Xylem apprenticeship scheme results in jobs for nine lucky engineers

Xylem Water Solutions have offered nine of their apprentices from the last intake, full-time engineer positions.

Worldwide, Xylem employ around 12,000 people and are dedicated to training new engineers to bridge the skills gap. In the UK, the company offers three to five year trade apprenticeships across a number of disciplines. Whilst the majority of these are as electricians, Xylem also offer apprenticeships in mechanical fitting.

The candidates learn basic skills in the college classroom following an established NVQ syllabus before using these skills in Xylem workshops or on subsequent site visits. An initial trade qualification can be obtained within three years but those wishing to obtain a higher technical qualification train for up to five years.

Gary Fitchett, Xylem service and rental operations manager, said: ‘The apprenticeship scheme provides an opportunity for individuals to learn and develop whilst gaining vital on-the-job experience with Xylem. It has been successful in ensuring appropriate skills are available to us in our specialized field.

‘There is a lack of skilled engineers in the UK and one way of ensuring we have an accomplished and expert workforce is to train them ourselves.

‘Completing an apprenticeship is only the beginning with Xylem as there are many opportunities to progress careers within the organisation. A number of our employees who were appointed after completing the scheme now hold supervisor and managerial positions.’

Peter Lewington, managing director of Xylem Water Solutions, said: ‘Having a strong employee development programme in place across our business is critical to our success, ensuring we have motivated and highly skilled people throughout our business.

‘The apprenticeship scheme is a great way for us to introduce talented new people into the business. They can train and develop the necessary skills to meet our high standards, while starting their working life as part of a great team.

‘We currently have five more apprentices in our organization who we hope to be able to offer full time positions to on completion of their training. As our business continues to grow, we hope to be able to extend our apprenticeship programme.’