An increasingly popular study option, apprenticeships are a great way to gain hands-on experience while studying towards an industry-recognised qualification and earning a wage. They're available across a range of sectors, from accounting, business and law, to construction, engineering and transport. To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2026, we caught up with Old Viking Wallace Fisher (22E), who has just completed a three-year apprenticeship with Hudson Boat Works.

Tell us more about the apprenticeship programme that you have completed?

Starting with Hudson Boat Works in September 2022, I began my apprenticeship. I would work 4 days a week and went to college once a week. My college course was a Level 3 in Mechanical Engineering which I took at a Reading College and was for two years of my three year apprenticeship. The Level 3 provided me further knowledge which was applicable to my working day and covered a range of topics, from health and safety to mechanical principles and composites. I am the first apprentice to complete the qualification via Hudson Boat Works which I completed with Distinction in December 2025.

What made you want to apply for an apprenticeship and the Hudson Boat Works one in particular?
I knew university wasn’t for me and I was ready to begin earning money for myself. During my time at Shiplake, apprenticeships weren’t too common and there was limited information provided. I found myself slightly unsure of what I would do after my A-levels and BTECs. My tutor at the time, Mr Heaney, really supported me in searching the apprenticeship website and entering my different interests so we came across the position at Hudson Boat Works. At that time I was heavily involved with rowing specifically coxing the 1st 8 so naturally when a job in the industry came up it peaked my interest and I applied. 

What Sixth Form subjects did you study and how did they prepare you for your apprenticeship? What was the application process like?
Initially, the application process consisted of providing my CV. At the time, I had completed my A-Levels/BTECs in Art, Sport and Business and my role as Captain of Boats at Shiplake, along with my knowledge of rowing, helped. I also had lots of work experience - from working at a local boat rental business, to assisting at the Shiplake College rowing camps for several summers, all of which aided my application.  After submitting my CV, I received a call requesting a pre-selection interview with the Engineering Trust Agency who support Hudson Boat Works with the apprenticeship scheme. Following this, they booked me my official interview for the job at the workshop at Hudson's Reading offices. After accepting the apprenticeship I was then enrolled into the program. I actually started a few introduction sessions at Hudson in the June of my last term of school before starting officially in the September of 2022.
 

Was there anything else that you did at school that helped with your application and also on the apprenticeship itself?

Being involved in the 1st 8 boat - all the training, regattas and events planning and preparation - definitely helped me as Hudson make, fix and spray elite level rowing boats, so I knew the product ahead of the interview process. I had also been selected to support the summer rowing camps at the College as coach so I had good references as the coaches could see my hard work and desire to earn my own money.

How do you feel you compare to your peers who are at university completing their degrees?

I am relieved not to have upwards of 40k student debt hanging over me. I also don't have the worry of competing for the graduate entry schemes which I can see them all now either going through or having gone through whilst in their final years. I am also already in the process of buying my first property. Without three years of work behind me, I wouldn't have been able to do this. I have also worked part time at Wallingford Rowing Club as assistant rowing coach for the last two years (originally alongside ex Shiplake teacher Keith Settle) to supplement my income.

What are the benefits of learning whilst you are working?

To start with I found going back to college challenging as the tutors were constantly changing and the course structure was nowhere near as organised as a day at Shiplake College. However, looking back I can see that it gave me the opportunity to mix with some people that were my age, which, as the work environment was quite quiet at times, gave me some social life! It was also good to have one day that was less manual work and chance to sit back at a desk! I had a challenge as the apprenticeship course mentors changed a lot during the three years and but the last and now my current mentor has now become a really valuable mentor to me. I don't think I would have had this benefit if I had been at uni taking a degree course.

What advice would you give a pupil who is considering applying for an apprenticeship?

I would advise the current year 13s to look beyond the usual routes. It is hard to step away from what everyone else seems to be doing, but if you forge your own path you can be a stronger person. It can be hard when you feel that your school friends are 'moving on' but apprenticeships open new doors, new friendships, and new opportunities as well. I'm grateful not to be one of 1000s of graduates that have had to look for jobs in the last 12 months and I am grateful that Hudson gave me this opportunity. I would also say to look beyond just degree apprenticeships as these are in quite a narrow field of subjects but there are also apprenticeships in many more fields such as agriculture, catering, marketing etc.

Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years' time?

In the short term, having just completed my apprenticeship I will continue to be building on my skills at Hudson, looking forward to a summer of regattas, where we exhibit and support our crews, probably driving hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of Hudson's boats to the international competitions in Europe - I drove to Poland and Lithuania World Cup regattas last summer!  Further down the line I'm not too sure but hopefully still involved with the sport of rowing, whether that's fixing boats, steering boats or coaching others in boats! I'll probably be found in a fast boat of my own too as I love watersports and speed boats, or on a tractor with my own dog!

A big thank you to Wallace for taking the time to tell us all about his experience of his apprenticeship. If you would like to find our more about apprenticeships you can access The Apprenticeship Starter Guide here.