British Steel’s first-year apprentices are now working on the Scunthorpe site after completing a two-week plant preparation programme, which included site visits, rigorous health and safety training, and tours of operational areas across the business.
The programme involved 28 apprentices, including 10 electrical, 12 mechanical and 6 structural apprentices. They spent their first year training with the company’s local training provider, CATCH, before moving onto site this week.
Over the two weeks, the apprentices visited a range of plant areas, including Ore Preparation Plant, Basic Oxygen Steelmaking, Scunthorpe Rod Mill, engineering workshops and the blast furnaces. In-depth tours provided a greater understanding of the steelmaking process and the work they will now undertake as site-based apprentices.
The programme also included additional health and safety training, covering gas safety, working at height, fire warden and confined space training. The aim was to equip apprentices with the additional skills and knowledge needed to work safely and effectively on site, building on the trade skills they developed during their year at CATCH.
During the programme, the apprentices also visited the 20-21 Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe, where they attended the Steel Exhibition and explored the rich history of steelmaking in the town and at the Scunthorpe site.
Together, the visits and training activities provided valuable insight into British Steel’s operations, helping apprentices build their knowledge of the site while developing the skills and safety awareness required for their future careers with the business.
Mechanical apprentice Jessica Stewart said, “Going around site and seeing the plant in operation has given me a much better understanding of how everything fits together. It’s helped build my confidence and shown me what working in a live environment is really like.”
Liam Leggatt, also a mechanical apprentice, said: “Visiting the different operational areas has helped me understand how the steelmaking process fits together and has made me feel more comfortable about where I could be working in the future.”
Electrical apprentice Jay Smaller said: “The safety training has helped us understand the importance of not cutting corners and making sure we think through every job properly before working on site.
“Our visits have also been really insightful; the blast furnaces were particularly interesting as an electrical apprentice. Seeing the high-voltage equipment and understanding how the different processes work together has helped bring everything we’ve learned into context.”
Meanwhile, apprentices based at Skinningrove and Teesside have also reached an important milestone in their development. After successfully completing their year with British Steel’s training provider for the northern mills, TTE, they spent time supporting key shutdown activities across the sites before moving into their permanent departments, where they will continue their development.
As part of the business’s commitment to developing future talent, British Steel recently announced that 70 apprentices and graduates will join the company this September. The intake includes 36 apprentices in Scunthorpe, 17 across its northern mills operations in Teesside and Skinningrove, and 16 graduates in engineering, technical and business roles, helping to build the next generation of skilled steelmakers.