Apprentice Draughtsman Review
at Lionweld Kennedy Group
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Civil Engineering, Engineering, Product Design
Middlesbrough
Review Submitted: May 2026
Overall Rating
3.8 /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
3.6/5
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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
my day to day job is to use AutoCAD and design flooring and handrails for various platforms and structures. we typically design steel grating and handrail along with treads among other products. we will check all this work including all the work that is passed over from our sales team which we also need to check. once we have a completed design that is suitable I will create a fabrication package including cutting sheets and production orders that can be issued down to our fabrication team. with some jobs additional work will be required such as CNC profiling for some of our machines or hand made cutting sheets and rolling sheets for specific jobs.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I thoroughly enjoy the drawing and design aspect of the job as this can come with various issues that I need to be weary of such as clash detection and loading forces and limitations. I lean a great deal while on my day release on a civils engineering course and enjoy learning from more experiences draughtsman at my work and hearing about their experiences.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have further improved my English and mathematics in the workplace through email and calls as well as the calculations of loadings. I have vastly improved my CAD design skills in a 2d aspect which I hope to advanced into more intergrade 3d designing skills in time. I have also improved my technical knowledge of the steel products and similar designed product that would be needed on sites.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
I have been given various training and have been given time to learn my job role and grow into it. I was given a week in each different department to learn about their jobs and the job roles and processes within the company. this lasted around 10 weeks . during this time I gained an appreciation of the job roles and the work they do and how it incorporates into my job and how my job can effect them. while training was mostly focused in the initial stages of my apprenticeship I still get training courses every few month teaching me something new or reinforcing knowledge previously learnt.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
while at the start of my apprenticeship I received a lot of help and support however as time progressed on this would be reduced bit by bit till I became self sufficient and can do job on my own and check my own work. while I now work mostly independently with my own jobs I can still ask for help or advice on these jobs from the more experienced draughtmen I work with who are always happy to help and give me their advice.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
There was often someone around within the company who I could ask for help or advice from when i was struggling with my qualification. when this would occur and I spoke to someone they would never just give me the answer straight away. they would explain the process and why i needed to do different things and in certain ways making sure I understood what I was struggling with and would work with me to find the solution
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
My qualification gives me a deeper understanding of what we supply and make and the processes used to make them. this also helps me understand the laws, regulations and standards that need to be met and why these all matter.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
there is occasional networking events or company business events that we can be apart off but often has limitations to how many people can go which we would do a raffle or other form of selection process for the people who wanted to go to make sure that it was fair. these are often months apart and there are occasional work events or gatherings which teams would create to help raise moral among other things.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Lionweld Kennedy Group to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Lionweld Kennedy is a great place to start in design and engineering as this is the start of the process and we go from the idea of the design all the way to fabrication and installation. it operates to simple to understand systems and the workers are friendly and willing to help when asked. it helps grow your understanding from no understanding or experience in CAD Design and steel fabrication to a good understanding.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Lionweld Kennedy Group?
When applying form a job role make sure you are prepared to work. come in with a positive attitude and a open minded to work experience. Do not look down on other workers just because of there job roles as we are all equal regardless of there position in the company.
