We would like to Congratulate Gabriella Long who is employed by WSP in Manchester, as she has been awarded a STEGTA Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance in Engineering Design & Draughtsperson.

We asked Gabriella how she felt about winning the award.

“I chose a career in engineering because I have always been inquisitive about the work of my parents as engineers and a career in engineering offered a practical approach to learning. I wanted to gain first-hand experience, with the bonus of doing something different to my peers.

I am supported by an excellent team of colleagues at WSP who have been incredibly helpful, giving up their time to teach me about designing and our role within Energy and have explained the technical side to engineering in a way that I am able to understand it and then apply that knowledge to my work.

Rick and Ayo, my STEGTA Training Officers have also been extremely supportive. When I started my Apprenticeship Rick was very friendly and helpful and took the time to explain what I needed to do and what was expected of me. When Ayo took over he arranged a meeting to introduce himself and go through what I had completed with Rick, he’s been very encouraging and willing to work to push me so I could meet the goals I had set myself.

I am proud of my work on HS2 where I was given the opportunity to broaden my engineering knowledge by working on a multi-disciplinary project. I am also proud that this project gave me the chance to pass on the skills I have learnt in my Apprenticeship to other colleagues who were new to the project.

I plan to complete my Apprenticeship by the end of this year and complete an AS level in maths to help me when I progress on to a Degree Apprenticeship with WSP. This will get me a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Structural Engineering and then I will progress onto a Masters.

One of the great things about doing an Apprenticeship with WSP is that I will be given the opportunity to do this degree and have the strain of financial burden removed”.

Gabriella’s Training Officer – Ayo Ojo commented:

“It has been an honour to work with Gabriella; the qualities she possess are glaring and very instrumental to her success on the programme so far. She forges good relationships effortlessly, challenges herself, speaks up in a timely manner whenever she is struggling, not afraid to troubleshoot, and most importantly; always looking for ways to improve her productivity. With these attributes, I know her future is going to be bright; and here is wishing Gabriella good health and a sound mind for greater things to come.”

We would like to Congratulate Amelia Flood who is employed by ARUP in Manchester, as she has been awarded a STEGTA Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance in Railway Engineering Design.

We asked Amelia how she felt about winning the award.

“I chose a career in engineering as I have always been intrigued in how things work mechanically and how the parts fit together to make a working component.

I liked the idea of innovation and constant evolution of the engineering industry and how it interfaces with everyday life for everybody.

The support I have received from STEGTA and people at work has been instrumental in my achievements so far.

Hugh has always ensured I’ve had the required progression at work to complete my NVQ and stick to a training plan and my manager at Arup has always been willing to cooperate and give me any support I have needed.

Over the past 2 years I have been working on Transpennine Route Upgrade, having learnt most of my knowledge on this project it is the one I am most proud to be part of and look forward to seeing it through to the end.

Since completing my Apprenticeship I have started studying at Sheffield Hallam University for BEng in Railway Engineering. As well as this I am now working towards my IEng status with the IET, hoping to then progress onto CEng”.

Amelia’s Training Officer – Hugh Mclay commented “Since Amelia started her Apprenticeship, she has worked extremely hard and has demonstrated a desire to learn along with perseverance and discipline. She is an excellent communicator with the ability to work independently and has completed her Apprenticeship within 2 years!

Amelia has represented her employer at various ‘Apprentice of the Year’ competitions and is thoroughly deserving of her STEGTA Excellence Award.

I wish her every success in her future studies and career”.

We would like to Congratulate Mark Poncia who is employed by Morson Group, as he has been awarded a STEGTA Excellence Award for Apprenticeship Mentoring.
We asked Mark how he felt about winning the award.

“I was delighted to hear that I had been awarded a STEGTA Excellence Award for Apprenticeship Mentoring! After learning the criteria, it was an honour to receive the award, reaffirming the strong relationship Morson have with STEGTA and the Apprentices

I have worked with Helen Wilson from STEGTA since the start of the Apprentices’ journey. Any questions, guidance and support regarding the learners work with STEGTA has been explained along the way.

