News: Minister praises Rotherham company for commitment to skills

Aesseal, world leading designers and manufacturers of mechanical seals, inspired an audience of nearly 50 Yorkshire businesses with ideas to attract and keep young people through training and mentoring. Aesseal hosted an open day at their global headquarters in Templeborough on behalf of the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing to explain how they are using government-funded support to train their employees. Gordon Bridge, chief executive of Aesseal, said: "We have a fantastic young team here who are highly skilled. They are an essential part of our strategy to be the best in the world. We are breaking into new markets, such as oil and gas, and that has to be done through outstanding quality and service. "Despite the current economy, we are seeing record growth. Last year turnover was up 19 per cent and we also increased our profits." Two apprentices aged 21 and 19, Chris Richardson and Chris Parkin, spoke passionately about enjoying their work, their rapid career progression and their ambitions for the future. Chris Richardson said: "It’s absolutely brilliant here and you learn from the best. My goal is to be better than my mentor in a shorter timescale - and in the long run to take over from our Production Director!" Rosie Winterton, Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber, opened the event. She thanked Gordon Bridge, who accepted her invitation to be a Business Ambassador for the region, for his active involvement and passion about skills: "I have put the skills agenda firmly at the top of my priorities for this region. It would be very easy for employers, like Aesseal, to decide not to invest in training or improving the skills of its workforce at the moment. This is not a sustainable option. The future economic prosperity of the region depends on what companies like Aesseal do now." At the event were representatives from SEMTA and the National Skills Academy who discussed the ageing workforce in manufacturing and the need to attract young people - and the funding available to do this.

Aesseal website
SEMTA website
Rotherham

Image: AESSEAL