This week Colleges Scotland is celebrating Scottish Apprenticeship Week - there’s more details on all the activity taking place on the SDS Apprenticeships website.  We are highlighting the achievements of college apprentices such as Zak Reid, North East Scotland College: 

Name: Zak Reid
Age: 25

Course: Modern Apprenticeship Mechanical/Electrical - EAL Diploma in Engineering at SCQF Level 7 / HNC Electrical Engineering / Performing Engineering Operations - Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

What stage you are at on your course? 
Completed December 2025
 
What made you want to start an apprenticeship?
I wanted to change my career path and what better way than to do that while earning. 
 
What has the experience been like for you? Has there been anything that has surprised you? What has been the high point, or a highlight, or an experience you’ve had that you’ve enjoyed?
The best part of the apprenticeship was getting offshore and on to the turbine. It was applying the learning and practical skills the college gave us on the real thing. 

I remember going to a HV transformer fault on the turbine with a specialist. He started talking about transformer designs, configuring his test instruments and myself thinking… I know what he’s talking about, we’d learned all that in the HND electrical units. 
 
Are there some key skills that you could tell us about that you have learned?
During the apprenticeship I’ve went to a lot of different wind farms across the UK that Vestas operates. Going to these places and meeting new people constantly, people who knew exactly what the job was and how to do it - I got really good at listening and communicating. The best skill I learned was to stop and listen, there’s a wealth of knowledge on the job site and people are happy to help if you ask for it. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years time, and how will the apprenticeship experience have helped you get there?
In the future I hope to be an experienced authorized technician who can lead a team and work efficiently. The first step to that goal is building foundational knowledge only gained on a hands-on and motivating apprenticeship scheme.