Member Article

Pearson Engineering Services Invests in Apprentices

Pearson Engineering Services (PES), part of the Reece Group of Companies, has appointed four new apprentices onto its apprenticeship scheme.

Three of the new starters, Jamie Young, 23, from Gosforth, Kyle Duggan, 16, from Morpeth and Matthew Adams, 17, from Walkerville will study full time at South Tyneside College for the first year of their four year apprenticeship in Fabrication & Welding before joining PES’s 22 other apprentices currently in training on site. The fourth, Kieran Allan, 20, from Hebburn, has already completed his first year of training and he will be working on the shop floor and attending college on a day release basis.

PES, based on the banks of the River Tyne in Walker, was established in 1956 and currently employs more than 200 people. It specialises in high quality precision steel fabrication for the defence and sub-sea sectors and has recently invested in aluminium processing equipment which will enable it to target new markets.

The company has been employing apprentices for more than 25 years but relaunched its apprenticeship scheme in earnest five years ago to ensure a steady pipeline of skilled trades people to meet a rapidly burgeoning market for defence fabrication. It has put more than 32 apprentices through its scheme since that time and attributes the success of its apprenticeship programme to the support of its highly skilled workforce.

In a further demonstration of its commitment to the upskilling of young people and the region, PES is funding the academic fees of two of the new apprentices as they are over 19 and therefore not eligible for the usual government financial support.

Roger Anderton, managing director, explained the rationale behind this decision:

“We picked the best candidates from all of those applying and the funding of academic fees is not an issue if we are certain that the applicants are keen to develop their skills and embark on a career in engineering.”

“Pearson Engineering needs a highly skilled workforce to meet the stringent UK MoD and international defence standards demanded by our clients. Our apprenticeship programme ensures that we can continue to deliver the technical excellence we are renowned for throughout the world.”

Brian Rowe, curriculum leader at South Tyneside College and himself a former employee of PES is quick to acknowledge the exceptional level of dedication shown both by the company and its apprentices, saying:

“The high level of enthusiasm and willingness to learn shown by all Pearson Engineering Services apprentices is always apparent and this new intake is no exception.

“Over the past few years we have seen Pearson apprentices go on to win a number of national apprenticeship competitions which is testament to the commitment of the apprentices and the company towards achieving engineering excellence.”

PES has a strong policy towards lifelong learning and encourages all of its apprentices to continue their development through further education and onto HNC programmes. Financial support of 50% of fees is given with full reimbursement of fees being made to the employee upon successful completion of the qualification.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mandy Peel .