With recent reports of a fall in the number of students enrolling in further education (FE) colleges in Wales and an ongoing shortage of engineering skills, Magor Designs Limited has confirmed that it will continue to invest in its’ highly coveted 4-year apprenticeship scheme.
The Resolven based engineering and automation company, which employs a team of over fifty people, has a loyal and motivated workforce; with many staff members having joined the company in the 1970’s and 80’s and more than a third having worked together for the last 15 years.
Jason Morris, shop floor supervisor at Magor Designs, explained, “Like me, the majority of our team started their working life as an apprentice toolmaker.
“We were each given the opportunity to gain specialist skills and to build a rewarding career in design engineering, precision tooling, automation, electronic control systems, robotics and much more.
“It is great news that we are able to exchange information and knowledge with young apprentices who have the right attitude and aptitude to develop high level skills in these key areas.”
With growing demand from customers for the design and manufacture of precision tooling, robotic beams and special purpose machines for use in new and existing production lines, the challenge is to build on the capacity and capability that the firm has developed over the years.
The latest recruits, Aaron Protheroe and Kieran Thomas, were welcomed into the traditional apprenticeship scheme this month by their supervisors and mentors as well as fellow apprentices Kylum Austin, Damian Young, Owen Davies, Mark Evans, Jason Griffiths and Joseph Turner.
The work-based learning programme, designed to develop the essential skills required to become a ‘time-served’ toolmaker, gives the apprentices an opportunity to study for a formal qualification while they gain practical experience and an understanding of the field of engineering and automation.
The company values the strong links it has developed with further education colleges across South Wales, with apprentices choosing to study at an FE college near their homes in Caerphilly, Gorseinion, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath and Port Talbot.
Over the years, the engineering and automation market has evolved; with UK manufacturers selecting toolmakers with the skills and capacity to design, manufacture and install bespoke engineering and automation solutions that cost-effectively address their production and assembly line challenges in a cost and time effective manner.
Magor Designs has responded to this demand by continuously investing in its’ people, with the modern apprenticeship scheme helping to attract high quality candidates with an ambition to grow and develop.
The exchange of information between the apprentices, their tutors and the their mentors combined with the introduction of fresh, up-to-date knowledge, has improved the competitiveness of the business and helped the company achieve sustained growth.
Ewan McConnell, managing director of Magor Designs concluded, “We are proud of all our apprentices and their individual achievements. They are the faces of our future.”
