SCA taps into new talent

SCA has taken on eight new apprentices to its Paper Mill in Prudhoe bringing its total number of apprentices on site to 31.

The Prudhoe site makes the popular Velvet brand of toilet tissue and produces around 80,000 tonnes of products every year.

The company has been running its apprenticeship programme since 2004, providing education and training to over 80 apprentices in either an operational or technical role.

Ian Callender, operations trainer at SCA, said: “In an industry like ours with a very experienced workforce, it is vital that we continue to pass on our skills, talent and manufacturing knowledge to people who will be responsible for taking the company forward well into the future.”

One new recruit, Matthew Stevens, 19, from Prudhoe said: “I discovered SCA’s apprenticeship scheme while doing work experience here. Working with engineers for two weeks gave me a good feel for the company and I’m really pleased to be given the opportunity to train here.

“This is the perfect place for me as I really enjoy a practical hands-on role and there is lots of scope to progress within SCA once I’ve completed my apprenticeship.”

Each SCA apprentice trains for the first two years on the same technical pathway, then some will go to work in different roles on-site and others will continue to train as a technical apprentice for a further two years, eventually gaining an HNC.

All the apprentices receive tuition and support from Training and Development Resource, TDR. The group will work towards achieving a Performing Engineering Operations, PEO, multiskilled, NVQ Level3 in Engineering Maintenance, BTEC National Diploma level 3 in Manufacturing Engineering and an HNC in Engineering Maintenance.