Career Insights from CNC Milling Team Leader at Ford Aerospace

Published: 22nd January 2026

Next month Ford Aerospace will welcome several Level 2 engineering students to its manufacturing site. In the run-up to National Apprenticeship Week (9 – 15 February 2026) and ahead of the visits, CNC Milling team leader and apprentice lead Mark Handysides shares his own apprenticeship story with us.

Tell us about your career journey?

Apprenticeships are a great way to learn and gain experience – irrespective of how old you are.

Some people still think apprenticeships are just for school leavers. This is not the case – they are for everyone. I started my career as a Press Operator straight from school, and I had various other roles before I decided to undertake a modern apprenticeship at the age of 27.

I am so pleased I did. As it was the apprenticeship that propelled me into my CNC career and to the Team Leader position I now hold. I am also responsible for looking after the next generation of CNC Milling apprentices and helping them to grow.

What advice would you give to someone starting out on their career?

If you have an open mind and if you are prepared to put the effort in, you can get something great out of your career!

What can the students expect from their forthcoming site visits?

Here at Ford Aerospace, we specialise in the machining and pressing of components and assemblies for the aerospace and other high-tech industries, so they will see several different manufacturing processes in practice.

Aided by our apprentices the students will develop a project for their portfolios. This will require them to read drawings provided by our engineers and tailor their designs to the specification. They will also use a manual lathe to complete the project.

Witnessing something turn from a drawing into a finished product is always exciting so the buzz they will get from watching something they have created turn into a reality will be fantastic.

All the projects will then be reviewed by our team and judged on areas like the best shape, design and practicality.

What is the best thing about working in advanced manufacturing?

Working in manufacturing, you put so much work into what you produce. It really is amazing to think that something you have helped to make will ultimately be used in a plane, helicopter and other automotive applications. Our mission is to ‘Keep People Around The World Moving Safely’ and our parts get used in wealth of applications – to do just that! 

Why are apprentice leads so important?

It is vital that we support the next generation of employees as they are the operators, team leaders and directors of the future.

I work with my colleagues in-house and the college teams to ensure apprentices have effective training plans and the support necessary to help them progress within their individual roles. Apprentice leads coordinate activities so that they are in line with the needs of the business and the individual.

To continue to grow and offer more opportunities, it is essential that this work is done in harmony. 

Support is passed on through the different levels through mentoring and you can literally see the individuals developing within their own roles as they help the next cohort coming into the business. 

We all have a role to play though, and everyone is encouraged to get involved. For example, our own apprentices often give presentations at careers fairs and share information on their own journey. It is a great way to showcase the benefits of apprenticeships and the Ford Aerospace Apprenticeship Academy, but it also helps them to develop a range of skills including public speaking to time management.

For more information on Ford Aerospace Apprenticeship Academy visit our careers pages Engineering Careers in the North East
To apply to find out more about pre-apprenticeship engineering courses please visit https://www.stc.ac.uk/course/ford-engineering-academy and
https://www.gateshead.ac.uk/courses/ford-aerospace-academy.