CHEMICAL company Lucite International has taken on a team of talented new recruits.

Six youngsters, all sponsored by the acrylics intermediates manufacturer throughout their 3 and 4-year apprenticeships at TTE in Middlesbrough, have impressed enough to be offered Production Technician roles at the Billingham site.

In addition, the company, which also runs a Polymers and Resins production site at Newton Aycliffe, has taken on two Laboratory Analysts who successfully completed a 2-year sponsored Young Scientist programme via TTE. All the latest recruits are from the Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool areas.

A quarter of the Lucite’s 300-strong workforce on Teesside is now made up of people under the age of 30 and the latest new employees follow in the footsteps of dozens of other former sponsored apprentices to be taken on in recent years who are helping the company to bridge the skills and age gap.

Melanie Jury, Cassel site director said: “We’re delighted with the young people we have recruited. All demonstrated the high levels of motivation and achievement we were looking for during their apprenticeships and landed these permanent jobs totally on merit.

“Lucite has an excellent track record over many years of recruiting young people after completing their apprenticeship. Apprenticeships and staff training and development form an essential part of our succession planning as we look to the future.”

Pictured with Laboratory Analyst Natasha Connor (centre) at the Cassel site are production technicians (left to right) Dean Blakemore, Tom Swan, Tom Walker, and Cameron Appleyard. Not in the picture are Laboratory Analyst Stuart Arkle, based at Newton Aycliffe and Production Technicians Daniel Liddle and Liam Rutherford.

The technicians all gained an NVQ Level 3 in Process Operations via TTE with some gaining an HNC in chemical engineering via Teesside University supported by the company.

Dean Blakemore said: “The production technician apprenticeship programme included off site training initially followed by 2 years working on site which was invaluable in getting hands on experience of the skills required to run the chemical plants.”

Natasha Connor completed her Young Scientist programme at the end of 2013 having previously studied science subjects at A Level at Middlesbrough’s Macmillan Academy. Sponsored by Lucite throughout the programme, the company is now encouraging her to study for a Bachelor of Science degree at Teesside University via day-release.

She said: “The ability to earn as well as learn was important to me and I’m so glad I followed the apprenticeship route with Lucite’s support.”