Stelrad Radiators has been shortlisted for an award in the SCR – Sheffield City Region – Apprenticeship Awards – in the large employers category. The awards ceremony takes place on 23rd September at the Hilton Garden Inn at Doncaster Racecourse.
Stelrad’s manufacturing operation and product portfolio are very specialised in that they are very individual and unlike other manufacturing operations. It’s therefore vital that as a business it has a regular addition of new blood into the business with bright young people learning the skills required to keep the manufacturing process alive and thriving.
Many of Stelrad’s established experts in the fields of product technician – the individuals who make sure the products are manufactured to the highest standards and asset care technician – the people who keep the manufacturing machinery running, are heading towards the latter end of their careers and its essential that they transfer their skills to younger people, able to pick up and run with the skills we need to enable Stelrad to continue to be world leaders in what it does.
Introducing new apprentices each year to the work force ensures the company has a constant flow of new people with the qualifications and skills needed to maintain the business. Being able to learn from experienced workers with their skills honed over many years of working for Stelrad ensures that as well as the skills, the pride in the work is transferred and the company sees loyal, capable and committed new members of its team.
The benefits of an apprenticeship to the apprentices themselves are many and varied. As well as learning a trade that will ensure they have a skilled job for life. The apprenticeship enables these young people to grow as people, learning all the skills Stelrad needs them to have, including teamwork, an awareness of each other in the work force and the importance of health and safety. This is paramount in a potentially dangerous working environment and provides the opportunity for these young people to learn about every different aspect of the manufacturing process so that they become rounded individuals with a deep level of knowledge and understanding of what goes on in a highly advanced, integrated factory and national distribution centre at Stelrad’s base in Mexborough.
The combination of workplace training and an excellent training programme through Stelrad’s partner colleges, ensures a wide and deep level of knowledge is passed on to the young people employed as apprentices. Stelrad has a very high level of completion of apprenticeships that highlights its ability to recruit the best young people for the roles and retain them as they work through their apprenticeship and associated programmes that together make them into fully qualified and hugely valuable colleagues and employees for the Stelrad Group of Companies.
Stelrad currently has eight apprentices on its apprenticeship scheme – four Asset Care Apprentices and four Production Technician Apprentices. Over the past few years the company recruited one or two apprentices in each discipline each year so that it has a constant stream of young people making their way through the apprenticeships, and the company sees one or two new time served apprentices coming off the ‘production line’ each year to literally join the production line or the team keeping the production line flowing smoothly.
“As a business, Stelrad is committed to the apprenticeship scheme for the foreseeable future,” says HR Manager Lisa Chambers. “We look forward to the awards ceremony in September and hopefully winning another award to add to our awards cabinet!”
