Foxboro were (site now closed) instrumentation manufacturers, their products being used to measure, analyse, indicate, record and control such process variables as flow, temperature, pressure, level and composition. Products range from instruments that sense and transmit these variables to computer - based systems that control entire plants. Industries served were the chemical, oil & gas, power, pulp & paper, food, metals, minerals, marine and textile.

September 1986 - March 1989, Technician Engineer, Recognised Apprenticeship

Starting with an Engineering Industry Training Board approved training scheme and continuing with a structured programme of periods in most departments from the shop floor to computing, sales and accounting.

• Active member of the company computer club, learned to program in 'Basic' and 'Pascal'.

Why an Apprenticeship?

Although 'A' levels were an option, I decided that an apprenticeship with a manufacturing company together with study on a day release basis for ONC & HNC would give me a better background in how a company operates as I visited most departments during this period.

Impending site closure forced me to move to Binnie & Partners, Consulting Engineers as a Design Draughtsman, both CAD and manual.

In this country they were mainly involved in new and refurbishment design work for the water companies in areas of water distribution and sewage treatment. ( An Example is the Ely-Ouse - Essex transfer scheme, see below)

March 1989 - August 1990, Design Draughtsman, Computer CAD and Manual.

• Gained experience of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation & control, piping layouts and structural drawings in accordance with company standards and procedures.
• First interest and experience of computer networking.
• On nearing completion of my HNC I decided to go on and study for a degree in mechanical engineering, being sponsored by Binnie & Partners.

July 1991 - Sept 1991 & July 1992 - Sept 1992, Vacation Work as a Design Engineer.

University Sponsorship Deal, as well as obtaining a upper second degree, I was also involved in vacation work as a Design Engineer with Binnie & Partners.

• During the first period I gained experience of site visits to in association with the Ely-Ouse/Essex transfer scheme to establish existing mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation & control installations, so that refurbishment design could proceed.
• During the second period my duties included the design and supply of sketch drawings to be done by CAD or manual draughtsman.