Value of apprenticeships proven by senior appointment at Cressall

Andrew Keith, an alumnus of Loughborough University, has been appointed as technical manager at Cressall Resistors . Keith will be taking the reins of the technical department following the incumbent manager’s retirement. The flourishing partnership between Cressall Resistors and the local institutions of higher education has led to a successful career progression for Keith as well as a number of other graduates in apprentice schemes.

Cressall Resistors has been collaborating with local universities for six years and during each one it has employed at least two new undergraduates who are completing placements during their degree.

At the moment, there are four graduates working for the company who first worked there during their industrial placement years and two who are currently completing degrees in this way. The fruitful collaboration between the organizations stands as testimony to the importance of industrial experience in today’s labour market.

After completing a successful placement with Cressall, Keith went back to University for his final year, benefitting from a scholarship provided by the resistor manufacturer.

Following his graduation from Loughborough, Keith was offered a full time position with Cressall and has remained with the company since. During this time, he has been involved in the design and development of water cooled braking resistors and was instrumental in stringent resistor testing for a variety of customers including Alstom, ABB and Areva.

Keith, who also holds an MEng in Electrical Engineering, said, “Regardless of whether I had come back to Cressall after finishing my course, the experience gained during my placement year was invaluable for my personal and professional development. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to participate in such a scheme.”

Peter Duncan, managing director of Cressall, explained the secret of the company’s successful programme. “Our close ties with universities and a clear progression path for graduates have always been at the core of our schemes. We believe in retaining talented people by challenging them and helping them develop professionally. This is genuinely how we are finding our leaders for tomorrow.”