Apprenticeships at CAL International
February 3, 2020
We visited CAL International to speak to Technical Director, Lee, about the positive impact apprentices have had on the organisation.
Based at Knowsley Hall, CAL International delivers innovative engineering solutions to high profile clients such as Bentley, Scania and Caterpillar Inc.
The Business Development Team have worked closely with CAL International over the last four years, providing effective training and recruitment services, from assessing their training needs and providing a tailored solution, to advertising vacancies and facilitating the recruitment process.
Lee said, “We originally approached the College with the aim of hiring one apprentice, but we were so impressed with the calibre of candidates and the overall recruitment process, that we ended up hiring two! Since then, our relationship with the College has grown considerably and we now hire two apprentices per year with them. We really consider the College to be one of our trusted partners. We wouldn’t think of going anywhere else to hire an apprentice and we hope to continue the successful partnership for many years to come.”
CAL International ensure their apprentices are heavily involved in projects right at the beginning of their apprenticeship, from building safety equipment for the fire service to designing parts for top-end luxury vehicles. They strongly believe this “enhances their confidence in the workplace while helping them to develop a broad set of skills, which not only benefits the organisation in terms of productivity and efficiency but also benefits the apprentice.”
Being a previous apprentice himself, Lee understands the vital role apprentices play in shaping an organisation, he said, “I completed an apprenticeship in fabrication and welding so when my business partner, Cliff and I started CAL, I was very keen to employ apprentices because I knew first-hand, the value they can bring to any organisation. During my apprenticeship, I gained crucial hands-on experience and skills, so I wanted to make sure our young engineers received the same quality experience.”
He continued, “As we are a company that is consistently growing, with offices both in the UK and Poland, hiring apprentices has definitely helped us to expand and the support they provide to senior members of the team on a daily basis is invaluable, giving us the opportunity to take on more exciting projects. They form an integral part of the team.”
Lee strongly believes that “it is important for CAL to invest in the future generation of engineers and apprentices are a great way of doing so.”
Watch what Lee had to say about working with St Helens College below and find out more about taking on an apprentice here!