A CHEMICAL firm is supporting a number of apprentices.

Lucite International, which makes acrylic based products at its Cassel site, in Billingham, near Stockton, has welcomed ten apprentices.

The company is working alongside training provider TTE Technical Training Group, based in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, and the Mouchel Training Centre, on roles such as production technician, instrument technician and business administration.

Among the number is Rachel Carr, who has joined the two-year young scientist programme and is training at the Cassel site’s Laboratory.

Payten Stockton is working as a business administration apprentice working at Cassel, attending Mouchel in Middlesbrough to work towards NVQ qualifications.

Lucite is also sponsoring Kieran Dugdale and Liam Osbourne through an instrument technician apprenticeship via TTE, while three college and school leavers, Reece Bolland, Kelvin Buckton and Frankie DiMauro, have started chemical technician apprenticeships at TTE.

The company is also continuing to recruit ex-military personnel by sponsoring James Curtis-Dawson, Derek Hornsey and Craig Buckle.

All three, who have transferrable skills developed during their careers in the Navy, Army and RAF respectively, will spend a year on a process operations training programme at TTE before joining shift teams at Cassel next summer for chemical engineering skills training.

Melanie Jury, Cassel site director, added: “The benefits of a solid apprenticeship are there for all to see.

“About 25 per cent of our workforce is now made up of people who joined Lucite via an apprenticeship.”

Lucite employs about 300 workers on Teesside and makes products used to make acrylics for hard surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms, baths, illuminated shop and road signs, mobile phone screens and flat screen TVs.