Work Experience For Local Student
28/09/2022
RP Supports Talented Young Student
Following our recent newsletter, in which we profiled our new apprentice toolmaker, Ellyott Meakin, we have, this week, also had the pleasure of having a work experience student with us here at RP Technologies.
Adrian Fok, 18, has been spending time with our production team, where he has been learning about aluminium tooling and plastic injection moulding.
Adrian, from Bromsgrove, has grand ambitions in life. When asked what he wanted to do in his future career, Adrian simply replied, after a slight pause, “Err… I guess I’ll just probably either build or invent rocket engines.”
While this may seem like a far-fetched dream for some, for Adrian this is a distinct possibility. Adrian has received excellent reviews from the management team here at RP, who have been quick to praise him for his intelligence, his inquisitiveness, and his willingness to learn.
“I just like to learn new things,” Adrian said. “I like to learn how things are made. If I don’t know how things are made, how can I possibly be an inventor, or come up with new ideas?”
The first real step for Adrian on his long journey towards achieving such lofty goals will be taken very soon, when he begins a four year course in Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London.
But Adrian isn’t getting carried away just yet. When asked about his future, he said: “I don’t know yet whether I will work for an employer, or just for myself, inventing things. It’s too far away at the moment. I haven’t decided. All I know is that I want to continue to learn new things for now.”
And learning new things is something we’ve been helping Adrian with. We have given him full access to each facet of our operations. He has divided his time between production management, our toolmaking team, and some of our specialist engineers. And he still has a lot left to do before the week is out. “I’ll be learning about spark erosion later in the week, which I’m particularly looking forward to, and I’ll also be observing some plastic injection moulding work.”
“I’ve learned many things I didn’t know, including how to programme CNC machines. I’ve also spent several enjoyable hours with the CAD designers, learning how they approach each unique project.”
Russell Hopkins, Production Manager, was quick to pay tribute to Adrian’s efforts: “We’ve very much enjoyed having Adrian with us this week. He has been eager to learn and is clearly very intelligent. It has been a pleasure to field his many questions, and we wish him the very best in his studies. If he does one day invent a rocket that goes to the moon, we hope he will remember his time with us!”
For Adrian, the week has been a very positive experience, one which will supplement his studies and give him an appreciation of the practical working environment. “I have really enjoyed my week,” said Adrian. “The people at RP have been extremely nice, and I have learned many new things.”
Talented and enthusiastic young people like Adrian and Ellyott represent the future of our industry, and RP is committed to ensuring that we do all we can to support and foster their learning.
All the best with your university studies, Adrian! We’ve enjoyed your company, and everyone at RP would like to wish you good luck in your future career.
