National Apprenticeship Week - celebrations part 5
Friday 8th March 2019
"National Apprenticeship Week (NAW 2019) takes place 4 to 8 March 2019.
This annual celebration of apprenticeships will bring the whole apprenticeship community together to celebrate the impact of apprenticeships on individuals, employers and the economy."
We're celebrating by getting to know our RXL Fabrication Process Engineer, Ed, who manages our apprentices, Kristian and Callum.
Name: Ed Seville
Job title: RXL Fabrication Process Engineer
Why are apprentices important?
For young people, apprenticeships are an alternative choice to further full-time study and allow them to take the first step in their career whilst still gaining qualifications.
Apprenticeships bridge the gap between formal education and on the job learning and are an ideal way for businesses to lay the foundations for future recruitment of young, talented employees.
What do you get out of having apprentices at Polypipe?
For Polypipe, investing in the future generation is vital to our success. It ensures we have talented young employees bringing new ideas to the business for years to come.
Why should young people consider apprenticeships as a career choice?
Apprenticeships give the opportunity to gain real industry experience alongside traditional academic learning. Apprentices graduate with qualifications but also a great deal of professional experience which can give them a head start when looking at the next step in their career.
What’s something an apprentice has worked on/ done that has impressed you?
Our ‘visitors tunnel’, here at Loughborough, was a large project managed entirely by our apprentices and is always on the agenda when showing visitors around our site. It is impressive in its size, value and most importantly the quality of work produced. The apprentices took charge of the whole project from initial technical design, scheduling, manufacturing and marketing and produced something we are proud to show off.
What has surprised you about an apprentice you’ve worked with?
Once the initial nerves have settled I always enjoy the energy and enthusiasm that apprentices bring to our workplace.