WEC Group Ltd Highly Commended at National Apprenticeship Awards
Darwen based WEC Group was once again recognised for their outstanding contribution to apprenticeships at the national Apprenticeship Awards in London.
The Awards, run by the National Apprenticeship Service, are now in their sixteenth year and showcase the diverse and growing range of sectors engaged with apprenticeships, whilst celebrating the achievements of outstanding apprentices, apprentice employers and individuals to inspire others to follow in their footsteps and champion apprenticeships across England.
WEC Group received highly commended in the British Army Award for Large Employer of the year 2019 after winning the award in the North West regional finals beating many larger organisations.
Kris Mercer, Training and Development Manager at WEC Group Ltd said “We are delighted that our dedication to our apprenticeship programme has once again been recognised. We are truly passionate about our apprentices and harnessing their talent to inspire further generations.
We recognise that offering Apprenticeships is vital to our future growth and closing the Engineering skills gap and we are very proud that we now have some of the best apprentices in the UK and the skills to compete internationally.”
One WEC Apprentice Group recently competed internationally and represented the UK at the WorldSkills Olympics in Russia after two years of intensive training. Tyler, 19, was the only apprentice in the UK to have been selected for the Construction Metalwork Category within the competition which was held in Kazan, Russia over the summer.
The training academy opened its doors in 2006 and has since skilled up over 150 apprentices in various advanced disciplines including welding and fabrication, mechanical engineering and CNC machining. WEC Group recognise and celebrate the endless benefits of apprenticeships and are constantly growing the training programmes within the organisation which now include office based programmes such as business and administration, IT and finance. The company also recently extended the apprenticeship programme to those over 25 which can provide workers with a route back into employment or change in career.
Kris added “Looking ahead, we are now forging ahead with plans to invest £1m in a new Training School. This will enable us to double our apprentice intake and boost local employment.”
WEC Group would like to express their gratitude to everyone who continues to make our apprenticeships a success. And thank you, most of all, to our talented apprentices themselves.
The National Apprenticeship Service
The National Apprenticeship Service supports the delivery of apprenticeships and traineeships in England.
It offers free impartial advice and support to employers looking to recruit for the first time or expand their apprenticeship and traineeship workforce. This includes simplifying the process of recruiting an apprentice or trainee through the support of employer focused teams and Find an apprenticeship and Find a traineeship recruitment sites on GOV.UK where employers can advertise their vacancies and potential apprentices or trainees can apply.
Call 08000 150 0400 or search for apprenticeships on www.gov.uk to find out more.
The National Apprenticeship Service challenged the nation’s top apprenticeship employers and apprentices to come forward and show how apprenticeships have made a real difference to them. Now in their sixteenth year, the National Apprenticeship Awards are an opportunity to highlight the many success stories and the benefits of apprenticeships.
About WEC Group Training Academy
WEC Group Training Academy is the only apprenticeship scheme of its type in the UK, offering traditional five year apprenticeships in welding/fabrication, CNC machining and technical support engineering as well as recently expanding to other areas of the company including business administration.
Our Training Academy was set up in 2006 to address the ongoing concern about the shortage of skilled engineers. Thirteen years on, we have created a loyal & highly-skilled workforce of 950 staff and apprenticeships have been an integral part of our success with over 150 apprentices coming through our doors since the academy opened its doors.
For more information or for pictures, please contact:
Louise Cross – Marketing & PR
E: louise.cross@wecl.co.uk
T: 01254 773 718