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The apprentices at Precision Technologies took time out of their day to celebrate ‘Apprenticeship Week’ with Patrick Walker, Technical Director, (on left) and Colin Palin, Technical Sales Director, (second from right).

Apprentices – Skills For Life

At PTI and our sister company Langstone Engineering there’s been an extra special apprentices celebration to mark National Apprenticeship Week.

Apprentices from both companies joined a ‘Skills for Life’ forum with senior members of the management team to share their experiences of their apprenticeships, the skills they are developing and what’s ahead in the future.  Two employees who are studying for HNC following completion of their apprenticeship also joined the meeting. They shared valuable advice with the current apprentices as well as talking about skills they have gained and hope to build upon in the future.

There are currently 13 apprentices at two precision engineering companies within the Precision Engineering Solutions Group. It’s part of the Group’s commitment to investing in training and development for all employees, says James Nicklin, Group Managing Director. 12 apprenticeships are in engineering and one of the apprentices is in the finance side of the business.

Highly Skilled and Fast Paced

“We operate in a highly skilled and fast-paced industry, using technology and equipment that’s constantly evolving. It’s essential that we support and invest in all employees at every level so we can all succeed. Our apprentices are the engineers of the future and we’re committed to helping them achieve.  We’re impressed every day by their dedication, determination and willingness to go further and we wanted to use this week to celebrate that,” he said.

Group HR Manager Faye Norris, led the session and she said:

“This forum was a first for us and it was really useful to have feedback so that we can plan more ways to support their development of skills and knowledge for a rewarding career ahead. They are a vital part of our ongoing programme to develop a talented workforce that’s fully equipped with skills for the future.”

The apprentices at Langstone Engineering in Portsmouth, gathered together with James Nicklin, Managing Director (fourth from right) and Lee Wardall, Operations Director (third from right).
Learning New Skills

During the session, the apprentices were given the opportunity to talk about the most useful skills they have learned. They also offered advice for others considering an apprenticeship and what skills they would like to develop.

In addition, the apprentices received words of encouragement in feedback from their line managers during the session. Including

  • “He has shown tenacity in taking on one of the most complex machining processes on site.”
  • “She is able to program and operate a CNC CMM without support delivering complex component quality reports to customer requirements.”
  • “His attitude, willingness to learn and positive nature has allowed him to support other personnel on a variety of projects. This is appreciated by the colleagues he works with.”
  • “He is gaining skills to be able to confidently program and manufacture components on equipment. He had no experience with the equipment before joining us.”
Find Out More

Find out more about apprenticeship opportunities and careers with PTI at Tamworth or Langstone Engineering in Portsmouth. Please send an email with the subject ‘Apprenticeship’ to fayen@ptiltd.co.uk and we’ll be in touch.

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