Metsec has trained 36 apprentices over the past 5 years. Staff turnover is currently at a 10 year low, which the company attributes to their Apprenticeship programme, as employees realise how committed the company is to training and development of its workforce.
Stephen Giles, training manager at Metsec says: “Apprentices have helped increase capacity in one of our businesses from 1,000 tonnes in 1997, to 10,000 tonnes in 2006; this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what apprentices have added to the business.”
A good example of the business benefits apprentices have had on the Company over the past few years is illustrated by Luke Groves, an apprentice in his fourth year at Metsec, who has recently saved the company £20,000 on continuous improvement projects.
Stephen continued: “We really value our apprentices, and for the past three years have had a 100 per cent completion rate.”
Metsec has implemented numerous initiatives to enhance opportunities for its apprentices. For example, in 2001, the company established an Apprentice Steering Committee, chaired by Managing Director, Stephen Tilsley, and opened its own training facility in 2006, dedicated to Engineering Apprenticeships and costing £300,000.
Training on site allows Metsec to deliver between 8 to 12 NVQ modules for the PEO (Planning Engineers Organisation), above the minimal six required. This gives apprentices the tools needed to enter the workplace and add value from the start.
The success of the programme has also led Metsec to open the facility to other employees, and they currently have four adult apprentices on a trial scheme following the same development path as the apprentices.
Metsec rewards their apprentices with salaries above the national average, and a bonus scheme of up to an extra 17 per cent which factors in time and attendance, in addition to academic achievement. This helps apprentices make the transition from school to work, whilst clearly demonstrating the value Metsec feels they bring to the company.
Metsec plc was Highly Commended in the Large Employer of the Year category in the national Apprenticeship Awards 2005. The Company has once again been named a finalist in the Large Employer of the Year category at the national Apprenticeship Awards 2007.
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