Photo: [L to R: Ben Wilson and Jess Sugden, MPM Ltd, Tracey Dawson and Amy Shenton, Daletech Electronics, Paul Stead and Jake Sheffield, Saftronics]
Apprentices Jess Sugden, Amy Shenton and our very own, Jake Sheffield took the stage at a recent Leeds Manufacturing Festival event, sharing their perspective on why they chose apprenticeships over other career paths and lessons for employers wanting to recruit young people into their business.
For young people, there was some equally direct advice: “Do your research on what you want to do and the kind of company you want to work for,” said Jake, an apprentice who has been with since last year. “Go to open days and visit different companies. Make sure they are offering progression.”
Managing director Mark Godfrey sees apprenticeships as increasingly important in bringing new people into the business and developing the skills they need.
“Our workforce is split 50:50 between the shop floor and office staff and we’re increasingly looking at other areas of the business, not just engineering, that could be helped by apprenticeships,” he said.
“Apprenticeships are the future for our workforce – they give us the opportunity to develop and grow people to fit our business from day one.”
Full article can be found here