CNC Machinist Review
at Ercol
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Manufacturing
Princes Risborough
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
4 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
i am a cnc machinist and with the apprenticeship criteria i needed to cover i have had loads on training on various machines in the factory which has given me loads of different skills. On a day to day i run the lathe and set it up and if there are any urgent jobs i will complete them.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
The program is good i have an assessor who is willing to help and show me what needs to be done, and the head of the apprentices will always make sure i am keeping up with the course work and makes sure i have all of the things i need.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt a load of new skills. I am able to problem solve on my own with all of the knowledge i have learnt. I am able to program the intorex sander and read and understand the drawing we have and use to complete jobs.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Some people have the right idea on what needs to happen and the assessors do as well. However sometimes on the shop floor they are hesitant to move you around and get the experience you need and to complete the criteria and course. It is good tho as they allow you a day upstairs a week as you are required to complete some of the course work.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
i receive good support from the people around me and even the other apprentices we all help eachother with the things that need to be completed and it is a good environment.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
A lot of support the engineer trust and my assessor are very helpful and will do anything the can to help me out.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
They are willing to get me moved about and help me with the experience i need to do everything i can and it allows me to have better knowledge of other machine which then means i am flexible and can run and set many different machines in the factory.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
Yes we do have some social events as a company and i have had the chance to go to the bucks skill show twice since being here. I spoke to a load of different people there and was able to get to see how other companies work and what they do. We also have a thing called state of the nation roughly every 6 months.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Ercol to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It is a good environment here and the people are kind. You can pick up god skills here and there are many new things you can learn. i feel like you can always learn something here as there is so much here and no job is the same and everything is different.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Ercol?
Make sure your willing to work and show to them you want to learn as the company has a high working age they want new and younger people to come in and learn the skill and keep the company going and do well.
