Cammell Laird increases apprenticeship places by 25%
More than 700 young people have applied for this year’s apprenticeship programme at Cammell Laird’s Birkenhead shipyard. Tony McDonough reports
Merseyside shipyard and engineering business Cammell Laird is to increase its apprenticeship intake by 25% in 2020 with more than 700 young people applying for the roles.
Despite the challenges to the Birkenhead waterfront firm posed by the COVID-19 crisis it will take on 25 new apprentices this year – up from 20 in 2019. Cammell Laird has recruited almost 300 apprentices in the last 12 years.
Its apprenticeship programme is one of the biggest in the UK maritime industry, representing an investment of more than £19m to-date. More than 700 applications have been submitted for the 2020 programme, which will offer apprenticeships in welding, mechanics, pipefitting and plating.
Successful 2020 applicants will be given the opportunity to work on a wide variety of ships and vessels, and to be part of high-profile projects, gaining invaluable maritime experience. Recent apprentice cohorts, for example, have been involved with the RRS David Attenborough project, helping to develop one of the most advanced polar research vessels in the world.
During the four-year apprenticeship training programme, Cammell Laird supports its trainees to acquire high-level technical skills, strong problem-solving competencies and a flair for innovation.
Starting in November, the apprenticeships will be delivered in conjunction with The Engineering College, the most successful and wide-ranging provider of engineering apprenticeships and related training in Merseyside.
David McGinley, chief executive Cammell Laird Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders and Atlantic & Peninsula Marine Services, said: “We are determined to provide career opportunities to an increased number of people from the local area and our apprenticeship programme allows us to do this.
“Cammell Laird has both a rich history and an exciting future, and our apprentices play an essential role in helping to protect our heritage and forge our ongoing success. We are able to provide world-leading maritime experience on projects that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”