Meet the apprentice: Jack Lawson, Trinity House

Jack Lawson describes his four-year apprenticeship with Trinity House as an ‘eye-opener’ – in more ways than one. As a lighthouse technician apprentice, his job takes him to some pretty special places. Meanwhile, he has learned about the shipping and maritime world – and hopes to stay within the industry.

Jack, who is 21, grew up in Swansea, studied for a BTEC level 3 extended diploma in engineering and started work for a local civil engineering firm. A family friend told him about the opportunity for an apprenticeship with Trinity House.

“I knew nothing about Trinity House and knew nothing about the shipping industry,” he says. “In the past four years, I have gained a real understanding of how the shipping and logistics industry works – it was something I took for granted before, not thinking about how the things we buy actually arrive.”

Based in Swansea, Jack is part of Trinity House’s Field Operations West, which covers a region stretching from Cumbria to north Devon. The team carries out electrical, mechanical and minor general maintenance work on all of the lighthouses within its area, and this includes some lighthouses offshore and further afield.

Last year Jack was part of a team that spent three weeks modernising the lighthouse on Sark, in the Channel Islands – a posting which meant staying in the lighthouse keepers’ accommodation.

“Our schedule includes two planned visits a year to each lighthouse, for technical inspections, testing, reporting any issues, etc., following up with a corrective maintenance trip to remedy any faults,” says Jack. “When we do a modernisation project, we strip out the old technology and install the new system. Some of the lighthouses are still using older technology – all are being upgraded and modernised.”

Jack is often away for the whole working week, returning home for weekends. Alongside the day-to-day work, he is studying for an HNC in electronic engineering – distance learning is the solution to fit around the travelling, and a course assessor comes to see him at regular intervals.

Jack’s apprenticeship will finish in August 2018 and he is hopeful that a permanent post will be available for him after that. “I like what I do – everywhere you go, I have a different view. And an obvious selling point is that I often travel around in helicopters and boats!”

As for the long term, he says: “I have big respect for the shipping industry and all the obstacles it overcomes, and I enjoy being by the sea – I think I will stay in the maritime industry.

“Going through this apprenticeship has been so beneficial for me. Trinity House is a great company and has met all my training needs. Every individual has their own path – but for me, as a hands-on person, an apprenticeship was definitely the way forward. If there are others thinking of this route – it is a great route to take!”

• In its capacity as General Lighthouse Authority, Trinity House employs a variety of apprentices, including in the buoy yards, stores and IT as well as lighthouse technicians. In its role as a maritime charity, Trinity House also sponsors 30 new cadets every year as part of its Merchant Navy Scholarship Scheme.