Partner Article

C&A Pumps hires two new apprentices

TWO young people are being given the opportunity to carve out careers at a rapidly expanding pump solutions provider after being taken on as apprentices.

Alex Allcock, 17, and Georgia Thompson, 18, have started working at Hartlepool company C & A Pumps, specialising in electrical engineering and business administration respectively.

Both will be developed under the management of owner Alan Roberts and his team of staff at Queens Meadow Business Park.

Alex, who is from Sedgefield, has been studying at New College Durham and in September will begin working towards Level 3 of the Performing Engineering Operations qualification at Hartlepool College of Further Education.

He said: “I am so pleased to be given this opportunity with Alan and his company. I’d gained work experience in the past after I volunteered to assist with an electrical installation and expressed an interest in undertaking an apprenticeship with him if the opportunity came up, and I think he was impressed with my willingness to work and learn.

“It is early days into my three-year apprenticeship but already I’m really enjoying it. I love how hands-on it is and I am learning every day. I would love for this to lead to a career with C & A Pumps as they are a great company to be part of.”

Georgia, from the Throston area of Hartlepool, is undertaking a two-year business administration apprenticeship with the company and will learn everything from issuing purchase orders and managing diaries to project filing and processing customer orders.

She said: “I’ve always been interested in business administration so as soon as I left school I started working towards my NVQ at Stranton Children’s Centre. When that finished I started looking for apprenticeship opportunities and when I saw this one I had no hesitation applying for it. I’d love this to lead to something permanent with the company as they’ve made me feel so welcome and I know I’m going to learn a lot from the team.”

C & A Pumps is committed to working with young people across Hartlepool to give them the support they need to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing.

Alan Roberts said: “I am a strong believer in helping young people as they’re our future. We’ve all been there and I know what it was like for me when I was their age – trying to find work with career prospects is never easy. It also makes genuine business sense. Our work is so specialist that we can’t take someone ‘off the shelf’; we need to work with them to equip them with the skills they need to make a real contribution to the business.

“From what I’ve seen both Alex and Georgia have real potential and if they both knuckle down and work hard, I see no reason why these apprenticeships can’t lead to long-term careers for them.”

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