Tata Steel Speciality hunting 17 new apprentices

Tata Steel Speciality has launched a search to find 17 apprentices to start work in South Yorkshire in September.

The recruitment campaign coincides with National Apprenticeship Week, which ends today

The aims of the week were to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices as well as celebrating the value of apprenticeships.

Sixteen of the new recruits at Tata Steel Speciality will work across the company’s Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Brinsworth sites, with the remaining apprentice being based in Bolton.

Thirteen engineering apprentices started work at Tata Steel Speciality's Stocksbridge steelworks this January—less than a year after a slump in demand forced the company to announce 2,000 job cuts at its sites across the UK.

The apprentices, the first to be recruited since the downturn in the economy, spent between four and five months on placement with the company before being offered permanent positions.

The new apprentices, who will start work in September, will study for nationally-recognised qualifications at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, while spending the remainder of their time training alongside Tata Steel's engineering experts at the company's Stocksbridge-based training centre.

“Our apprentices represent the future of our business and we are looking for passionate, bright and dedicated people to join our apprentice programme in September,” said Tata Steel Speciality Human Resources manager Mick Hood.

“As a global company we offer many opportunities for apprentices who choose to work for us. There are many areas of work they can enter into throughout the company, making a career at Tata Steel exciting and dynamic.”

From September, the new engineering apprentices will take part in an intensive six-month specialist training programme, which will include basic engineering and plant specific training.

After graduating from the centre, the apprentices will go into 12-week placements on a three year schedule, taking them through each of the engineering departments on the Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Brinsworth sites.

At the end of the three years they will receive BTEC level three and NVQ level three qualifications.

Daniel Clarry (18), an engineering apprentice who joined the company on placement in September, said: “I am really impressed with the training and support I have received while working in the training centre.

“It’s been great making friends with people who have the same interests as me.

“My aim is to complete my apprenticeship and to continue to develop my skills throughout my career at Tata Steel.”

 Application forms are available at www.tatasteelfutures.com