Abbiegail Hill has been appointed by Voestalpine Metsec plc as part of the company’s commitment to bridging the skills gap and encouraging women to consider engineering and manufacturing roles. The scheme offers a fast-track approach and requires the apprentice to attend college four days a week with the remaining day spent on the job for the first six months of the course.
“We recognise the importance of diversity in the construction industry and therefore it is important that UK engineering, construction and manufacturing companies seek female talent going forward and ensure the next generation is fully aware of the exciting opportunities available,” said Stephen Giles, environmental, safety and training manager at Metsec. “Metsec is taking proactive steps to bring more women into the industry and we regularly attend local schools to initiate interest and discuss the options surrounding our work experience placements.”
Abbiegail Hill has been employed within the structural design department and will spend all of her course in full-time employment as an apprentice. This approach provides students with the relevant technical knowledge to excel when working on site and to achieve the NVQ Level 3 qualification more quickly in comparison to other schemes. At the end of her six months, Metsec will then recruit another student, while allowing the apprentice to move into a full time position.
“Apprenticeships are a key part of Metsec’s culture as they bring fresh ideas and ensure we’re a strong competitive force in the market, and we welcome Abbiegail to the team. She is now one of three apprentices working towards a career in our structural design department, with each student having their own specialism at the end of their course,” said Stephen.
This award winning scheme has seen more than 100 engineering apprentices join Metsec over the last two decades. Metsec apprentices have the opportunity to experience every aspect of the business and have access to the latest technology in the company’s state-of-the-art facility.
