National Apprenticeship Week, RNAS Culdrose air technicians

Leading air technician Dan Clarke, 23 and apprentice trainee air engineering technician Calum Elis have both undertaken apprenticeship courses at Culdrose in Helston.

LEAT Clarke has completed an apprenticeship which involved learning how to fix and supervise maintenance of the navy’s Merlin MK2 helicopter fleet.

LAET Dan Clarke has now completed his apprenticeship course (Image: RNAS Culdrose Facebook)

After completing his A-Levels, LAET Clarke joined the Royal Navy in February 2019, going through HMS Raleigh before learning his trade in the Fleet Air Arm at RNAS Culdrose. He said: “I have family in the MOD - my uncle was an air engineering technician too, so it’s something I have always wanted to do.

“I didn’t fancy a normal office job or going to university. I just wanted to work, and I do apply myself much more in the Navy than I ever did at school.”

With future goals in mind, LAET Clarke’s ambition is to gain an engineering degree.

Fellow apprentice trainee air engineering technician Calum Elis joined the Navy last year, straight from school in Aberdeen. Calum spent ten weeks at HMS Raleigh followed by six months at HMS Sultan in Gosport, learning the basics of engineering.

Apprentice trainee air engineering technician Calum Elis (Image: RNAS Culdrose Facebook)

 However, now he’s at RNAS Culdrose, he is learning all about the Merlin MK2 helicopter with 824 Naval Air Squadron. He said: “Raleigh is ‘sit down and do what you’re told’, here things are a lot more relaxed, and you get more freedom and responsibility.

“You don’t really notice that you’re away from home so much.”

As a trainee, AET Ellis is supervised as he completes the various elements of his training task book. He also added that he was looking forward to joining a newly planned skate club and was keen to get ahead in the navy – not least his first deployment to sea.