In 2022 we relaunched our Engineering Apprenticeship Programme at Convatec. Working closely with Coleg Cambria we opted for the non-traditional route of apprentice recruitment; by initially sponsoring a number of students, visiting them regularly at college and hosting their work experience placements with us at our Deeside site. This has proved a great way for both Convatec and the students to get to know each other and allow all parties to make an informed decision when, after 6 months of sponsorship, one lucky student has earned the formal offer of becoming our apprentice and a valued member of our Engineering team.
Evan is our first Engineering Apprentice at Deeside in 12 years and his professionalism and drive for someone at only the beginning of their career, is a testament to himself and also the apprenticeship programme that has been developed.
Apprenticeships enable learners to grow with our business, moulding their behaviours and values to align with the high standards that Convatec deliver. There is a pride with nurturing the next generation of industry specialists, which is an emotion shared by the entire site team at Deeside. With new developments in technology being introduced, our path of employing engineering students from Coleg Cambria has brought with it an unexpected benefit. Evan is now our site SME for 3D Printing! We have recently purchased our new 3D printer, and with the aid of Evan’s college learnings, we have unlocked opportunities to use this new technology to improve our machine reliability (MTTF), reduce our repair times (MTTR) and support improvements of our machine efficiencies (OEE).
My career began as an Apprentice Engineer in the automotive industry. I was delighted to have been selected for an apprenticeship and have never looked back! The opportunity allowed me to develop my practical skills to achieve my NVQ3, whilst also supporting my academic journey through completion of ONC, HNC and a company sponsored Manufacturing Engineering Degree. This gave me the foundations to thrive in the engineering industry, with an enjoyable and stable career to follow. I have worked in various roles across the Automotive, Food and Pharmaceutical industries as I’ve progressed up the career ladder from an Apprentice Engineer to my current position of Engineering Manager at Convatec. All this would not have been possible without that initial critical decision to follow my path as an Apprentice.
