As part of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, we are going to be profiling each of our current cohort over the next four days; providing you with an insight into who they are, why they applied for the scheme and what they hope to gain from it.

Today’s profile focuses on Lukas Rackauskas.

Tell us a little bit about your background…

I was born to Lithuanian parents in Newham, East London, where I was raised and still live today. Growing up, I loved playing video games, listening to music, watching TV and Film as well as football. I’ve also always had a passion for both acting as well as developing my technical skills. Soon the technical side became my biggest focus and I set my eyes on becoming a technician for a range of events, including esport, concerts, football matches and West End shows.

At what age did you decide that you were interested in the ‘technical’ world?

At secondary school, I studied Music, but it was only when I went to Sixth Form and did my Music Technology course that I fully developed a love for the technical world. The course covered mixing and mastering studio recordings, creating our own EPs and operating a live performance. Operating sound is really exciting for me as I enjoy being a part of what makes it all happen, and I love the feel of when I’ve got a decent mix down.

How did you find out about the WL Apprenticeship?

I found out about the WL Apprenticeships from a BECTU careers fair at Westminster Kingsway College in early 2020. I was there to look at ways to potentially improve my technical practice and understanding. When I visited the WL stand, it was being manned by one of the former apprentices, Jack, who spoke to me about the apprenticeship and everything it entailed. As someone who is quite a hands-on learner, listening to him describe the programme made me realise it would be the perfect way to learn about and expand upon my knowledge towards the rest of the technical fields.

What was the Apprenticeship application process like?

Prior to being accepted as part of the September 2021 intake, I also applied to the apprenticeship back in 2020, but unfortunately didn’t get to the interview stage. During my recruitment day in 2021, I felt extremely happy to have made it that far as I knew what the apprenticeship entailed, with the wealth of knowledge there was to be gained. To be completely honest, I completely ‘nerded out’ when I saw the warehouse for the first time. I’ve explained to people that it felt a bit like Disneyland when I did my first walkthrough of the warehouse! I was thinking about how I’d eventually get to learn about all of the equipment that was stored here and how amazing that would be; which is why I was delighted to be accepted onto the scheme that second time around.

How has the apprenticeship been so far?

I’ve really enjoyed the apprenticeship so far (despite the 1h:20m journey!). It’s been fantastic to immediately gain experience, being allowed to work in a range of different departments as well as continually expand my knowledge of the technical field. Some particular highlights include seeing posters on the Tube or around town for projects that I was a part of prepping, such as Cyrano or The Shark is Broken. There’s also the training and study days that we’ve taken part in; namely the one that we did where we went to The Backstage Centre for flys training, and also got to see the Royal Opera House’s scenic warehouse.

What do you hope the apprenticeship will offer you in the long-run?

From the beginning, I’ve wanted to take part in the WL apprenticeship as I knew it would allow me to develop a complete knowledge across a huge variety of technical disciplines. The great thing about this apprenticeship is that, not only do you learn how to test and repair kit, but you also get to work through each department in the warehouse as well as attend high-quality training sessions, like with the ABTT, and even get to work on-site at venues. It genuinely seems like this apprenticeship is one of the most diverse out there and the best of its type!

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