Apprenticeship Spotlight: Darcy at SILTEQ
At S&A Academy, we’re proud to showcase the real stories behind our apprenticeships—highlighting the journeys, challenges, and successes of learners across the UK. Meet Darcy, an apprentice based at SILTEQ, who swapped university life for a more hands-on career path. Through determination, mentorship, and a willingness to learn from mistakes, Darcy is proving that apprenticeships can be a powerful launchpad into a meaningful and skilled career.
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
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I spent a year in university studying biomedical science, whilst studying I realised that path was not for me as I enjoy learning whilst working. I wanted to do an apprenticeship over a full-time job as I’m always eager to gain new knowledge. By choosing this route I get to gain the knowledge I would be receiving in university whilst learning new skills and working at the same time.
What has been the most impactful part of your apprenticeship?
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Whilst working at Silteq I’ve had my mentor Jack guiding me and helping me learn the skills to carry out my role. He has helped me become confident in this industry and want to improve to further my career. He has made sure that I fully understand every project I receive and what I need to do to complete it.
Can you describe a project or task that helped you develop new skills?
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I work on new developments for the company; by working in this area, it has helped me to understand all the raw materials and know why each material is used in each formula. I also get to create the products at small scales and then test the properties of them. This has helped me develop these skills of making the products and to see the specifications the product needs to be to work for the customers.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it?
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With working in developments, I have had to overcome the disappointment of not all my projects passing the customers specifications first time. This means I must start the process again to make sure our customers products are to the standards they want and sometimes it failing multiple times before getting to product right.
What has been the most rewarding part of your apprenticeship so far?
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The most rewarding part of my apprenticeship was when I completed my first colour match for one of our customers and it then going through to the large-scale production and passing all the tests. This made me proud knowing it had been sent off to one of customers and being used by them.
What do you wish you knew before starting your apprenticeship?
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You will make mistakes along the way but as long as you know what went wrong you can always improve.
How has your apprenticeship prepared you for the future?
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My apprenticeship has made me want to progress further in this industry and become the best I can in my field of work.
What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship?
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Don’t be afraid to ask for help or tell someone you don’t understand. If you don’t ask you will never know, and this may be dangerous if you’re using a piece of equipment or it maybe a key piece of knowledge you need.
