Michelin trains engineering recruits from other manufacturing companies throughout Angus, Tayside and Fife – as well as their own employees – and has trained nearly 60 employees across the area over the last five years.
Two recent recruits, Adam and Scott from Kettle Produce in Cupar, began their four-year Modern Apprenticeship engineering training at Michelin’s Baldovie Road factory in Dundee.
The pair will train for a year at Michelin and at Dundee and Angus College before returning to Kettle Produce to join a team of engineers and continue their assessment by instructors from Michelin.
Kettle Produce engineering manager Russell Pearson said: “I’m impressed with the ethos of Michelin and the way apprentices are trained.
“They start at the ground-root, from learning the basics like ordering parts to safety and then can shoot up the career ladder and progress into management. I know that our employees get a great grounding at Michelin and I would highly recommend the scheme.
“We’ve already seen an apprentice progress into an engineering role here at our factory and who is now running a shift. We also have two further recruits going through the training school at Michelin Dundee and I’m really impressed by the support we have received.”
Adam Calder, 17, said: “It’s been great so far and I’m glad I decided on an apprenticeship rather than staying on at school.”
Kyle Craig, 18, an employee at AS Fabrication, Dundee started his four-year Modern Apprenticeship engineering training last year at Michelin and will become a time-served welder. He is currently studying at college whilst also continuing assessment by instructors from Michelin.
Kyle said: “It’s really good, I’ve learnt a lot and I’ve always wanted to be an engineer. I’m looking forward to working at AS Fabrication at the end of my apprenticeship.”
AS Fabrication Director Andrew Stewart said: “This is the first time I’ve used Michelin and I have no complaints, the instructors have been great and I would definitely recommend the training.
“Throughout the whole process the team at Michelin has kept in touch on Kyle’s progress and now currently throughout his assessments which makes my life easier and is a great support to my business.
“I chose Michelin as a training provider as it has given my employee a great introduction to skills such as pneumatics and electronics alongside working in a factory environment that could not have been provided in-house or anywhere else.”
Michelin’s plant in Dundee has undergone large-scale investment in recent years with over £100million invested since 2012 to allow the factory to increase production as well as the variety of tyres it makes.
Michelin factory personnel manager Donald Mackenzie said: “The recent investment, renovation and installation of new machinery at our factory is leading the way for the company as well as for our employees to learn and grow.
“This all provides opportunities for young people to be trained in an environment that uses the latest technology and techniques in engineering, as our employees train in the training school and throughout the factory.
“We have trained 58 apprentices for 18 external companies and 31 for Michelin in the training centre over the past five years and have the capacity to increase this.
“We are delighted to be able to share our fantastic apprentice training scheme with other employers and I encourage any companies operating locally and who may not have the facilities to carry out engineering training, or trade tests, to get in touch.”
Find out more about training your apprentices at Michelin, contact DundeeRecruitment@michelin.com
More information on Michelin apprenticeships can be found on the Facebook page.