Steelwork contractor Caunton Engineering has marked 20 years of training welders and fabricators by unveiling a revamped academy at the heart of its Nottingham factory.
More than 100 apprentices have passed through the Caunton Academy since it opened in 2004.
Now former trainees make up nearly a quarter of the firm’s 290-strong workforce and the average age on shop floor staff has dropped from the mid 50s to the high 30s.
The relaunch adds more space and new robotic and laser welding kit to reflect the company’s shift towards high-tech fabrication. The expanded facility includes a classroom and model production line to simulate real-world projects.
Chairman Simon Bingham said the redevelopment underlined Caunton’s “long-term commitment to training our future workforce”. He added that apprentices have progressed into roles from contract managers to structural engineers, showing how the scheme turns “student potential into long-term professional careers.”
Of the six apprentices completing their end-point assessment last summer, all passed – with several moving straight into permanent roles.
The academy, accredited as an Excellence Achievement and Learning centre, also offers local school students work experience projects and has Employer Provider status since 2017.
Former apprentice Ethan Fordham, now a trainee detailer after completing his Level 3 apprenticeship a year early, said the scheme gave him “a great way from school into the working world” and fast-tracked his career.
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