Arden supports National Apprenticeship Week 2021

Posted on: Monday, February 8th, 2021

The Arden Group is once again backing this year’s National Apprenticeship Week amid two apprentice success stories amongst our workforce.

This week is National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from February 8-14, and the theme for this year’s event is ‘Build The Future’ which encourages people to consider how apprenticeships can help young people to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and employers to build a workforce with future-ready skills.

Arden apprentice alumni Josh Wheeler and Lewis Catchpole are certainly building themselves a bright future after graduating from their apprenticeships.

Josh, aged 21, is a Maintenance Engineer, looking after Arden’s plant equipment and machinery. He joined the team in 2017, studying at Tameside College one day a week.

He’s now completed both his mechanical and electrical engineering apprenticeships, achieving a Btec Level 3 in both, meaning he’s now classed as ‘multi-skilled’ in the maintenance engineering sector.

Josh had his mind set on an apprenticeship from a young age. He said: “I’ve never thought of doing anything other than an apprenticeship. My family are engineers and that’s the way people usually get into it.

“I’d recommend an apprenticeship to anyone, but they are what you make of them.  You get out what you put in and you have to work hard at it. Now I’ve completed the apprenticeship courses, I’m working on gaining more individual qualifications which will help me progress within specialist areas of engineering.”

Lewis, aged 21, joined Arden four years ago as an apprentice die-maker. Alongside the hands-on training with our experienced die-making team, he’s been studying for a HNC in mechanical engineering at Tameside College.

Lewis is due to complete the HNC in May and is on track for a distinction, and has already got his sights set on doing a HND next.

He said: “I wanted to learn while I was working and an apprenticeship felt like the best route for me. It’s provided me with the training, skills and support I need to succeed in my career, and I’m earning at the same time.

“I’d certainly recommend the apprenticeship route to people who want to earn while they’re learning and avoid the university debt. I also believe an apprenticeship offers a more level playing field to get into the industry you’re interested in as it doesn’t require the highest grades unlike college and university.”

The Arden Group, which comprises our die-making, Engraving and Software divisions, runs a successful apprenticeship programme, particularly within our die-making arm, where apprentices learn everything they need to know about the die-making industry covering a range of disciplines including CAD, CNC machine tools and quality.

Martin Poynter, Managing Director of the Arden Group, said: “We’d like to congratulate Lewis and Josh on the successful completion of their apprenticeships – we’ve watched them both grow and develop their skills in the four years they’ve been with us and they’ve become a real asset to the Arden Team.

“Here at Arden, we’re strong advocates of the apprenticeship route which has huge benefits for both apprentices and businesses. Young people can gain valuable skills, experience and qualifications while still taking home a wage, while it enables businesses to build their future workforce.

“We’d urge any young people who are thinking about an apprenticeship to consider the packaging and print industries. From mechanical engineering to software development, this sector provides a wealth of opportunities for young people to build themselves a bright career within a booming industry.”

The Arden Group is planning to take on more apprentices later this year.