A drive to recruit new apprentices to leading trailer and body manufacturer Cartwright Group has been hailed a success.
Scores of young hopefuls attended the first batch of assessment days held at the company’s Altrincham factory in its quest to recruit 40 apprentices by the end of this month.
Julie Holden, HR Manager at the firm, said company management had met with a number of high calibre candidates, many of whom are expected to start their apprenticeships in the coming weeks.
But she said there were still some vacancies on the two-year scheme and urged anyone interested in an apprenticeship with the company, whose manufacturing portfolio stretches back more than 60 years, to get in touch.
Earlier this year the apprenticeship scheme received its first female engineers through the door. Julie said Cartwright was particularly keen for other ladies to join.
Speaking of the assessment days she added: “We had an excellent response, with attendees coming from Stockport and from further afield.
“Those who attended took part in a series of assessments designed to give them a flavour of life at Cartwright.
“These included workshop activities, teamwork activities and theoretical skills. We also took them on a tour of the whole factory and this in particular went down very well – the chance to see first-hand where they could be working, what they could be doing and who they could be working with, and to experience a first-hand glimpse of every stage of the manufacturing process.”
Held in partnership with Cartwright’s newly-appointed training provider SETA (Stockport Engineering Training Association) this was the first in a series of apprentice recruitment events between now and November. Further to the current intake, Cartwright is planning to take on another 30 to 40 apprentices in September, with a further 20 to 30 planned for November.
Cartwright is among the UK’s leading trailer and body manufacturers, operating out of 400,000 sq ft of factory and office space which is situated on a 39 acre site in Altrincham. It also operates a further eight sites across Britain as part of its rentals and fleet divisions.
Now in its fourth year, Cartwright’s apprenticeship scheme has mirrored the company’s success.
Among the most ambitious schemes of its kind in the industry, the award-winning scheme leads to an NVQ Level 2 Engineering apprenticeship, with the opportunity to progress to Level 3 and ultimately HND level.
Cartwright’s retention rates are also well above average with the company making a conscious effort to maintain the necessary skill sets required to continue driving the business forward.
To find out more about Cartwright and its apprenticeship scheme log on to www.cartwright-group.co.uk/apprenticeships