Sheffield Forgemasters marks apprenticeship success

Sheffield Forgemasters apprentices 11012021
Sheffield Forgemasters apprentices 11012021

Sheffield engineering company, Sheffield Forgemasters, has announced the recruitment of over 170 apprentices over 10 years.

Sheffield Forgemasters, which employs as much as 10% of its workforce at any one time, has marked the national week of apprenticeship celebrations with its record of 171 apprentices recruited over a 10 year period of training activity at its Brightside Lane site.

The company is nationally recognised for its pioneering approach to apprenticeships and has seen former apprentices transition from shop floor to senior management positions, in charge of their own departmental apprentice requirements.

Rick Franckeiss, group learning and development manager at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “National Apprentices Week is a great initiative and helps to raise awareness of the opportunities that apprenticeships offer to young people, as well as recognising the achievements of apprentices.

“We looked at ways to mark National Apprenticeships Week and viewed our apprentice intake over a ten-year recruitment period and realised that we have taken on more than 170 individuals and provided them with the training they needed to establish highly skilled careers.

Sheffield Forgemasters' apprenticeships programme operates throughout the business, covering all areas and recruiting from local schools. It currently has 56 apprentices and seven will complete their training in March 2021

Mr Franckeiss added: “The benefit of apprenticeships to the business must not be understated. We see them as the next leaders of the business.

“They are offered space and encouragement to advance within the company and Aleck Knight, a former apprentice, has progressed to become general manager in our Melt Shop and our engineering director, Steve Marshall, is also a former apprentice.

“Revised apprenticeship standards saw the introduction of Higher (level 4 and 5) and Degree apprenticeships and via the apprentice levy, have allowed us to up-skill existing staff as well as recruit new apprentices.

“We have recruited two Level 4 Assistant Project Manager apprentices, two Product Design and Development Level 6 apprentices and have been able to register existing staff members on a Level 5 HR apprenticeship and a Level 6 NDT Degree apprenticeship.”

“Apprentices bring a vast amount of energy and innovation. We engage them on live projects so that they can help to improve the business and they are able to learn from some of the most skilled, time-served engineers and staff in the industry.”

Steve Marshall, engineering director at Sheffield Forgemasters and former apprentice, said: “Apprenticeships offer a vital alternative to university for many young school leavers, they are learning at the highest level, plus they are in receipt of a wage from day one.

“As the UK progresses as a global centre of engineering excellence, the value and importance of apprenticeships will become even more apparent and for a business like ours, which has highly niche skills requirements, training our own talent is essential.”

Sheffield Forgemasters www.sheffieldforgemasters.com

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