The road to De Soutter

Knowing what you want to be when you grow up is one thing, making it happen is quite another – especially when there are so many paths to consider. The good news? There’s no ‘right way’ to get to your dream career.

With National Careers Week (3rd-8th March) just around the corner, we caught up with Tom Hindley – a motorsport engineer student turned De Soutter Medical mechanical apprentice – to prove that success doesn’t always follow a straight line. So, let’s get into it…

Why did you choose to complete an apprenticeship?

After leaving school, I struggled to secure a full-time position due to my limited work experience, which led me to explore apprenticeships as an opportunity to earn while learning, and gain hands-on training and experience in manufacturing.

Sounds like you made the right choice… How did you find the experience?

De Soutter has always had my best interests at heart and has invested significant time and resources into my training and development. My college day-release experience was also very helpful as my tutor recognised my eagerness to learn and progressed my studies. As a result, I was able to complete my apprenticeship early once all the achievement criteria was met.

Would you say the apprenticeship benefited you?

Definitely. The opportunity to work in several departments throughout the company allowed me to really get a feel for what I wanted to do and where I excelled. I spent time in a variety of areas, including design, quality, goods in, despatch, clean room, assembly, and, finally, repairs – where I have been for over a decade.

Woah! Can you tell us a bit more about this journey?

After my apprenticeship, I progressed to an assembly technician position and was then given the opportunity to transfer to the service department, where I’ve worked my way up over the years from Repair Technician to Deputy Supervisor, then to Supervisor, and now to Assembly 1 Manager. In this role, I oversee an assembly hall and the entire repair department, not only in the UK but also at our overseas service centres in Germany and the USA.

What is your favourite thing about your current role?

My favourite part of my role is the challenges and problem-solving requirements that come with managing different departments, as well as the rewarding accomplishment that serving the medical industry brings.

Want to learn more about careers at De Soutter? From engineering and finance to marketing and sales, the team will be on hand to answer all your burning questions about the varied opportunities in manufacturing at our annual careers fair, Bucks Skills Show, on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th March 2025. Bag your free tickets here