Change of career from hospitality to engineering for former Braes High School pupil

A former Braes High School pupil who switched careers from hospitality to aerospace engineering has never looked back.
Greg HamiltonGreg Hamilton
Greg Hamilton

Greg Hamilton is now one of the top apprentices with Edinburgh based Leonardo.

The change of direction came as he drove home after a 20-hour shift as a hospitality manager.

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Then aged 23, Greg feared he’d left it too late to start an apprenticeship.

He said: “I had zero plans and knew I wanted to do apprenticeship so I applied for all three that were engineering based.

“I wasn’t expecting a call back especially because of my age, as I thought they would be looking for someone who was 18 - I thought there was no chance.

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“But, I got a call back for an interview and did the interview and it was good.”

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On his 24th birthday while finishing a shift as a baggage handler at Edinburgh Airport, he got the call which led to his current role in an apprenticeship that was more advanced than the vacancies he had applied for.

He is now working as a Manufacturing Technical Modern Apprentice.

Greg said: “I was so delighted I couldn’t stop screaming and my family were so chuffed for me.

“If anyone is considering a career change, don’t assume you can’t start fresh. “He added: “In hospitality, there was a lot of problem solving and coming up with different ideas and I use that every day in my new role. Don’t hesitate- take the chance. It could turn out better than you hoped.”

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