Posted to News on 2nd Oct 2019, 11:48
Renishaw apprentice benefits from international experience
Ryan Harris, an apprentice at Renishaw, participated in a two-week Erasmus programme in Germany, funded by the European Union (EU). The programme gives Welsh college students first-hand experience of engineering in another country and broadens their knowledge of the industry by showing them different approaches.
As part of the Erasmus programme, four students from Coleg Y Cymoedd were selected for work experience at Stadler Anglenbau GmbH, including an all-expenses-paid trip to the company's facility in Altshausen, Baden-Wrttemberg. Stadler Anglenbau designs and manufactures waste sorting plants and components for waste management and recycling.
In the first week of the programme, students were placed with German apprentices to learn about their roles and how they differed from the UK. In the second week, they were then placed in different areas of production to learn how end-products are created from raw materials. The students were also shown technologies, including ballistic separators, to learn about how they operate in the waste management industry.
Ryan Harris, the apprentice at Renishaw's Miskin site in South Wales who took part in the scheme, explains: "I've had an interest in engineering since I was very young and that is why I'm choosing it is as a career. The experience gave me a different perspective on the engineering work I have done at Renishaw, for example a different approach to engineering standards and tolerances. I was able to apply the emphasis on accuracy and precision I learnt at Renishaw in a completely new environment.
"The scheme enabled me to learn from and work with peers who have come through a different education system. I'm really glad that I got to take part in the programme because it really opened my eyes to a new industry, a new country and a new approach. This additional perspective will help me to approach the engineering challenges I am working on as part of my apprenticeship at Renishaw."
Chris Pockett, Head of Communications at Renishaw says: "It's fantastic to hear such positive feedback from students who took part in the Erasmus programme. Renishaw runs apprenticeship schemes every year that offer in-house training, a great work environment and a competitive salary.
"We're proud to offer our apprentices the chance to develop their skills and become the leaders of tomorrow. Schemes like the Erasmus programme offer a new experience for our apprentices to help them to broaden their knowledge of engineering and open their minds to how they would like to develop their own careers."
Renishaw will welcome its largest ever cohort of engineering apprentices in September 2019. To find out more about apprenticeship opportunities at Renishaw, visit www.renishaw.com/apprenticeships.
