Partner Article

North East Manufacturing and Engineering Companies Join Forces to Recruit 40 Apprentices

North East science industry employers are looking for 40 young people to take up high level Apprenticeships in manufacturing and engineering.

The Apprenticeships are involved in manufacturing and maintenance and are part of the new Trailblazer Apprenticeship standards that are fast becoming industry-recognised for the high-quality training and competency apprentices receive.

The training, provided by TTE North East, involves comprehensive on and off the job training with regular assessments to ensure apprentices are competent to work safely and effectively while gaining an industry-recognised, high-quality qualification that kick-starts their careers.

The 10 process and chemicals companies providing the Apprenticeships have worked together in partnership with Cogent Skills, the UK’s strategic body for skills in the science industries, to create the positions.

Lucite International and Team Valve have already recruited but SABIC UK Petrochemicals, Lotte Chemical, Huntsman Polyeurethanes, Invista, SSI, Johnson Matthey, Chemoxy and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) are still looking for motivated young people that want to complete an Apprenticeship in manufacturing or engineering.

Craig Hargreaves, Senior Trainer Maintenance Services at chemicals manufacturer SABIC UK Petrochemicals and Chair of the Life Science and Industrial Science Trailblazer Group said: “It is a fact that the sector finds it difficult to attract and retain younger people. There are a number of factors for this, including competition from other companies in the process industries’ supply chain, such as the offshore oil and gas sector which has drawn on the limited talent pool.”

Consequently, SABIC on Teesside is now investing in the Trailblazer Apprenticeship scheme, designed to tailor apprentice training to chemical companies’ specific needs and to help fill the skills gap.

Mr Hargreaves adds: “The Trailblazer scheme is enabling SABIC on Teesside to assess what skills and training we now need as an industry to maintain competitive advantage in the global market.”

The chemicals and process sector is one of the largest sectors in the UK but, as with the engineering industry, the sector is seeing an increasingly ageing workforce and, in the North East particularly, an ever-growing skills gap which the 40 Apprenticeships will help to address.

If you or someone you know is interested in applying for one of these Apprenticeships, please visit: http://www.cogentskills.com/new-talent/individuals/apprenticeship-vacancies

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jade Jackson .