There is a serious shortage of skilled engineers entering the workforce in the United Kingdom. This will create an enormous gap, that if not addressed, will leave the country and the manufacturing industry in a difficult situation down the line.
Since engineering has always been a focus sector for Transformers and Rectifiers, we have embraced the idea of workplace learning and have employed 6 engineering apprentices, in conjunction with Guildford College and Activate Apprenticeships. This will give the students hands-on experience within the engineering sector, while they also attend college and train towards their industry-recognised qualification. This will not only further the concept of engineering in the UK, but also sustain the skills base that T&R and our employees have.
Currently, 3 of our apprentices are in our Winding Department, learning this much needed skill, while 2 others are in the Light Assembly department where they are learning to build and assemble smaller transformers. Our last apprentice is working in our stores department, understanding the vital element of ensuring that product is received and distributed.
While they are completing their formal training program, they are concurrently doing an internal program that will allow them to be fully competent across all departments within the company. Once they have learnt all the necessary aspects of their department and completed their internal program, they will move onto the next department to gain more experience.
T&R have formed an apprentice committee within our HR department, ensuring that the students are getting the support they need, while also adhering to H&S standards, housekeeping and timekeeping. They are encouraged to give us regular feedback, allowing for fresh new ideas to filter into the company.
We are very excited to have these apprentices join the T&R team and we cannot wait to watch them grow within our organisation over the next few years.
