A NORTH-EAST iron and steel maker will welcome its first crop of apprentices in June. 

In the latest milestone since production restarted two years ago SSI UK has announced it will be starting its first intake of apprentices at the Redcar plant.

Over the past year the trainees have been working in partnership with the TTE Technical Training Group in Middlesbrough by providing work experience placement opportunities,

Now 17 of those students involved in the programme  have been successfully appointed as apprentices to complete their final two years of training with SSI UK.

The apprenticeships cover roles in instrumentation, electrical  and mechanical disciplines.

Jo Davies, the human resources director at SSI UK, said:

"This is another significant milestone for us to reach, following the start up of the SSI UK operations two years ago.

"We have been very impressed with the calibre of the students  and hope that this intake will be the first of many as we plan for our future skills requirement.

"Our investment in training and development in SSI UK is a significant one, and we look forward to these young people successfully completing their apprenticeships and pursuing  future careers in the steel industry. “

Steve Grant, managing director of South Bank-based TTE, said: "We are very proud to support SSI UK and following a successful programme of work placements we have helped the company select  a strong group of talented and motivated trainees.

"This is a significant investment by SSI UK in the future skills of the local workforce and demonstrates the continued importance of apprenticeships to employers in industry.”