Mon, 10 Jan 2011
A group of apprentices in the North East are celebrating finding new positions after their employer went into administration.
The group of nine apprentices were originally taken on by chemical firm Artenius. However, in July last year the firm’s parent company, La Seda De Barcelona, placed it into administration. Five of the apprentices were made redundant along with a group of 200 workers.
Since then the apprentices have been placed in a skills programme with a training charity, which has been lobbying local businesses to provide new apprenticeship placements for the young people.
In addition, some £2.1 million was offered to local firms as an incentive to provide apprenticeships for young people in the area, through the Tees Valley Industrial Programme.
Now, as a result of these efforts, the young apprentices will begin their two-year placements with Lotte Chemical UK, which bought the former Artenius site in January.
In addition to the nine apprenticeships it took on, Lotte Chemical also offered permanent jobs to two other former apprentices, who were employed by Artenius.
Human Resources Manager at Lotte Chemical, Stephen Trillo, said that the apprentices were taken on in order to attract talented young workers to the company. He stated, “We need to attract good young people into our industry.”
The apprentices will be able to learn at work and develop skills in electrics, mechanics and chemicals.
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The learndirect team