Former apprentice Noah 'now an integral part of the engineering team'

Former SWDT apprentice Noah Ellis has swiftly become an integral part of the engineering team at Technimark, where he is a Project Engineer.

Noah Ellis

The Middleton-in-Teesdale based company provides a plastic injection moulding service.

Noah said: “One of the biggest benefits of attending SWDT is that a lot of the staff have been in the industry prior, so a lot of the terminology and a lot of the teaching they do is relating to what you do at work and it’s easier to transfer those skills into work. A large portion of your course is doing a project which is basically exactly what I do in the workplace.

“Through my apprenticeship I’ve been eventually able to get into a higher level of education which has been funded by my company whilst also getting a wage at work. Due to my employer completely funding the course it’s been a real benefit to me. I haven’t had to go to university, I haven’t had to get a student loan so I’ve got nothing to pay back in the future.”

Richard Wright, Centre Co-ordinator & Senior Business Development Advisor at SWDT, said: “Noah was at sixth form at the time he applied for the role and wasn’t really sure what career pathway he wanted to follow. It became apparent very quickly to the staff at SWDT and at Technimark that Noah had a genuine ability and an engineer’s analytical mind.

“On completion of his apprenticeship, Technimark discussed options with me and it was agreed for Noah to continue onto an HNC, sponsored by the company.”

Stephen Shaw, Managing Director UK for Technimark, added: “The education and experience Noah has received from SWDT has helped him tremendously in the workplace. Noah is now an integral part of the engineering team.”

Watch Noah's film:

South West Durham Training is taking part in the 17th annual National Apprenticeship Week (February 5-11), a campaign highlighting the positive impact of apprenticeships on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

This year’s theme is ‘Skills for Life’ – how apprenticeships can help young people develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career and employers to develop a workforce with future-ready skills.

#NAW2024 #SkillsForLife