Kestrel is helping to tackle youth unemployment in Scunthorpe by recruiting four new apprentices at its head office and manufacturing facility based in the town.
The building products manufacturer is giving the four apprentices, aged 16-19 and from the local area, the opportunity to learn vital on-the-job skills as part of a four-year Engineering Apprenticeship working towards a HNC or NVQ qualification. The apprentice training is provided by Humberside Engineering Training Association.
The new starters - two of whom are specialising in electrical engineering; another in fabrication and welding engineering; and the fourth, mechanical engineering - will work alongside experienced Kestrel mentors while also attending classroom sessions to support their development.
Derek Whale, Kestrel’s operations manager, said: “Apprenticeships give young people the chance to gain practical skills, spend time in a working environment and earn a wage. As a company we want to invest in the future of our business and the industry as whole, on-the-job training programmes and apprenticeships allow us to do that.
“The UK’s latest unemployment figure stands at 2.5m and with Scunthorpe MP Nic Dakin expressing concern that people in the area are being pushed into life-long unemployment, we feel that, as one of the largest employers in the region, it is our duty to help drive down these statistics and invest in the future of Scunthorpe.”
