Engineering a bright future at South Bank firm

FOUR more youngsters have started careers in engineering after completing apprenticeships with a major south Humber bank company.

They are the latest examples of the "pipeline of talent" that has passed through Cristal – formerly Millennium Chemicals, Stallingborough – which has 21 apprentices at present.

Well done: Some of the Cristal apprentices with their certificates. From left, Billy Ellis, senior instrument and electrical engineer Mark Smith, Steve Pollard-Mersom, of HETA, production and safety training officer Alan Tregunno, Adam Appleton, UK HR business partner Philip Long, James Burrows and training co-ordinator Karen Taylor. Buy this photo at www.thisisphotosales.co.uk/grimsby or by contacting 08444 060910.

The company has further underlined its commitment to helping young people by signing up to the Grimsby Telegraph's Your Life: Your Future campaign.

The campaign is asking employers to offer work experience to youngsters – and Cristal is offering positions in its admin department.

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Its core business remains engineering, which is why its apprenticeship programme, delivered with Heta (Humberside Engineering Training Association), remains vital.

UK HR business partner Phil Long said: "We take on graduates but we also have our apprentices. In fact, we have recently promoted some of our apprentices to senior management positions 20 years on. It's really important to keep that talent pipeline coming through."

The company offers apprenticeships in four different disciplines – mechanical, instrumentation and electrical, process, and research and development.

Most of these are run by Heta, which provides training at the Catch facility, Stallingborough, during the first year, alongside day release at local colleges.

Apprentices spend the remainder of the programme with their employer.

James Burrows, Billy Ellis, Adam Appleton and George Ellwood have now completed apprenticeships and started work.

Mechanical engineer James, 23, of Ladysmith Road, said: "I wanted to get a good trade. I was going to go in the Navy, but I decided to choose this instead. The first year was draining as there was a lot of theory. I enjoyed the hands-on stuff more.

"My job is to fix things that are broken and keep things going. I'm enjoying it so far.

Electrical and instrumentation engineer Billy, 20, of Fairway Court, Humberston, said: "It's in the family. My dad does electrical and he said it was a good trade to get into. I wanted to get a good trade to set me up for life.

"It's good because I get to work with a good bunch of guys."

Fellow electrical and instrumentation engineer Adam, 20, of Sweetbriar Close, Waltham, said: "I wanted a decent trade. My uncle is an electrician himself and he said this was a good trade to get into.

"The apprenticeship was really good. I learnt lots of different things. The job has been good so far. I like the fact that there are other apprentices coming through and you can pass your skills on to them. It's good to give back what other people gave you."