Serco apprentice at RAF Brize Norton first in England to complete new qualification
Brook (above) joined Serco as a Level 2 Aviation Ground Operative Apprentice working at RAF Brize Norton in June 2017, a job role he describes as his “life ambition”.
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire is the Royal Air Force's largest station and is used as the main Air Point of Embarkation (APOE) for deploying UK troops overseas. Serco have delivered a range of services on behalf of the MoD at RAF Brize Norton for more than 20 years.
Brook’s apprenticeship has given him 18 months of on the job practical experience working alongside 40+ colleagues that make up the Serco Ramp Services team at the RAF base. Aviation Ground Operatives work to ensure the efficient and effective arrival, turnaround and departure of aircraft. Safety, security and compliance with aviation regulations are at the heart of the role and the focus of day to day duties.
The apprenticeship, which Serco has delivered in partnership with Highfield Assessment, is the first of its kind to be completed. Brook said “I’ve wanted to work in aviation since I was old enough to talk, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do and, it’s my life ambition so when I saw this opportunity come up with Serco I jumped at the chance.
“With this being the first time the new Apprenticeship Standard has been delivered we have had to navigate our way through the new requirements, but I love this job, it ticks all of my boxes and I’m so proud to be where I am now.”
Airfield Services Manager Mark Cridland, who along with his two Ramp Trainers has been responsible for managing the delivery of Brook’s Aviation Ground Operative apprenticeship said: “This has been an exceedingly challenging yet rewarding project. My Training Supervisors and Brook should be proud of what they have achieved; between them, they have set an exceedingly high standard for those that follow, to replicate”.
