A group of talented ABB employees at Stone celebrated a major milestone in their early careers when they formally graduated with their BTEC Level 3 in Engineering.
The group of 10 young professionals was the first to join ABB’s newly structured power systems apprentice scheme in 2011. Since then, they have combined real-world work experience and mentoring with rigorous tuition and guided study at Newcastle-under-Lyme College.
The apprentices were presented with framed BTEC certificates at an event hosted by ABB at the Performing Arts Centre at Newcastle-under-Lyme College this week.
The event was a real community celebration and included the graduate apprentices’ line managers, families, ABB management team as well as special guests the Mayor and Consort of Newcastle-under-Lyme Councillors Sandra and Trevor Hambleton and the Mayor and Consort of Stone Councillors Mike Williamson and Mrs Margaret Goodall.
The apprentices achieving their BTEC Level 3 qualification were: Danny Cody, Jake Corbishley, Jack Gibbs, Jack Griffiths, Nathan Jones, Tom Kirkham, Laurie-Anne Marshall, Tom Morrey, Danny Scambler and Will Townsend.
Last year, Laurie-Anne Marshall was a finalist in the annual Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) to recognise the best and brightest young female engineers in the country.
[box type=”shadow” ]Leigh Turley, ABB’s UK Engineering Manager for Transmission and Distribution, presented the certificates. He said: “I am one of many ABB employees who started out as an apprentice and speaking from experience, the sky is the limit in terms of what these young professionals can achieve in their careers.”[/box]
The scheme is designed to combine classroom learning with practical experience and apprentices are involved right from the start in delivering real-world power projects for ABB’s customers. The scheme is a structured path to attract and develop talented young people into engineering careers. The rapid pace of technological development means that people with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualifications and experience are in high demand at every level in the workplace.
Delivered with Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC), the apprentice scheme is a great example of a successful ABB partnership that will continue in coming years.
[box type=”shadow” ]NULC Principal Karen Dobson said: “We are delighted to have hosted the ABB Graduation event, welcoming key stakeholders to the College to celebrate the success of this talented cohort of future engineers.
“Here at NULC we have a well-established and successful partnership with ABB, which we hope will continue in coming years. ‘The Class of 2015’ are a shining example of how technical work-based training can be a very rewarding alternative to traditional academic study routes.”[/box]
Not only has the “Class of 2015” gained technical skills such as design engineering, construction and project working, but they have also been given opportunities to develop management and leadership skills through involvement in high profile events, such as representing ABB at a reception at the House of Commons.
