Trailer manufacturer Don-Bur has invested more than £50,000 in a new training hub to support the next generation of engineers.
The Stoke-on-Trent company has constructed the purpose-built facility at its Mossfield Road headquarters, in Adderley Green, to provide a dedicated resource for its future workforce.
The new hub is a tailored area for trainees and apprentices – most of which come from Don-Bur's training partner, NSEG Training Association – to learn welding, coachbuilding, fitting and assembly.
It comes after Don-Bur in September to meet the 'unprecedented' level of new orders.
It also follows the company's 40th year of trading under its current name in 2021.
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Mark Hudson, operations director at Don-Bur, said: "As a business, we recognise that it is getting harder and harder to find skilled labour, so we took the initiative to partner with NSEG to train our own employees.
"When we recruit a new apprentice or trainee, they spend time at the training hub before they move into the workshop with more experienced staff.
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"Our trainees can be just starting out in their career, or fancy a change or it may be someone who has lost their job and wants to get back into work. It's important to us that they all have the right attitude."
Mark added: "While the idea is for us to train our own future employees, there is an opportunity for us to contribute to the wider industry too. If other local businesses see what we are doing they might want to follow in our footsteps or come to us to see if we can help with their training needs."
Human resources manager, Lisa Blake, said: "It is important that businesses like Don-Bur invest in apprentices and upskilling so we can strengthen and develop our colleagues for the future of the business.
"We are always on the look out for trainees and we have new intakes several times a year, we have had some great success with some of our recent trainees – it's great to see them grow in confidence."
Hub trainer Steve Abbotts has been at Don-Bur since 1999 where he started in roof fabrication.
He added: "Learning to weld is a bit like learning to drive, once you’ve passed your test, you then start learning."
At the moment, the new training hub is being used by four Don-Bur trainees.
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Welding apprentice Olivia Hughes – who came to Don-Bur in September 2021 – said: "I wanted to get into welding because I have always been a person who likes making things and watching it come together.
"I had never touched a welding torch in my life but since I've been with Don-Bur, I have gained more confidence and skills.
"Don-Bur has given me the opportunity to be good at something I enjoy."
Robot and welding apprentice Sam Jones – who has been with the company for about a year – added: "I feel that the confidence and experience I have gained has set me up for life.
"I'm very proud of what I've achieved."