Liebherr GB welcome latest intake of apprentices
Company takes on five new apprentices in 2020 despite the challenges presented by COVID-19
DESPITE the challenges presented by COVID-19, Liebherr GB have pressed ahead with their long-running National Apprenticeship Scheme, taking on five apprentices ranging in age from 16 to 28, and are looking to expand their UK recruitment drive in 2021.
Ordinarily, Liebherr would have had a significant presence at career fairs in schools and colleges in the environs of their Biggleswade headquarters, but this year, for obvious reasons, recruitment had to be driven directly from the Liebherr Job Portal and the interview process carried out entirely online.
Apprentices are taken on in construction equipment maintenance engineering, welding/fabrication, paintshop operations and business support. Their training includes a solid grounding in the technical aspects of their chosen apprenticeship with the necessary support to develop skills to some of the highest levels in the industry.
Nationwide travel between Liebherr’s operational facilities, exchange programmes and training at manufacturing facilities across Europe are also a vital part of the scheme. Additionally, apprentices all attend a local college on a part-time basis which lead towards their NVQ qualification. The vast majority of the apprentices stay on at Liebherr for many years beyond their original contract and forge successful careers at the company.
Among the many success stories, a truckmixer workshop apprentice has been promoted to ‘Tech Desk’ product support engineer four years after joining the company, whilst another has gone from business apprentice to sales and service co-ordinator in concrete technologies and a number of workshop apprentices have progressed to become workshop engineers in various departments. One has even been promoted to workshop supervisor after completing his apprenticeship only three years ago.
Tony Gribble, general manager of after-sales at Liebherr GB, commented: ‘Liebherr rightly view their apprentices as a key element of their annual recruitment drive and take the responsibility of moulding these young people’s careers very seriously.
‘We also continue to be longstanding and proud sponsors of the Construction Plant-Hire Association’s Stars of the Future Awards, which recognize and reward outstanding apprentices and trainees who not only bring ability and commitment to their learning and their work, but also possess those extra capabilities which mark them out as future leaders.’
