An expert on apprenticeships

Elliot Reed is an expert on apprenticeships. He works as a CNC Technician at the Makerspace in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB) at the University of Cambridge and is also a Level 6 Apprentice. Cambridge may be one of the world’s most prestigious degree-conferring universities, but it also supports alternative routes.

Elliot values this balanced approach and feels that the university has invested in him just as much as any traditional student.

Now, twelve years after beginning his first apprenticeship at Level 3 (equivalent to A-Levels), Elliot is embarking on his third. His current part-time degree course (Level 6) in manufacturing engineering will award him a degree by 2026. He has already completed apprenticeships at Levels 3 to 5. His ongoing development highlights both his personal commitment to learning and the university’s dedication to investing in its staff – regardless of the route taken.

After completing A-Levels that did not ‘showcase his potential’, Elliot chose a different path. He said: “It felt right to me at the end of my A-Levels to look for something that got me working. My dad’s a tradesman and so I grew up watching him work with his hands and I wanted to do the same. I had had enough of full-time education, but I wasn’t done with learning.”

He credits Cambridge Regional College for introducing him to the apprenticeship route. He said: “Even back in 2013 when apprenticeships weren’t as common, they were showing how it can be the best of both worlds for some – and it was for me.”

Elliot began his advanced apprenticeship at Cambridge in 2013. Over three years, he earned a BTEC and NVQ while receiving valuable on-the-job training. He then pursued a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in manufacturing engineering, equivalent to the first year of a degree. In 2017, his expertise was recognised with a promotion to Chief Technician at the Whittle Laboratory, a role he held until 2020. In August 2020, he moved to the Department of Chemistry and then joined the CEB in July 2022. He completed a Higher National Diploma (HND) in engineering in July 2020 and, in September 2024, embarked on his part-time degree course.

Throughout his work-based learning, Elliot has maintained a strong work ethic. “You have to be disciplined to make sure you get your work done,” he said. “If you’re not committed, then it’s not going to work. You get back as much as you put in, so if you want to learn and earn, then I think it’s a great way to do that.

“We have such academic minds at CEB and, although I enjoy a bit of studying, I’m much more hands on and practical with how I operate, and an apprenticeship for these sort of roles – especially if research isn’t your aim – can be a great way to take a next step in your career,” he adds.

Summarising his alternative educational route, he said: “It’s education by a different way, a different way to get to the same point, you get key skills and behaviours. For me, it has been exactly what I have needed to develop in the workplace.” He adds: “I love learning new stuff so this route is always the most appropriate for me”.

Elliot’s experience shows how apprenticeships can work alongside traditional academic routes.

He said: “It also builds a strong bond with my employer, the university, as I feel invested in. The university has put as much time and effort into developing me as an engineer as anyone else, even if by a different route, and that means a lot to me.”

What is a CNC Technician?
CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control and is a type of machine that uses computers to control machine tools and produce parts, ranging from Milling machines and lathes to high-powered fibre optic laser cutters and water jets.
Elliot is responsible for operating, maintaining and educating students about our CNC machines at the Makerspace.