Thales employee wins big at Northern Ireland Apprentice of the Year Awards

Thales in the UK are proud that Andrew Smyth, Manufacturing Apprentice at our Northern Ireland site in Belfast, has won the the Apprentice Award at the Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards 2024 (NIAA).  Andrew was nominated by South Eastern Regional College (SERC) and this is the first time an apprentice has been nominated and won the NIAA.

Andrew is currently studying at SERC is in his final year of a Level 3 Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering apprenticeship and is on track to complete his studies with a Distinction.

A showcase of innovation and commitment

During the past two and a half years, Andrew has made significant impacts in the teams he has worked with, bringing a positive outlook to the workforce and improving the workflow and productivity of areas. One example of this is his creation of standardised tooling excel sheets which calculate pricing and use cases for tools, creating a Lean working environment. As an apprentice representative in the Early Careers Committee at Thales in the UK, Andrew has been a fundamental member of the Early Careers Team in Northern Ireland. He has been a guide and mentor for those who have joined the Thales Skills Academy in 2023.

Andrew has brought initiative and new thinking to the teams he has worked with across his rotations during the scheme. He is a highly valued team member with a hard work ethic and bright future here at Thales.

^{Geraldine Irwin, Skills Academy Manager for Thales in Northern Ireland}

Reaching new heights with Thales Alenia Space

Andrew joined Thales in 2021 and carried out his Level 2 Manufacturing qualifications before progressing to the Level 3 and specialising in the electrical field. He is the first apprentice in Belfast that has been given the opportunity to work with Thales Alenia Space (TAS), where he has been able to develop his knowledge and skillset in electrical assembly. For the final year of his apprenticeship, Andrew has been given the opportunity to challenge his skills and expand his experience working in the Manufacturing Engineering department for TAS projects. With his passion for mechanics, cars and computers, Andrew has gone from building Lego to working on looms - it is no surprise that he has excelled during his time at Thales, but a career in engineering was not always the plan that Andrew had in mind.

Career path journey

After leaving school, Andrew took up an accounting apprenticeship, before moving on to study at Queens University Belfast. Through the impact of Covid, he began to work in a care home where he was unsure what his next career step may be. Andrew was recommended an apprenticeship at Thales by a friend, and he decided to apply and was successful in getting the role.

Benefits of a Thales in the UK apprenticeship programme

Apprentices at Thales get essential on the job experience, whilst undergoing fully funded qualifications. The scheme allows for apprentices to explore different areas of Thales, before specialising in their chosen field and progressing along their career path.

I am thrilled I was nominated and won the Apprentice Award! It’s not something I expected to come my way at all, I just like to push myself to make sure I’m always improving and building on my skills.

^{Andrew Smyth,  Manufacturing Apprentice}

About the Northern Ireland Apprenticeship awards (NIAA)

The NIAA recognise apprentices who are making a significant contribution in their workplace and have shown a dedication to excel in their professional development and learning. The awards run annually and celebrate the successes of apprenticeships within Northern Ireland across a wide range of categories such as; Apprentice of the Year, Public Sector Apprentice award, Mentor award and Diversity and Inclusion award. Their aim is to showcase what apprenticeships have to offer and the abundance of career opportunities that can come from them.

To find out more about careers and apprenticeships at Thales, visit our careers page.