I feel the role of Mentor has been a fundamental part of the Apprenticeship. I have been able to support and guide the Apprentices from the employer side as well as supporting them through each review meeting

We continue to monitor the Apprentices across their journey, looking at training and support needs. CAD training (at the start of their apprenticeship) and Excel training are two examples of additional support. The Apprentices are also given a structured plan at the start ensuring they have exposure to all the relevant departments within the organisation.

We are continually looking at reviewing the needs of the business. Across the Morson Group we train and employ in excess of 100 Apprentices in different parts of the business. We aim to continue the current Apprenticeship Programme with STEGTA, this has proven very successful”l.

Marks Training Officer – Helen Wilson commented “Mark took on this role about 18 months ago and has attended all reviews with learners at Darwen House without fail. He displays a friendly and approachable demeanour as has always helped out with any issues raised at reviews. Not only has he contacted colleges direct to ensure his learners have the best opportunity to learn, but he has provided positive feedback each review allowing learners to feel safe and looked after from a company perspective.

He has demonstrated integrity and works in a helpful yet conclusive manner making the relationship between training officer, learner and company work to a level of efficiency.

I have attended school functions with him and past learners going over and above our roles. This has allowed us to inform and select the best possible Apprentices to join STEGTA and Morson”.

We would like to Congratulate Jack Treacy who is employed by Mott Macdonald in Cambridge, as he has been awarded a STEGTA Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance in Building Services Engineering.

We asked Jack how he felt about winning the award.

Jack commented “In 2017, I decided to choose a career in Building Services Engineering due to a lecturer on my previous college course recommending it to me. After hearing this, instead of undertaking the direct university route to gain a Degree I decided to take the Apprenticeship route. Looking back now, it was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Mott MacDonald have been very supportive so far throughout my Apprenticeship giving me opportunities to produce designs on projects which I never thought I would be able to as an Apprentice, unfortunately the majority of these are official sensitive meaning I cannot go into too much detail. My training officer from STEGTA, Olga Dickson, has also been very helpful by keeping me up to date on the latest news from CIBSE informing me on what I need to do in order to complete my Apprenticeship.

My future plans are to complete the Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship which I am currently enrolled on and then progress onto the Higher Apprenticeship scheme where I can gain a degree and be another step closer to becoming chartered”.

Jacks Training Officer – Olga Dickson commented “Jack is a studious and hardworking Apprentice. He is inquisitive and keen to learn and never hesitates to contact me should he have any queries or questions about his training programme. He is a valued member of his team and enjoys being involved with any scheme or project that he is working on.

It is a pleasure to support Jack throughout his Apprenticeship and a joy to see his progression and passion for learning”.

My Journey since Leaving School

When I left school in 2008 I was always wanting to become an apprentice in the electrical sector. I struggled to find and apprenticeship so I went to college and spent 2 years getting my electrical installation qualifications full time. In my last year I was constantly trying to find apprenticeships out there as my next step up would be to get qualifications in the engineering background. I applied to STEGTA to help find an apprenticeship to start my career where I could earn money as well as gain industry recognized qualifications.

Mettler Toledo had a vacancy for an Advanced Electrical/Electronic Engineering Apprenticeship this is where I applied having to carry out a full interview/presentation day with a factory tour.

After being offered the vacancy my career now was on the roll and I knew I had the opportunity to set me up for life if I worked hard and passed all my college work and NVQ work.

During my 4 year apprenticeship I gained the following:

• BTEC Electrical/Electronic Engineering ONC
• BTEC Electrical/Electronic Engineering HNC
• NVQ Level 2 Electrical/Electronic Engineering
• NVQ Level 3 Electrical/Electronic Engineering
• Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship Certificate

Now I was set up for life with qualifications and 4 years engineering experience, I had been offered a job as a Final Test engineer, this is where we electrically and functionally test our products and sign them off to say they are fit for purpose before the product is delivered to the customer.

