, this was due to identifying my hands on skills and technical knowledge I gained at college were better suited here. I work hands on with the cars, one day I could be taking an engine out for a mechanical fault and the next I could be taking the dashboard out finding an electrical fault.

Bentley’s People & Culture and Future Skills teams, along with my line managers, were extremely supportive throughout the transition. I genuinely enjoyed my role; however, after three years in the position, and with the skills and qualifications I had gained, I felt I was better suited to a more technical role elsewhere.

That experience showed me that if you approach opportunities in the right way and consistently put the effort in, progression is absolutely encouraged. Bentley actively supports personal development and career growth, which gave me the confidence to take the next step in my career.

After finishing your level 3 apprenticeship you secured a permanent role at Bentley how did your apprenticeship prepare you for this transition? 

My apprenticeship gave me a strong foundation in how vehicles operate, how to work on them, and more advanced fault-finding, diagnostic, and repair techniques.

While I did need to learn Bentley-specific tools and processes, the core knowledge and skills I developed during the apprenticeship transferred directly into the role. That meant I could adapt quickly and focus on developing further, rather than starting from scratch.