Investing Today for Tomorrow’s Talent

Investing Today for Tomorrow’s Talent 

Our investment in training and development is paying dividends for us at Paralloy Group, whether that’s with new starters or more experienced members of our team. 

In just over two years, our UK apprentice numbers have rocketed from two to 39 as the result of a deliberate policy to develop and nurture the engineers of the future. Over the past 12 months alone, we have invested more than 1,400 hours in leadership training and over 7,500 hours in apprenticeships, T Levels and work experience. 

To ensure our apprentices receive high-quality guidance, we have also invested heavily in developing our wider workforce, enrolling more than 60 employees on management training courses over the past year. These programmes have enhanced the mentoring capabilities of our middle managers and team leaders, enabling them to effectively support apprentices through the critical early stages of their careers. 

As a result, we have not only met the UK criteria for membership of the prestigious, nationally recognised 5% Club, whose members aspire to have 5% of their workforce as apprentices, graduates or sponsored students. We have sailed past it. 

We have also been shortlisted for multiple honours, including the leadership and strategy category at the prestigious Manufacturer MX Awards. With 560 UK employees across Billingham, Middlesbrough and Sheffield, as part of our 1,000-strong European workforce, we are not stopping there. 

With our first intake of apprentices still excelling and subsequent recruits progressing brilliantly, our plan is to continue building a strong and sustainable talent pipeline. 

For our recruitment and training coordinator, Ian Ford, this progress is a real vindication of our belief in young talent and training: 

 
“We think some companies fear they’ll spend time and money on apprenticeships and not see the reward because people may move on. But for us, it’s about investing in the future. 

“Of the 39 apprentices we’ve taken on in the past two-and-a-bit years, we haven’t lost one. That statistic shows we’re doing it right.” 

We also hold gold standard accreditation from Next Gen Makers, a national community that helps employers develop and maintain successful apprenticeship schemes. 

These partnerships, along with glowing testimonials from our apprentices as part of the 5% Club application process, continue to make us an increasingly attractive option for the next generation of engineers. Those opportunities are set to grow, as we are always looking to expand our apprenticeship provision. 

“We’d like to at least maintain the percentage we’re at around 7% of our workforce, while introducing apprenticeships into new areas of the business. We’re working closely with colleges on initiatives like T Levels to see where departments can support learners. 

“We’ve also been able to place apprentices into areas of the business where we’d never previously considered them. In non-destructive testing (NDT), for example, we’re currently looking at two opportunities. In our technical department, we already have one degree-level apprentice and are likely to take on two more.” 

Our commitment to apprenticeships is reinforced by the fact that both our CEO, Robert McGowan, and CFO, Michael Dolan, began their own careers as apprentices. 

“We know how hard it is to find skilled labour on the open market. We’re unique in what we do, and we invest time and mentorship in those who are willing to learn and grow within the industry”. 

Our industry is facing an ageing workforce, which makes it essential that we invest in apprenticeships now. By doing so, we can harness the expertise already within our business to train and transfer critical skills to the next generation before that knowledge is lost. This approach ensures long-term sustainability and capability development.