South West Water Manager Reflects on 37 Years Since Apprenticeship

National Apprenticeship Week runs from 9th to 15th February, and at South West Water’s Countess Wear laboratory in Exeter, one manager is marking the occasion with a personal milestone of her own.

Claire King, Laboratory Services Manager, began her journey with South West Water 37 years ago. In 1989, she joined the company on a Higher National Certificate programme, starting out as an apprentice.

Today, Claire leads the laboratory team, having worked her way through roles as Assistant, Technician, Scientist and Senior Scientist before becoming Laboratory Services Manager in 2008.

From Apprentice to Manager

Looking back at her decision to take the apprenticeship route, Claire said:

“I was learning on the job and getting qualifications with no debt and I was able to support my family at a difficult time rather than being away from home.”

Since completing her own apprenticeship, Claire has supported many apprentices at Countess Wear. Several have continued their careers with South West Water, with some still working within the laboratory.

Claire said:

“I am so pleased the laboratory has been able to support many apprentices, including seven apprentices and former apprentices currently working here.”

Meet Chris

📷Chris Ormiston

One of those apprentices is Laboratory Scientist Chris Ormiston, who is nearing the end of a two-year Level 3 BTEC in Applied Science.

Chris previously worked in South West Water’s Customer Service team after completing a business and admin apprenticeship in 2012. He chose the apprenticeship route again because it allowed him to gain qualifications while earning a salary.

He said:

“I have a three-year-old at home, so learning at work is allowing me to access higher levels of education that would otherwise not be an option. It allows me to apply what I learn at college to my day to day role and vice versa.

Completing an apprenticeship has changed my life. You get experience whilst learning which has been massively valuable for me to solidify my learning. An apprenticeship has opened loads of gates for me and everyone has been so supportive and helpful.”

Meet Emily

📷Emily Lane

Emily Lane began her apprenticeship in 2019, moving into the laboratory from the veterinary industry. She worked at the Countess Wear lab for three years before moving into a new role within South West Water’s water quality team.

Emily now works at water treatment works across the region and visits customers within supply networks to help ensure the quality of water supplies.

She said:

“I enjoy learning and developing my skills and knowledge, and felt this was a great way of doing this. I’m also a big people person, so to work alongside a big team when I started within the laboratory was a really nice experience for me.

Apprenticeships can be hard work, but worth it. To be paid while you learn and develop skills is a great thing, and there are so many variations of apprenticeship roles now too.”

As National Apprenticeship Week continues, Claire’s journey from apprentice to manager highlights how long-term careers can grow from learning on the job.