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Keltbray crew bridge skills gap

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A further seven apprentices have joined Keltbray Aspire, part of Keltbray Group which provides electrification services for the rail industry.

The new apprentices will be taking part in a programme run in partnership with South Cheshire College in Crewe. Keltbray Aspire now has twenty five apprentices. The seven apprentices were recruited from the college’s engineering courses and selected from a shortlist of 30 candidates.

The two-year apprentice programme focuses on overhead line installation and maintenance and includes on site experience. Apprentices will also study at Keltbray’s dedicated rail electrification training centre in Crewe. ‘There is a shortage of engineers in the UK generally, and so we see this as a great opportunity to invest in young people and recruit locally in Crewe, a town at the heart of the rail industry,’ says Martin Brown, director of Keltbray Rail Electrification.

‘The apprentice scheme will help ensure we are well positioned for the future, and we very much see this as a visionary and exciting partnership, and one which we hope will be a win-win situation for both our own company and for that of South Cheshire College.’

Head of Engineering at South Cheshire College, Phil Hurrell, agrees. ‘I am delighted that Keltbray Aspire has chosen to work with us and hope that this will be the start of a very fruitful partnership. This programme complements our philosophy of engaging our students in work-based learning programmes, and there has been great interest in it from our students.

‘The scheme is a great opportunity for them to develop their practical skills and gain employment working for a specialist rail company, while for Keltbray it ensures that the company develops highly skilled employees and maintains a competitive edge in the rail electrification sector.’

Keltbray provided more than 41 people with apprenticeships, internships, undergraduate and graduate traineeships in 2013.

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