Due to my drive for success and always wanting to challenge myself I knew that I didn’t want to be doing this job for the rest of my life. I had covered team leaders whilst they were working away off site for 3 weeks at a time and supervised the production line during my apprenticeship. This short experience 100% sold me down the management path, rather than the technical development path such as heading over to research & development (R&D).

I expressed this to my team leader (Adam Moss) at the time, who was previously my apprentice mentor. I asked if I could firstly volunteer to help with the apprenticeship program and become an apprentice mentor with him. He took me onboard to help improve, support and restructure the apprenticeship program.

April 2018, I applied and was successful for a new job role/development opportunity which was the Team Leader Trainee Program (TLTP). With this new role my responsibilities included learning all the different leadership processes on the different production lines around the business. To support the team leader and performs leadership duties when the team leader is absent. I have also gained my ILM Level 3 management Qualification December 2018.

December 2018, a job vacancy was advertised “Depot Repair Team Leader”. This was a line that didn’t have a specific team leader and was having a complete re-structure with processes and team expansion. This was a line that needed to be started again with a clean slate. I applied for this role and was success full as this was another big step up the ladder in Mettler Toledo.

I have currently been working in this role for a month now and loving every minute of it. I have a team of 7 Depot Repair Engineers and all our apprentices also report to myself. I also still help mentor our apprentices with Adam Moss on a daily basis.

Overall I feel that I have set myself up for life, I can keep aiming to climb the ladder into senior management.

Without this apprenticeship, also my own hard work and commitment, I wouldn’t be able to have any of the following:

• Bought 4 bedroom house at the age of 21.
• Bought myself a brand new BMW when I was 21.
• Travelled to lots of exotic locations (Australia, Jamaica, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela and many more).
• Engaged to my fiancée Olivia.
• Expecting our first baby girl April 2019.

“Think smart and set your foundations for a successful and enjoyable future”

Adam Harris

Congratulations to Elliot Morris, Jack Woolmer and Brendan Moss

STEGTA Training Officer Helen Wilson awards the certificates to Elliot, Jack & Brendan who are employed at Mettler Toledo Safeline. Helen commented: ‘Apprentices are completing quickly, training plans are slick and NVQ’s are delivered with ease. This is down to a strong mentor, effective recruitment and a well-planned and monitored training scheme’ Well done all, I am very proud.’

Elliot says “I am really glad to complete my NVQ with Stegta, whilst completing it I have gained a number of skills and knowledge within the engineering field which will help me for the future. Thanks for the opportunity.”

Jack says: ‘Really glad to complete my NVQ as it has given me the opportunity to develop new skills, whilst gaining a qualification, that will assist me throughout my career’.

Brendan says: Feels great to finish my NVQ early as it gives me a chance to focus on my HNC at college, really appreciate the support that Helen and the rest of Stegta have provided me with, thank you for the opportunity!

Adam Moss, mentor for all 3 learners is very proud! Adam said “To say I am proud of the efforts of Brendan, Elliot and Jack is an understatement. What these three have achieved over just over two years is amazing. To have their NVQ completed while attending college and a full time apprenticeship takes a lot of dedication, showing professionalism and hard work. Our apprentices have a target to complete their NVQ within three years and these three were able to hand their portfolios at the end of their second year. Credit to all of them and they can now concentrate on their further studies. Brendan, Elliot and Jack have shown a mature and professional attitude in the way they conduct themselves on a day-to-day basis throughout all departments of the business. As a company we see a great future for the three of them in mechanical roles, also excellent role models for the younger apprentice generation within MT Safeline. Credit must also go to Helen Wilson who helped guide these young professionals through their NVQ building a great mutual relationship, setting and helping them achieve their targets”.

Earlier this year, we announced our 2018 STEGTA Excellence Award Winners.

We asked John how he initially began his career in training & also his proudest achievements during his tenure at STEGTA.

My initial interest in engineering began aged 14 where I was a member of the Gorse Hill Boys Brigade. I was assisting with the support of the Junior section and worked alongside the Officer who was teaching Electronics. I found it really interesting and decided from this early age that this was something I wanted to pursue as a career.

