Celebrating Leon Barker-Williams, SHEQ Apprentice
Leon Barker-Williams is a SHEQ apprentice at Exyte Hargreaves, here we share more about what his role involves, the projects he has had the opportunity to be a part of and why an apprenticeship was the right path for him.

Leon is a SHEQ apprentice at Exyte Hargreaves who completed his level 2 in quality management in 2021 and is currently mid-way through his level 4 practitioner in Quality Management with the aim to proceed to level 6 next year. The course he is taking is online which allows him to learn and progress in the department he aspires to be a part of in the future.
He initially learnt about Exyte Hargreaves apprenticeship scheme through college and after doing some research into Exyte Hargreaves and projects that the business has been a part of such as Chernobyl, Mensa and at Sellafield he was attracted by the opportunity to be involved in delivering exciting projects.
In his role he is responsible for various QA/QC activities, a focal point for welding documentation and NDT inspections (SQEP) and document review in conjunction with clients. He maintains company procedures and records ensuring compliance with the latest client, industry, and national standards/specifications. He also produces, reviews, and approves internal and external documentation.
During his apprenticeship he has worked across a variety of projects such as Mensa where his role involved compiling lifetime records and presenting them to the client. He has also been heavily involved in various QA activities on Conventional Island, Hinkley Point C, BEPP and BEPPS DIFF on Sellafield.
Leon’s greatest achievement so far was completing and passing two Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) courses in 2021, allowing him to be competent in performing inspections and signing off welded items ready for site. This was especially valuable for him as they are qualifications that increase his knowledge and competency within quality / inspection.
His career aspirations are to progress within quality engineering and management, gaining knowledge, experience and qualifications along the way. He also has the ambition to experience industry over-seas at some point in his journey.
‘This apprenticeship has given me the best opportunity and a great first step in the right direction to my career aspirations. I would highly recommend apprenticeships at Exyte Hargreaves, speaking from experience it allows you to gain knowledge and experience while you earn. They have assisted me with deciding which part of the company would suit my skillsets, furthermore, given me the appropriate learning facilities to tackle it. I have always had the relevant colleagues and mentors to support me throughout my apprenticeship and have never been left in the dark with any work-related struggles.’