From Coleg Menai to unlocking the secrets of the universe
Peter Jenkins is starting an engineering apprenticeship at Daresbury Laboratory, globally renowned for its research into accelerator science
Budding engineer Peter Jenkins will be helping scientists unlock the secrets of the universe as he begins an apprenticeship with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
The 19-year-old from Holyhead is set to work as an engineer in STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, which is globally renowned for its research into accelerator science - one of the 21st century’s most exciting frontiers.
Peter has just completed the first year of his Level 3 Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Coleg Menai’s Llangefni campus.
As part of his course, he worked on the white-knuckle ride Oblivion at Alton Towers, and qualified for the WorldSkills UK national finals in Industrial Robotics. Peter also won the Engineering prize at the college’s annual Achievers’ Awards.
He will now spend a year studying with STFC, before getting to work creating parts for particle accelerator laboratories across the world.
Peter said: “The first year is purely college work, then I’ll be moving onto mechatronics which is a mix between mechanical and electronic engineering.
“Once I’m on the job in Daresbury Laboratory I will be working with CNC machines, machining parts for different facilities around the world, such as CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research), DUNE (The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) and FermiLab (the USA’s particle physics laboratory).
“I’ll also be helping to design these parts to make them more efficient. I’ll be gaining lots of experience in assembling and testing different parts, and may even be helping to install them.”
Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire houses teams of scientists from STFC and various universities carrying out research in accelerator science.
Accelerator science involves particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. These devices speed up the particles that make up all matter in the universe and collide them together or into a target, allowing scientists to study those particles and the forces that shape them.
The discipline has secured a key niche in fields such as the fight against cancer, the search for cleaner, greener energy and our understanding of the universe.
An exciting career beckons for Peter, who found his path after changing direction to enrol at Coleg Menai.
“I tried sixth form for two years but it wasn’t for me,” said Peter. “I thought I was over the age range for college but everyone’s been really supportive, it’s been amazing.
“Everyone’s been really welcoming and wanted to push me as much as they can. It’s been the same for everyone, they really want everyone to do their best.”
One of the highlights of the course for Peter was his work placement at Alton Towers, which reaffirmed his ambition to work in engineering.
He said: “I shadowed the engineers on various rides, helping them with engineering maintenance and helping to repair ride vehicles and do safety checks. I was mainly working on Oblivion, and I helped with Skyride too.
“It feels like a lot of pressure when people have been queuing for hours for rides! But it was very interesting - it really helped me figure out that engineering is what I want to do.”
Peter excelled in skills competitions during his time at college, along with his course-mate Sion Elias.
They won silver in Industrial Robotics in Skills Competition Wales in February, before going one better in the WorldSkillsUK regional qualifiers, winning their heat to qualify for November’s national finals.
In Skills Competition Wales, Peter and Sion had to use a robotic arm to safely move industrial waste barrels from one pallet to the next, and dispatch onto a truck without any human interaction.
In the WorldSkills UK qualifier, they were tasked with moving a cylinder from one pallet to another and then through a maze, without touching the sides of the maze. They were the only competitors in their heat who managed to complete the demanding and intricate task.
Peter said: “It helped me with working under pressure. There are lots of people watching you but you can’t ask them any questions, and that helped me figure out that working under pressure, you don’t have to do anything different, you don’t have to change anything.”
Do you want to work in the innovative world of engineering? North Wales needs engineers to fill a wide range of exciting and well-paid jobs. To learn more about Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s courses, click here.