01 August 2012

ABB recognises apprentice duo

ABB held an award ceremony for two of its apprentices as they qualified with an HNC at its Milton Keynes site.

Daniel Taylor and George Matthews, both 24, will continue to work under ABB for one of the company's biggest customers, JLR.

Trevor Gregory, managing director of ABB UK said: "We had to wake up to the fact that there is a 130,000 shortfall in engineers. About three years ago we invested into the apprenticeship programme."

ABB have tripled its apprentice programme in the last 3 years and now have over 140 young people training within the company.

Gregory added: "Apprentices are becoming real value-adding members of society. The UK needs to learn this and expand the apprenticeship system more widely."

Mark Lancaster, MP for Milton Keynes North who attended the event pledged his support for the apprentice scheme. He told the qualifying apprentices: "It's great to be here today, it's the future and something I have been pressing for.
It's easy to talk all doom and gloom about the UK manufacturing industry, but in fact things are on the way up and you two are in place for a very bright future."

Gregory is optimistic that the UK can become leaders in new technologies such as renewables if enough young people are trained in the next five to ten years. He said: "If we can stop all the best apprentices and graduates running off to join the big banks, there is a window of opportunities."

Author
Anna Reynolds

Supporting Information

Companies
ABB Robotics Ltd

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