From Apprentice to Team Leader: John’s Journey at Grenville
A strong apprenticeship scheme is best judged by the people it develops. At Grenville Engineering, many of our most experienced team members began their careers as apprentices. One of them is John Curwen, now a Team Leader on the shopfloor.
John joined Grenville 22 years ago as an apprentice and quickly became immersed in hands-on manufacturing. His early work involved operating the guillotine, Strippit punch, Geka punch, and notching machines, producing components such as blades for cement mixers. Thousands of them! These early repetitive tasks laid the foundation for accuracy, consistency, and an understanding of high-volume production.
As his apprenticeship progressed, John gained experience across the press shop, machine shop, and fabrication before returning to the press shop, where his skills continued to develop. Over time, his responsibilities increased significantly, moving from learning core processes to fabricating bespoke metal products, becoming the press shop cell leader, and now running one of the largest customer accounts on the shop floor.
John attributes much of his progression to working alongside experienced mentors and gaining exposure to multiple areas of the business. Learning from colleagues such as Daz and developing an understanding of how each process links together helped him build the knowledge required to take on leadership responsibility.
Today, John’s role involves overseeing production schedules, checking parts logged against account requirements, following jobs through the shop floor, maintaining quality standards, and ensuring on-time deliveries. His position requires both technical expertise and the ability to support and guide others.
Supporting apprentices is also a key part of John’s role. He understands that stepping straight from school into a manufacturing environment can feel daunting, and he emphasises helping apprentices adapt to the shop floor as well as developing their technical skills.
Beyond production, John also organises the company football matches. He believes activities like this play an important role in building morale, strengthening teamwork, and bringing everyone together from apprentices through to directors. It helps create a more connected workplace and makes the business feel approachable at every level.
When asked for advice to anyone considering an engineering apprenticeship, John is clear.
“Listen, do your research, understand what the role involves, and bring a strong work ethic with a genuine willingness to learn.”
John’s journey reflects the wider apprenticeship culture at Grenville. By developing skills internally and supporting people as they grow, the business continues to build a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of modern metal fabrication.
To learn more about how apprenticeships fit into Grenville’s wider approach to developing talent, click here to read our overview of the apprenticeship scheme.