Young apprentices graduate from global firm

Over 60 guests attended, including Juergen Maier - Siemens UK & Ireland CEO, Mike Houghton - Managing Director of Process Industries & Drives (PD), placement managers, mentors and local scheme coordinators, as well as the parents of the graduating apprentices.

A Q&A session took place with the audience, but not before each graduate gave a presentation on their apprenticeship journey. The day concluded with Juergen Maier presenting the graduates with their certificates and delivering a speech which contained inspirational and sage advice for the graduates’ future careers.

All of the graduating apprentices undertook four-year Advanced Apprenticeships in Advanced Manufacturing, following slightly different pathways depending on the businesses areas they were involved in. Pathways included mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, engineering technical support and engineering operations.

The apprentices completed their on-the-job training at Siemens’ sites in Leeds, Manchester, Wythenshawe and Congleton and many of them will continue their studies with HNC or HND courses at colleges while also working for Siemens.

Jason Phin, Apprentice Scheme Coordinator – DFPD Manchester at Siemens UK & Ireland, commented: “Congratulations to all of our graduating apprentices. They have all done a fantastic job, some even completing their courses ahead of time. They should be very proud of themselves.”

He also said that the apprentices now have first-hand experience working for an industry-leading, international company which is involved in high-profile, innovative projects across the globe. This, combined with the theoretical knowledge apprentices obtain, makes them well-placed for a successful career in the future. Phin concluded: “As a company we should also be very proud of the efforts our staff in providing these young people with the opportunities and experiences that will help them in their future careers.” 

Siemens has plans to develop the training and development that they offer in Manchester by partnering with the University of Salford, which would enable them to offer a degree solution that incorporates its own PLC programming training accreditation.