MPs impressed as HETA’s young engineers collect awards
Picture shows (from left) Nic Dakin MP, Gregory Mell, Matthew Dale, Iain Elliott and Melanie Onn MP.
MPs from Grimsby and Scunthorpe promoted the opportunities for young people to pursue careers in engineering as they joined a leading training provider for its annual awards.
Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby, and Nic Dakin, MP for Scunthorpe, drew on the first-hand experience of their visits to Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA) to praise the achievements of the company, its apprentices and its partner employers.
Melanie recalled her visit to HETA’s facilities at CATCH, Stallingborough and highlighted its status as a venue for the engineering heats in the Worldskills challenge.
She said: “It is fantastic to have an established and respected training provider like HETA on our doorstep. Young people, boys and girls, are more aware than ever of the importance of their education and the need to get the right skills and training to prepare them for the world of work.
“HETA gives them the chance to qualify in their chosen field while earning at the same time. Many young people are worried about incurring high levels of student debt if they decide to go to university. Opting for an apprenticeship is a way of getting the qualifications, with real-life work experience and without stacking up the debt.
“Through having excellent relationships across business, HETA helps to open up all those engineering opportunities that exist in the local area in the petro-chemical, pharmaceutical, food processing, port operations and off shore wind industries.
Nic, who has visited HETA’s Foxhills site at Scunthorpe, added: “I was very impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm of the apprentices I met. The recruitment and training of young engineers is crucial to the future of UK industry particularly to our area, which has a proud history of engineering through steel and ports and is on the crest of an exciting future as the energy estuary where these skills will be equally important.”
HETA invites apprentices, their families and the company’s employer partners to annual award evenings on both sides of the Humber. This year’s awards are a double celebration as the organisation also celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Malcolm Joslin, Chair of the HETA Trustees, congratulated the apprentices on completing their first year with the organisation and urged them to spread the word about opportunities in engineering.
He said: “Please tell others about the benefits and opportunities that apprenticeships can provide. HETA works very hard with schools and colleges but it is important that young people get a clear picture of all possible options, and family and friends can help with that.”
Scunthorpe award winners
Most Improved Electrical Apprentice (sponsored by Total) – Laura Codlin.
Overall Electrical Apprentice (Sponsored by ABP) – Harry Wall.
Most Improved Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by Anglia) – William Slowen.
Overall Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by Lenzing) – Luke Grundy.
Most Improved Machining Apprentice (sponsored by Wienerberger) – Justin Pargeter.
Overall Machining Apprentice (sponsored by Wienerberger) – Marley Palmer.
Overall Apprentice (sponsored by Wren Kitchens) – Gregory Mell.
Excellence in Health & Safety (sponsored by ArcMaster) – Lewis Hirst.
Stallingborough award winners
Most Improved Electrical Apprentice (sponsored by Knauf) – Gregg Cook.
Overall Electrical Apprentice (Sponsored by Lenzing) – Daniel Cook.
Most Improved Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by Knauf) – Callum Teanby.
Overall Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by ABP) – Benjamin Palmer.
Most Improved Wind Turbine Apprentice – Callum Ely.
Overall Wind Turbine Apprentice – Jack Kershaw.
Most Improved Fabrication Apprentice (sponsored by Anglia) – George Patchett.
Overall Fabrication Apprentice (sponsored by Anglia) – Christopher Hodge.
Most Improved Instrumentation Apprentice – Connor Rymell-Tuff.
Overall Instrumentation Apprentice (sponsored by Cristal) – Joshua Plaskitt.
Overall Apprentice (sponsored by On Line Design) – Matthew Dale.
Excellence in Health & Safety (sponsored by CATCH) – Oliver Franklin.
Additional recognition awards
Outstanding Achievement Award (sponsored by Rocol) – Joe Smith.
IMechE Award of Excellence (sponsored by IMechE) – Gregory Mell.
