TEESSIDE car parts manufacturer, ElringKlinger (GB) has taken on 13 new apprentices this September – its biggest intake to date.

The recent additions bring the number of apprentices ‘live’ on-site to 19 – all working across different departments and at varying stages of their programmes from Year One to Year Four.

Middlesbrough College helped the Redcar firm, which has been based on Teesside for more than 50 years, to recruit 11 of the apprentices while two existing employees have embarked upon the program.

It is the second year that ElringKlinger (GB) has partnered with Middlesbrough College on its in-house training scheme, which nurtures young engineering talent in a bid to plug the skills gap in the region.

This year’s successful candidates range from technical engineer apprentices who will complete their first term at college, to tool room engineers on day release to college and setter operators who will be on-site full time at ElringKlinger’s Redcar plant.

Newly-recruited technical services apprentice Kirby Worsey, who is currently studying towards an NVQ and HNC at Middlesbrough College, has returned from the Netherlands where she worked as a design engineering assistant until February this year.

She said: “On completing my Level 3 BTEC in Mechanical Engineering last year I went out to work for a crane repair company near Amsterdam but I decided to come back after a while to further my qualifications.

“The ElringKlinger (GB) apprenticeship scheme is the perfect solution for me to build on my academic background as well as gain real experience in a commercial environment. It’s an exciting prospect that I’ll be involved in projects for the likes of Ford and Jaguar Landrover.”

Ian Smith, Middlesbrough College STEM director, said: “We have wide ranging industry links which is why we are able to offer professional skills beyond the learning environment. The relationship we enjoy with ElringKlinger is a fantastic example of how Middlesbrough College is working with industry to boost the local economy and provide quality training for individuals.”

ElringKlinger (GB) managing director Ian Malcolm, who also sits on the advisory board for Middlesbrough College’s STEM Centre, said: “Working with education providers to encourage more young people into the industry has always been one of our key commitments but the recent appointment of our training officer Theanna De Sancho has meant we can really invest resources into building the future talent pipeline.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see some of our more mature apprentices progressing through the ranks since they began their career with us. At the same time, it’s great to be able to give opportunities to new faces who have previous experience. For instance, we’re focusing on taking a multi-skilled approach with Liam Mackenzie and David Simpson who have just joined us to ensure they get more tool experience.”