ZX Lidars Service Engineer recognised at prestigious Apprenticeship awards ceremony.
Martin Pugh, Service Engineer at ZX Lidars awarded Engineering Technician of the Year by The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Group Training Association (HWGTA). Following a four-year apprenticeship, Martin’s determination and unwavering commitment to his new career was described as exemplary having achieved distinction in all academic modules, without exception.
Ian Merry, Production & Product Support Manager at ZX Lidars commented: “This award was thoroughly well deserved and recognises how hard Martin has worked to achieve a first-class apprenticeship result. It has been a real pleasure to see Martin grow and develop in confidence over the years and know that he will continue to be inquisitive and deliver outstanding performance in work too.”
After 13 years spent working in retail prior to commencing his apprenticeship, Martin took time to assess his next career move. Martin said, “I knew I didn’t want to work in the retail industry again which meant retraining completely. I knew an apprenticeship would be ideal because I wasn’t expected to have prior technical knowledge and skills, but instead I would be taught these in a nurturing and professional setting, whilst also earning a stable income.
I enlisted with the HWTGA and was selected for an interview with ZX Lidars as part of the apprenticeship program. At the time, I didn’t know what a Lidar was (or ‘leedar’ as I pronounced it back then!).”
Martin joined the ZX Family in September 2019, initially working in the company’s Production Centre assembling onshore ZX 300 and offshore ZX 300M wind Lidars. Providing a sound knowledge base, Martin then moved onto commissioning the Lidars and performing the post assembly verification testing that helps to ensure repeatability across the growing fleet of wind measurement sensors that are commonplace in the wind energy industry. Presently, Martin works full time in Production Support where his role as Service Engineer sees him supporting customers with their fleets of operational Lidars.
Martin added: “I really enjoy being part of the ZX Family. I find the company and our products so interesting. I enjoy that there are so many different technical aspects, from optics and software to electronical engineering and mechanics. This provides a great opportunity to learn skills across a broad range of areas. It is also great to work in a company that is supporting a sustainable future for our planet.
I would like to extend my thanks to the staff at HWGTA for securing my apprenticeship with ZX Lidas and the team in ZX Operations who have taken the time to share the knowledge and skills with me. I would like to extend a special thank you to Ian Merry and Mark Tristam who have believed in me and supported my professional development during the past four years.”
Martin concludes, “I am excited for my future with the team at ZX Lidars, I hope to continue learning as much as I have in the last four years and continue to contribute to the business success.”
Ian Locker, Managing Director at ZX Lidars added: “Martin’s success is firstly testament to his hard work and dedication but secondly it demonstrates that the ZX Apprenticeship programme delivers. As we continue to grow and scale, ‘growing our own talent’ will become an increasingly important way in which we put in place the team we need to deliver our ZX future.”
You can hear more about Martin’s apprenticeship story here.
