What the work looks like
When a pump fails at a water treatment works or a motor burns out halfway through a production run, someone has to get it going again, often overnight. More often than not, that someone works for an AEMT member.
Our members repair, rewind and overhaul the motors, pumps, gearboxes, fans and drives that industry runs on. One week you might be stripping down a 200 kilowatt motor; the next you could be rewinding a coil, or fitting new bearings to a gearbox before it goes back to site.
Many members also send engineers out to customers to keep equipment running before it breaks, using vibration analysis, thermal imaging and condition monitoring. That reliability work is a growing part of the trade, and it suits anyone who enjoys finding the fault as much as fixing it.
An apprenticeship is one of the best ways in. You are paid from day one, you learn from people with decades at the bench, and you finish with a nationally recognised qualification.
On this page: watch the career videos | pick an apprenticeship | find a company near you | training and resources
Hear it from people in the trade
We made six short videos with Unifrog, the careers platform used by schools and colleges across the UK. Engineers working in the industry today explain what they do and how they got there.
Training alongside your apprenticeship
AEMT Training Academy
Online courses on electric motors and rewinding, and hands-on hazardous area (Ex) repair training. Most apprentices take them through their employer.
Good places to start
- AEMT's Guide to Electric Motors: an interactive online course on identifying, repairing, rewinding and testing motors
- An Introduction to Rewinding Electric Motors: an experienced winder takes you through a rewind step by step
- Hazardous Area (Ex) Repair Course: three days on repairing equipment used in potentially explosive atmospheres, open to newcomers