Trio of graduate trainees join Forterra

Three university graduates join the company’s Operations Management Graduate Scheme

FORTERRA have welcomed three graduate trainees on board in diverse roles across the company’s various divisions. Nia Lewis (22), Alex Trengove (21) and James Ratcliff (23) have recently been taken on as part of the company’s two-year Operations Management Graduate Scheme.

Ms Lewis has joined Forterra’s quality team after graduating from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 BEng in Civil Engineering. She will be working under technical operations manager James Jeffcott across several sites, with her first project at the company’s Hams Hall plant in the West Midlands.

Ms Lewis said: ‘I’m really looking forward to taking on projects to continually improve the quality of products we manufacture by refining, testing and developing further the processes used.

‘The manufacturing industry is new to me; however, with my civil engineering background, problem-solving is not. I enjoy learning so I’m excited about spending the next couple of years of the graduate scheme learning about this industry and gaining hands-on experience.’

Mr Trengove has taken a position in Forterra’s central engineering team based in Measham, Leicestershire. He graduated from Coventry University with a 2:1 BEng in Manufacturing Engineering. Like Ms Lewis, his role will see him travel between sites whilst undertaking a range of projects, overseen by engineering manager David Fox and engineering group manager Stuart McQuillan.

Mr Trengove commented: ‘I’m looking forward to spending time in different areas of the company and deciding from there where I’d like to specialize in the future.’

James Ratcliff, who has a 2:1 BA degree in International Business from Nottingham Trent University, will be working under contracts and logistics manager Nick Clark across the company’s operations and commercial teams, predominantly within Forterra’s Bison Precast concrete division. His base will be Bison’s Swadlincote site, although his first project will take him to the Hoveringham plant.

Mr Ratcliff explained: ‘My aims for this graduate scheme are to try and learn as much as I can, both about the business and the industry we operate in. I plan to make a success of each of my projects and hopefully transfer the skills I learn, so that when I finish my scheme, I can apply these to a permanent role, which I hope to obtain with Forterra.’

Forterra’s chief executive, Stephen Harrison, said: ‘As a forward-thinking company, we’re always on the lookout for talented employees, and our graduate scheme is a proven method of securing skilled workers as they embark on their careers.

‘I’d like to personally welcome James, Nia and Alex to Forterra and wish them all the best over the next two years and beyond.’