Published 15/07/25
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Celebrating our engineering apprenticeship successes at wienerberger
At wienerberger, we’re thrilled to celebrate World Youth Skills Day by highlighting the incredible achievements of our engineering apprentices. This special occasion gives us the perfect opportunity to share inspiring stories from our talented apprentices and the dedicated teams behind our engineering apprenticeship programme. Committed to nurturing young talent and fostering excellence, we take immense pride in their hard work, growth, and outstanding accomplishments. Their success is a testament to the power of dedication and mentorship, and we couldn’t be prouder of their journeys.
The engineering industry is facing a critical skills shortage, with over 173,000 roles unfilled in STEM sectors across the UK. This gap is costing the economy billions annually and posing serious challenges for businesses. At wienerberger, we’re tackling this issue directly through our Engineering Apprenticeship Programme. Designed to cultivate confidence, build careers, and shape the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators, our programme is paving the way for a stronger, more skilled workforce..
Gold Standard 'Excellent Employer' Status
We are proud to announce that wienerberger has once again achieved the Gold standard 'Excellent Employer' status for the Engineering Apprenticeships: Excellent Employer Accreditation with Next Gen Makers. This recognition highlights our dedication to delivering high-quality training and support for our apprentices.
Earning this accolade for the second consecutive year highlights our dedication to creating an outstanding environment where apprentices can thrive and achieve their full potential. The process included providing strong evidence of our programmes' quality and impact, and showcasing successful outcomes. Apprentice feedback was key, reflecting how supported and valued they feel during their training. We are proud to be among the few manufacturing companies in the UK to receive this recognition, so congratulations to everyone involved in making our apprenticeship programme a success!
Celebrating Personal Achievements
Congratulations to Tom Thompson for being named Apprentice of the Year by his training provider, SETA (Sunderland Engineering Training Association). Toms's commitment and hard work have distinguished him among apprentices from various employers. Based at our Todhills site, Tom is currently pursuing a Level 3 Mechatronics Maintenance Technician apprenticeship. We are excited to celebrate his well-deserved achievements at the upcoming SETA awards ceremony on 17th July.
Congratulations also goes to Kian Lee, who has been named Apprentice of the Year at wienerberger's annual Employee Awards. Kian, based at our Sandtoft site, is currently completing a Level 3 Maintenance Operations Engineering Technician apprenticeship with HETA (Humberside Engineering Training Association). With an outstanding work ethic, a remarkable ability to learn quickly, and exemplary professionalism, Kian has set a shining example for other apprentices.
Tom and Kian's successes are shining examples of what can be achieved when young, passionate individuals are given the tools, training, and support they need to excel in their chosen fields. Well done Tom and Kian!
Recruitment and Growth
We’re also excited to welcome our latest cohort of apprentices, who are set to begin their journey with us in the coming months. They’ll begin their training between August and September with our trusted training providers. We’re excited to see what they’ll achieve and how they’ll grow, and we know they’ll bring energy, fresh ideas and enthusiasm to their teams.
We strive to attract the highest quality candidates by offering an enhanced hourly rate of pay above the National Minimum Wage and a guaranteed permanent, Multi Skilled Engineer position on successful completion of the apprenticeship. Our training providers, including MAKE UK, HETA, SETA, HWGTA (Herefordshire & Worcestershire Group Training Association), and Next Gen Makers, play a crucial role in this process, and we are grateful for their support.
"Our Centre of Excellence training facility serves as a beacon of knowledge and innovation, providing our engineers with access to cutting-edge resources, advanced training modules and practical hands-on experiences. By creating an environment that fosters collaborative learning and the exchange of best practices, we are enabling a culture of excellence that aligns with our commitment to driving sustainable growth and embracing transformative technologies. I am extremely proud of what we have created, and it is great to see that we already have some very talented engineers graduating from the programme since its launch in 2019.”
Simon Nevitt, Chief Development Officer
Why choose a wienerberger Engineering Apprenticeship?
The wienerberger Engineering Apprenticeship Programme stands out for its exceptional support and commitment to developing future-ready engineers. It offers enhanced pay rates above the National Minimum Wage, guaranteed permanent positions for successful apprentices, and a growing recruitment drive that brings in up to 15 apprentices annually. The programme combines theoretical knowledge with practical hands-on learning, utilising state-of-the-art facilities and the latest engineering technologies to ensure apprentices are well-prepared to bridge the skills gap and contribute significantly to the industry.
We look forward to celebrating more successes and milestones with our apprentices and continuing to build a resilient and adaptable workforce at wienerberger.
Do you know someone passionate about engineering and eager to launch their career?
Encourage them to get in touch with us and explore our 2026 recruitment cycle.
We look forward to celebrating more successes and milestones with our apprentices and continuing to build a resilient and adaptable workforce at wienerberger.
