A Midlands-headquartered business that is based on protecting steel against rust and corrosion is giving a new generation of workers the chance to prove their metal.
Willenhall-based Wedge Group Galvanizing, which operates a network of 14 hot dip galvanizing plants across the UK, has recruited three new apprentices and announced plans to create a number of additional placements as part of its ongoing commitment to workforce training and development.
William Etchells has joined as an engineering apprentice and will learn his trade working with Warren Bulger, Group Works Engineer, at Wedge Group. Michael Simms has taken up a similar engineering placement at Birmingham-based Hasco-Thermic Ltd, the firm’s dedicated manufacturer of galvanizing plant and equipment, while Leanne Thomas has also been taken on as an administration apprentice at the company’s Worksop Galvanizing plant in Nottinghamshire.
All three roles are expected to become full-time positions upon successful completion of the apprenticeships, which are being delivered in conjunction with SEMTA, the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies.
A number of additional engineering and administration opportunities are expected to be created throughout the Wedge Group during the months to come, including engineering apprenticeships at the firm’s plants in Humberside and Bradford starting in the autumn.
“Galvanizing is a particularly specialised industry requiring a highly-skilled workforce, and our ongoing commitment to apprenticeships is just one of the ways that ensure we can develop and improve these skills in-house,” Colin Leighfield, Operations Director of Wedge Group Galvanizing, explained.
“To remain successful, we need to nurture new talent, and these apprenticeships also give the opportunity for young, ambitious, and enthusiastic individuals like William, Michael and Leanne to gain vital practical work experience at the same time as continuing with their education.”