Global wind power leader Siemens Gamesa has employed five apprentices from Hull’s Ron Dearing UTC.
The company, which has world-class wind turbine manufacturing, assembly and logistics operations at Alexandra Dock in Hull, is a Founding Partner of the school and has employed a total of seven apprentices since 2019.
Of those employed this year, four production apprentices are based at the Hull Blade Factory on Alexandra Dock while completing their studies with training and consultancy company CQM, and one construction apprentice is undergoing her training at Airco in Goulton Street, west Hull, before working on offshore wind turbine sites.
Kavin Horncastle, Ben Skoof, Lewis Stevenson and Harvey Atkins, all 18, are completing their two-year production apprenticeships and will rotate around various departments during their training, while Lucy Good, also 18, is completing a four-year construction apprenticeship.
Lewis, who achieved a Distinction in Double Engineering at Ron Dearing UTC and will also bolster his apprenticeship with one day per week at college from next year, said: “I’m involved in preparing the wind turbine blades before they’re fully finished, including repairing moulds and laying fibre glass and filters.
“I knew I wanted an apprenticeship because I want to learn valuable skills on the job while earning money and working in a real life environment is the best place to do that.
“Siemens Gamesa is a great company to work for and everyone is very supportive. I’d like to progress as much as possible here and get a job in the engineering department after my apprenticeship.
“As a Ron Dearing UTC student, I learnt the manufacturing side of engineering alongside the theory, which has really helped me in my apprenticeship.”
Lucy hopes to work as a Wind Turbine Technician on wind farms in countries including Germany and Denmark and is also studying via North Lindsey College in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, as part of her apprenticeship.
Lucy, who achieved a Distinction in Triple Engineering at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “I’m training to be an electrician to service wind turbines.
“I’m currently learning about health and safety, first aid and working at heights, and I’ve already worked with plugs, sockets and one and two-way circuits.
“While it’s a male-dominated industry, this hasn’t been a problem for me at all, and I want to travel the world with this job and show that other women can do the same.
“Ron Dearing UTC is a great place to study and I learnt so much which has been transferable to my apprenticeship. I’m really enjoying it so far.”
Siemens Gamesa is a leader in the renewable energy industry, working to provide the world’s best offshore and onshore wind turbines and services.
The company regularly sets employer-led projects for Ron Dearing UTC students, enabling them to learn manufacturing processes as part of their studies.
Staff also volunteer their time to run employability skills workshops, including mock interviews and showing students how to process data to support manufacturing and decision making.
Andy Sykes, Plant Director at Siemens Gamesa, said: “It’s vitally important we engage and inspire the next generation. Our partnership with Ron Dearing UTC is going from strength-to-strength and it gives students a fantastic grounding in readiness for work.
“I was incredibly impressed by the apprentices’ approach and interview skills and it gives me a great deal of confidence that they understand what it takes to be successful.
“The feedback from their managers has been very positive and I’m looking forward to them being able to apply their learning.”