Interview with an Apprentice: Aimee Cooke, Diodes Incorporated
Guest Writer
Aimee Cooke
Apprentice Maintenance Technician
Diodes Semiconductor GB Limited
My name is Aimee Cooke, I am 20 years old and I am an Apprentice Maintenance Technician at Diodes Semiconductor GB Limited. I am from Greenock, which luckily for me as this is where the factory is located. I began my apprenticeship training when I was 18, which contained both theoretical and practical aspects. My role within the factory is to help maintain the tools which are used in our wafer production system. This involves both giving the tools regular ‘check ups’ and resolving any problems which are found.
1. What made you take the route of an Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship has always appealed to me as it gives me the opportunity to gain relevant work experience whilst receiving qualifications. Also, apprenticeships give young people the chance to earn money whilst developing their skills within the workplace.
2. What’s the best part of being an Apprentice?
Being an apprentice, you get to work with qualified engineers at Diodes who can help and give advice whenever it is needed. Everyone has so much experience and knowledge that they are able to pass on to you whilst at work.
3. What’s your biggest feeling of achievement so far in your Apprenticeship?
My biggest feeling of achievement was when I was able to complete a job on my own. This felt like a big thing to me as not only did it show how far I had come from when I started, but it also gave me the feeling of independence within the workplace.
4. How do you feel COVID-19 has affected your Apprenticeship?
At the beginning of lockdown, I was in the middle of completing my final weeks of my NC qualification. This meant that the rest of my coursework and assessments had to be completed at home, which at times could be a struggle. However, I got through it with encouragement from Diodes.
5. What do you feel have been the challenges in your Apprenticeship?
The biggest challenge I’ve faced so far was completing my NC from home. Before starting my apprenticeship, I had no experience with physics. This meant completing coursework at home was much harder than in the classroom, as getting a response to a question or an explanation could take a long time.
6. Do you have any advice for young people considering an Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is such a great opportunity for anyone who is considering applying, but you must be willing to put in the work to ensure that you get as much out of your training as you possibly can.
Diodes Apprentices outside their Greenock factory
Diodes Semiconductor GB Limited is part of Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq: DIOD), a publicly traded global semiconductor company. Due to the nature of their work for producing high quality semiconductors, member company Diodes regularly risk assesses the various tasks performed within the company, so when the factory closed initially because of Coronavirus, they were able to get back into production after a fairly short period of time and have continued to recruit fresh talent into the business throughout the pandemic.
Diodes is passionate about investing in staff and through their Modern Apprenticeship Programme, with the help of Skills Development Scotland, they have gained access to plenty of home-grown talent. The company has taken on a new batch of Modern Apprentices and graduates, as well as welcoming back their second-year Modern Apprentices. This new wave of recruitment helps Diodes continue to accelerate business growth and also provides a welcome boost to local employment. For more information about Diodes, please click here,
Interested in a Diodes apprenticeship? Contact them at nextgeneration@Eu.diodes.com
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