Apprentices land chosen roles at Rutland Plastics

Rutland Plastics has appointed four new workers after they impressed during a year-long apprenticeship scheme.

The four apprentices, Xavier Straight-Garten, Isaac Topley, Lewis Still, and Craig Redfern, were taken on in 2016 after intense competitions for the spots.

During their first year of training, the apprentices were rotated around the business to gain experiences across all departments, and towards the end of the programme were able to apply for a job in the department of their choice.

The apprentices have now started their chosen roles, and Steve Ayre, Managing Director for Rutland Plastics, said: “I am delighted with the group. They all have a great attitude and a real desire to progress their learning. Here at Rutland Plastics, our culture is about providing an exceptional service with technical excellence at the heart of what we do. By bringing in staff at apprentice level we can instil this culture early.”

Craig Redfern, who at 16 was the youngest apprentice, and is now a Trainee Tool Technician, said: “It has opened up a whole new world, very different to school. This year has given me a huge amount of confidence, and besides the technical skills I have learnt, the most valuable have been people skills, particularly in communication.”

Lewis Still is now in the Quality Assurance Department, and both Xavier Straight-Garten and Isaac Topley are Production Technicians.