Fraser engineers his own career story

Fraser Bruce, Scotland’s Apprentice of the Year, is the latest guest on the Career Stories podcast.

Coinciding with the opening of the nomination process for the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards, Fraser talks about his experience of the awards process as well as his career journey so far.

Now a qualified electronics project engineer at JFD Ltd, Fraser tells Joe how he developed his knowledge through a Modern Apprenticeship before going on to achieve a degree with a Graduate Apprenticeship.

He explains how he himself pitched for his employers to consider the merits of Graduate Apprenticeships and how in turn he repaid their faith in his talents.

Read more about how Fraser won both Graduate Apprentice of the Year and ultimately, Scotland’s Apprentice of the Year.

Fraser talks about his interests at school; the subjects he enjoyed most and the ones he knew weren’t his strongest. It was while in school, he explains, that he learned about apprenticeships and began considering the benefits of work-based learning. As some friends headed off to university, he took the opportunity to start earning money while developing core workplace skills and networks. Skills that would later come in handy in the face of adversity and proactively creating new opportunities for himself.

At only 29, Fraser has plenty of ambition and is currently continuing his professional development with JFD Ltd with an eye on more senior roles. He is also enjoying a (slightly) less busy post-apprenticeship schedule. He tells Joe about unwinding with his dog on long walks or taking whatever spare time he has to indulge in some gaming.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Fraser’s passion for engineering and work-based learning.