Master Abrasives has taken on two apprentices in a move to support and invest in the "engineers of the future."
Master Abrasives advocates apprenticeships and initiatives which encourage young people to pursue a STEM career. The company's newest apprentices have been recruited to the tool services and production department.
James Wilson is the company’s new Manufacturing Apprentice who joined the production team in February. Wilson is being trained to become an operator in the Master Abrasive belt conversion facility in Daventry.
Lee Noonan joined the company as a Technician Apprentice in the tool services department in 2016. Noonan is on his way to achieving his formal qualifications via one day a week at NITAL training facility and 4 days on-the-job working alongside tool services technicians, as well as completing the statutory work assignments.
Paul Batson, Managing Director of Master Abrasives, said: "We are supporting apprenticeships to ensure Britain remains at the forefront of technological developments. These positions get young people into the business so they can build knowledge and gain a valuable variety of experience of our departments.
"We are involved with a local charitable organisation which was originally set up to train and develop engineers. Northamptonshire Industrial Training Association Ltd (NITAL) delivers a wide range of level two, three and four apprenticeships and has its own purpose-built training centre based in Kettering. I'm working on the board of trustees alongside others to help steer the organisation on what skills employers are looking for in new staff and to ensure the training needs of Northamptonshire and surrounding areas are met."
Master Abrasives also supported a team of students in the F1 Schools Global Challenge 2016, whilst being a long-standing supporter of the Bloodhound SSC project since 2014, supplying a variety of abrasive products for use both in the workshop and in the building of the Supersonic Cars. The company's Applications Engineering Manager, Ian Meredith, has been involved in a number of Bloodhound education events.
Meredith said: "We at master Abrasive are well aware of the need for engineering skills in the UK workplace. By offering apprenticeships and our support to STEM projects such as F1 in schools and the Bloodhound project, we are investing in the future of UK manufacturing and also sharing our abrasive expertise and knowledge. As we say: offering 'solutions for industry' now and in the future."