After completing my exams and leaving Secondary school, I started with EITB (Engineering Industry Training Board). This comprised of 1 year off the job training at North Trafford College which included Electrical, Electronics, Turning, Milling and Fabrication & Welding. After completing, I began work as a second year Apprentice at GEC Traction based in Trafford Park who at the time had around 15,000 staff on site.

After I came out of my time, I was still keen to learn and wanted to further my knowledge. I soon became the first Craft Apprentice in the company to undertake and complete a HNC in Electrical Engineering.

A fellow colleague who was an internal Training Instructor was preparing to leave the company and encouraged me to apply for the job. I applied and was successful which meant that aged 23, I became the youngest Training Instructor at the company. I taught Electrical/Electronic Engineering full time to groups of up to 15 Apprentices from the GEC Group of companies on site at the Training Centre.

After 7 years as a Training Instructor, I took redundancy and seen a vacancy at STEGTA as a Training Officer which I decided to apply for. I’d seen STEGTA at Careers Events and knew a little bit about what they did. I decided to apply for the role and was offered the position. My new role evolved and I soon became involved in other parts of the organisation such as sourcing new business, contract management and dealing with the funding claim. After 5 years at STEGTA, I became Chief Executive designate with a 5 year succession plan eventually taking over as CEO in 2003.

During this time, I led the organisation through various accreditations including TSC (Training Standards Council) and ALI (Adult Learning Inspectorate) which we would now recognise as an OFSTED inspection. We became one of the first Training Providers in the country to achieve a Grade 1 for Trainee support.
I’m pleased to say that STEGTA has grown substantially over the last few years and we currently support around 600 Apprentices, with 180 employers and have partnerships with 30 Colleges across England.

During my career, I’m proud to have provided Mentorship to other CEO’s and supported other Training Providers through OFSTED inspections and other accreditations. I’m also proud to have some of my ex Apprentices as STEGTA Training Officers and to still be in touch with some of my Apprentices from GEC Traction. Some of the children of my Apprentices are now also working towards an Apprenticeship with us!

It’s really rewarding to see their career progression and I’m pleased to have played a small part in their journey.

We are pleased to announce that we have been reaccredited with the matrix Standard

The matrix Standard is a unique quality standard for organisations to assess and measure their advice and support services, which ultimately supports individuals in their choice of career, learning, work and life goals.

Learners commented on how the support had helped them to develop such qualities and behaviours: I developed skills not just for work, but for life; Improved my communication and teamwork no end; I’m much more confident in a group; I’ve got a clear career plan now; I think I’m more responsible now as a person.

Thank you to the Apprentices, Employers and our Training Partners that supported us through the process.

ISO 27001
In May 2018, we were also accredited with ISO 27001.

ISO 27001 is an Information Security Management accreditation and certification demonstrates that we have systems in place to protect corporate information and data, whether this is online or offline

We would like to Congratulate Graham Nicholson who is employed by Proline Engineering Ltd as he has been awarded the STEGTA Excellence Award for Mechanical Engineering. Pictured with Graham is Managing Director for Proline is Ivan Wroe.

We asked Graham how he felt about winning the award:

“I would like to thank Proline Engineering and STEGTA for this opportunity. The Apprenticeship was really interesting & I have met some great people along my journey. Although I struggled with elements of my Apprenticeship, with the support of Proline & my Training Officer Ian Coward, I managed to complete the Apprenticeship to a high standard. “

STEGTA Training Officer Ian Coward commented:

“Graham began his Advanced Apprenticeship at Proline Engineering at age 17, and was initially struck by the amount of work required of him in order to successfully complete the qualification. He commenced with his practical training and he attended Wigan & Leigh College to complete the BTEC in Engineering over the next 2 years. During his time in College he found the work well within his capabilities and he passed with Merit & Distinctions. His company encouraged him to progress onto the HNC and even though he had some difficulties on his journey he was able to bring his work up to standard, and complete all the necessary assignments and course work. He passed with Merits, and is now responsible in company for complex component manufacture, and assisting the new company apprentices. Well done Graham!”