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National Apprenticeship Week begins: Bishop of Durham leads the way

For a man who conducts most of his business from the pulpit and the House of Lords, the The Right Revd, Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, proved a dab hand with a plasma cutter after signing up for an NECC apprenticeship.

Bishop Paul took on the role of engineering apprentice for the day with North East Chamber of Commerce member IK-UK, of Newton Aycliffe, to promote the importance of apprenticeships to North East business.

It was a far cry from robes, sermons and a constant stream of meetings, but Bishop Paul was learning from the best and was soon working the water jet and plasma cutting machines, manufacturing base plates on a lathe and assembling pipeline “pigs”.

The “pigs” in question are designed and manufactured by IK-UK, which employs 47 people, including four NECC apprentices. These purpose-built pieces of equipment are made from polyurethane and steel and used primarily in the oil and gas industry to clean pipelines.

“When I was offered the chance of an apprenticeship by James Ramsbotham (NECC Chief Executive), I was very keen to try something in engineering,” said Bishop Paul. “It is a genuine North East industrial strength and something I have always held an interest in, so to have the chance to try my hand at it was an opportunity I could not refuse.

“What I will take away from this experience is what an impressive bunch the apprentices are. Given how they are all at such a relatively early stage of their apprenticeship, all have demonstrated a real in-depth knowledge of their various jobs and cope admirably with quite a high level of responsibility.”

NECC Director of Policy, Ross Smith, said: “Bishop Paul must be congratulated for throwing himself into his apprenticeship, which we wanted to be special with it being our 200th anniversary year. He really entered into the spirit of the day and our thanks must go to IK-UK for not only organising a fantastic experience, but also for its commitment to apprenticeships and the training agenda.

“There is an energy throughout the whole company and an enthusiasm to keep pushing themselves, their products and their apprentices. IK-UK is a perfect example of a modern, forward-thinking business that is growing with its workforce and a clear demonstration of how apprenticeships are an ideal way of recruiting and developing a highly skilled workforce that can be molded to meet individual needs.”

National Apprenticeship Week runs from 9 to 13 March 2015 and will celebrate apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

Look out for friday’s roundup of the best stories from the week.

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