TPi July 2019

Business & market news

Superior apprentice boosts workforce Seventeen-year-old Holly Dore is set to become an apprentice in September at Superior, based in Ferndown, Dorset, UK. She is currently studying for her A-levels in physics, biology, chemistry and Level 3 core maths at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne.

Superior is a manufacturer of O-rings and seals, with its own company-run apprenticeship training academy and engineering workshop. In 2009, the company recognised a skills shortage in the local area and established the Apprenticeship Academy in 2012 to ensure the skills base it requires can be found in the next workforce. Apprentices can gain a degree through the academy and have the opportunity to progress into management and leadership roles across the business. Superior ensures that it invests early in future and aspiring engineers and scientists by offering valuable work experience placements in the academy, No.1 IN STAINLESS STEEL PIPECLAMPS www.nibrobv.nl

as well as tours for parents, teachers and students. The team also gives presentations during school assemblies, and supports schools with introducing engineering qualifications. Before signing up for an apprenticeship, Ms Dore joined the team at Superior for work experience, so that she could find out more about the company. Some of her feedback is detailed below. When did you start your work experience at Superior? I had three days of work experience in 2018 and then came back for three more days in April 2019. How did you hear about Superior? At our school we have an apprenticeship fair, so there are loads of different companies there. I went round to speak to the different companies, and the Superior team were really nice. I asked if they offered work experience and they said that they did. Superior also runs the ‘QEube’ event at my school’s annual ACE Festival, which is a sports and charity event. What did you do on your work experience? Last year I made a brass G-clamp and a G-clamp screw, and then I made several screws of different types to see which one is best. This year, I was involved in solving a real engineering problem, where parts were getting stuck on a sensor. We made a small acrylic guard for the machine, which was then given to the quality team to test. We made it Holly Dore during her work experience, with Superior training manager Liam Stratten

using the CNC mill and tested it, where we realised that it needed another groove and so we re-wrote the program that I drew for the machine. We also made an O-ring jig using a manual lathe. I was using the program on the computer for the CNC lathe, so you draw the program on the computer and then it will make the part for you. The training manager has been helping me during my work experience; I got to walk around and see what other people were doing in different departments. I am proud of everything that I have done, as I wouldn’t get to do any of it normally. Would you recommend work experience to other young people? I think work experience is really valuable. Before I came to Superior, I knew that I wanted to work in engineering and I’ve always been interested in science, but it’s quite a broad term, so I wasn’t sure what that entailed and what parts I would enjoy. Now that I have finished the work experience, I realise that this is something I really want to do. In September, you will join Superior’s in-house academy. What made you choose to go onto an apprenticeship? An apprenticeship made more sense to me because you can gain a degree with Superior and you can learn practical skills rather than just sitting in a lecture hall at university, and you get to do it within a company. Superior Group Ltd – UK www.superiorltd.com

Made in The Netherlands - Delivery from stock - diameter 6mm to DN1200 European Stainless steel - excellent t by double bending technique - also available with welding stift, nut or thread - polished or non polished

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL July 2019

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