Dom's Story: From Pocket Money to Purpose (1/8)

At 17, Dom had no plan - just pocket money, nightclub shifts, and a nudge from his dad. This is the first in a series of honest stories about how our founder found his path, starting with a wind turbine apprenticeship and 1 in 1000 odds.

I didn’t choose Sixth Form because I was desperate to study. I chose it because I had no idea what else to do and all my mates were going. I picked Physics, Chemistry and Maths because they were “good” subjects. The kind that kept your options open.

I remember having a pint with my dad. First one, I think. We were talking about what I’d do after school. I didn’t have a clue.

He said something like:

"Maybe engineering? You're good with your hands. Could be a good route."

I didn’t question it. It sounded solid. Respectable. Technical. So I went for it.

Thing is, halfway through Sixth Form, I realised I just wasn’t enjoying it. I didn’t like studying. I didn’t want to go to university. It didn’t feel like me, and it didn’t feel like enough. I was working part-time in a nightclub, barely getting by. Still topping up my pay with pocket money.

Then one night we were sat out in someone’s garden, freezing cold, and a mate turned up wearing this brand new Barbour jacket. We were all skint. So I asked him how he could afford it.

He just said:

"I’ve got an apprenticeship. I earn while I learn."

It was like something clicked. Not just the money, the direction. I’d been waiting for someone to show me a route that made sense. That sentence was it.

I started applying. About 50 different apprenticeships. Fired them off one after another.

Got two replies. One was from Network Rail, saying I was a good candidate but they’d filled all the spots.

The other was from Siemens Wind Power.

They invited me to sit an application test: logic, maths, gear ratios, spatial awareness. The kind of thing I was naturally decent at, but it still felt massive. The test was held in this big hall. Maybe 200 people there. All chasing 12 spots.

I remember sitting down, looking around, thinking:

“This is it. This is the most important moment of my life so far.”

At 17 years old, I genuinely thought: I need to do this. I need a career. I want to support a family one day.

There was a kind of pressure, but also clarity. This mattered. More than any exam I’d taken up to that point.

Somehow, I got through. I made it to the next round.

We had a site visit and a working-at-height taster, including an emergency evacuation drill. They wanted to check if we’d freeze on the ladders. Fair enough.

Eventually, I got the call to say I’d been offered a spot. One of 12 - out of 1000 applicants. I was buzzing.

Later on, someone told me they don’t just take the highest scorers. Probably a polite way of saying I wasn’t top 10%. But I’d done enough.

That apprenticeship changed my life. And it all started with a jacket, a pint with my dad, and a sense that I didn’t want to drift.