Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd (SFIL) is leading its largest recruitment of trainees to date with positions across the company ranging from bricklayer to degree students, as it future-proofs the business against an ageing workforce and sources new skillsets.
Recruitment will start during summer with the appointments made in September, offering fully paid, four-year apprenticeships to applicants from across South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire and adopting all new government approved training standards, funding and assessment plans.
Explains group training manager Rick Frankeiss: “This is an extraordinary opportunity for 33 forward thinking individuals to establish life-long careers and good salaries, not to mention the chance to progress to the top ranks of this business.
“The people we take on this year will be fundamental to the future of this company as we plan ahead and look at succession and retirements within our operations. It is a massive commitment by the company in terms of wages, training fees and mentoring time, but it is an investment for the long-term.”
SFIL employs 690 staff and has been a staunch champion of apprenticeships since a management buyout in 2005 and its chief executive, Dr Graham Honeyman, is also chair of the Engineering and Manufacturing Route Panel at the Institute for Apprenticeships.
The largest number of apprenticeships taken in a year at SFIL is 28, making this the company's biggest single intake and the company has recorded an average of between 30 and 50 good applications for each vacancy in previous years.
All of the apprenticeships will be advertised on the company’s website and also via the Sheffield College, which partners Forgemasters in the training of its apprentices.
