Two keen apprentices have been taken on by an historic Birmingham engineering company thanks to employment courses they completed with PTP Training.
Jake Westwood, aged 23, and Kaine Allen, aged 18, who are both from Walsall, have been taken on by Midland Tank & Ironplate Co Ltd (MTI) to complete engineering apprenticeships.
The appointments came after they successfully completed Work Skills courses with PTP Training, which trades as Performance Through People and arranges and runs hundreds of apprenticeships a year at employers across the region.
MTI was founded in 1915 to construct water tanks to fit on camels’ backs and is now a 4th generation family business that focuses on sub-contracted manufacturing and sheet metal fabrication.
Kevin Newell, training centre manager at PTP, which is part of the BCTG Group, said: “Jake started off undertaking a Level 1 Performing Engineering Operations course with PTP Training.
“His keenness shone through and we were pleased to welcome him back onto the Black Country Impact-funded Level 2 Work Skills course.
“Kaine also joined us on the Work Skills course where they both undertook work in CV-writing, job applications, teamwork and producing a product.
“Both showed themselves to be good candidates for an apprenticeship and we were delighted for them when they gained the opportunity to apply for the role of apprentice engineering operatives with MTI.”
“MTI provides an excellent opportunity for them to learn and practice a wide range of engineering skills to support their apprenticeship from producing blanks, forming, welding and finishing operations.”
Mr Newell added: “With such great outcomes for our learners it makes the work we do at PTP Training all the more worthwhile.”
Both Jake and Kaine explained that their interest in their new apprenticeships had come from various members of their families who had worked in engineering.
Jake said: “My dad and grandad had both worked in engineering, and the courses I took at PTP enabled me to get my placement with MTI, where I’m enjoying learning to handle a variety of different machines.”
Kaine said: “I joined a course with PTP and learned everything that I could before getting this apprenticeship with MTI, where everyone’s been really welcoming.
“Lots of people in my family went into engineering and I’m now learning how to use machines to make things and will be trained in things like how to weld properly to follow them into this career.”
Noel Turner, a manager at MTI, which is based in Heneage Street, Duddeston, said: “We had an initial meeting with PTP’s apprenticeships team and were impressed with the background learning they delivered to trainees.
“We’re now delighted to have Jake and Kaine with us and look forward to helping them acquire the high-quality engineering skills that MTI has been delivering to clients for more than 100 years.”
“We’re pleased to see our Impact participants follow their aspirations with the great training services from PTP. Both Kaine and Jake have achieved great things through their journey with Black Country Impact and everyone on the team is thrilled to see them thrive in something they enjoy! If you would like to see what Black Country Impact could do for you, please contact us at 01922 654364”
For further information, please contact:
Gill Durkin, business development director, PTP Training, Essex Terrace, Intown, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 1SQ. Telephone: 03332 408302 Email: gilld@ptp-training.co.uk Website: www.ptp-training.co.uk
Prepared and issued by Steve Dyson of ASAP PR – 01789 490786.
Note to editors:
PTP Training Ltd is part of the BCTG Group, a West Midlands-based training organisation which supports almost 10,000 young people and adults each year.
The group has ten sites in Birmingham, the Black Country, Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and includes The Apprenticeship Works, BCTG Ltd, Eurosource Solutions and Further Training.
Overall, the group offers 166 different types of apprenticeship, 84 different adult upskilling and reskilling courses and 27 pre-apprenticeship programmes for 16 to 18-year-olds. These include everything from healthcare and early years care to construction, engineering, manufacturing and logistics, through to business skills in IT, management and team leading.
Black Country Impact, is funded via European Social Fund, Community Lottery and Match funding from partners.
