AN APPRENTICE from Barnsley has been shortlisted at the National Apprenticeship Awards.
Oliver Marsh, of Old House Close, Hemingfield, works as a process technician for MGB Plastics in Rotherham, the UK’s largest manufacturer of wheelie bins.
His work to reduce the time spent replacing council crests on bins, from ten minutes to 34 seconds, has seen Oliver shortlisted for the apprentice of the year higher apprentice category as well as saving MGB more than £135,000 a year in production costs.
Oliver, who trained in mechanical maintenance and manufacturing engineering at the University of Sheffield’s AMRC Training Centre, said: “Having finished my apprenticeship in February I feel very lucky to have been placed under great mentoring at MGB and I’m grateful for the opportunities they have given me throughout my apprenticeship.
“If I were to win the award it would be a big complement to the skills and knowledge I have developed during my apprenticeship and will be a great foundation for furthering my career.”
Nikki Jones, director of the AMRC Training Centre, said: “Oliver is one of our higher apprentices and an absolute credit to the AMRC Training Centre and to his company.
“During his apprenticeship, and beyond, he has displayed the right attitude, passion and commitment that companies are crying out for in manufacturing and engineering and being shortlisted at the regional finals of the National Apprentice Awards 2018 is testament to that.”
Ian Cosgrove, a training advisor for OnePlastics, which owns MGB, said: “The need to attract bright, enthusiastic youngsters into manufacturing has never been greater for OnePlastics as we continue to grow our business.
“That is why OnePlastics has embraced the training levy programme and now has 18 apprentices, across a range of skills and ages, and we are committed to ‘growing our own’.”
The regional finals of the National Apprenticeship Awards will take place in Leeds on Wednesday.
