Egger has added seven recruits to its new apprenticeship programme. The new starters started their time at Egger by planting a tree in the Barony factory’s ‘apprentice forest’.
Ben Menzies and Blair Nicholl join as electrical apprentices, Jamie Kennedy and Darren McGuckin join as mechanical apprentices, Lewis Symonds and Sam McKee join as manufacturing apprentices and Robbie Brown joins as a stores apprentice.
The apprenticeships at Egger lead to a Level 3 Scottish Vocational Qualification, with the potential to go on and achieve a degree.
Heiko Lichtblau, plant director at Egger Barony in East Ayrshire, said: “We are delighted to welcome our new apprentices to the team. Over 20% of our current workforce joined Egger Barony as an apprentice, which illustrates our ongoing commitment towards the development of our employees.
“Our apprentice forest recognises the first step of our apprentices’ career, and like the trees, we can watch them grow alongside our business.”
In 2019/20, Egger Barony won three awards for its successful apprenticeship programme. It received an Ayrshire Business Award for developing Ayrshire’s Young Workforce, an S1jobs award for Best Employer Training and Development, and the Skills Development Scotland Scottish Apprenticeship Award for SME Apprentice Employer of the Year.