This National Apprenticeship Week, SoGlos is celebrating amazing apprentices and the businesses that employ them from right across Gloucestershire.
In this hot list, we showcase 12 of the county's biggest firms that have embraced apprenticeships as a fantastic route into the workplace, with companies offering everything from entry-level opportunities to degrees and MBAs.
Renishaw
Engineering giant Renishaw — a company that boasts worldwide success and excels in a myriad of areas — is also a company that's committed to apprenticeships and has been for decades.
In 2024, the business confirmed 388 opportunities within its Early Careers scheme, from apprenticeship programmes to industry placements for sixth formers. These opportunities are as diverse as they are plentiful — in departments from engineering and IT, to physics and medical devices — and you can check out a selection in SoGlos's pick of 9 apprenticeships to take on at Renishaw.
Clarkson Evans
Clarkson Evans is one of the biggest electrical contractors in the UK, with more than 20 branches across the country. 2022 saw the leading electrical contractor acquire a majority stake in Futurelec to form Clarkson Evans Solar, allowing it to expand into solar power installation, too.
Its 950-strong team includes a host of apprentices, showcasing a commitment to apprenticeships that has been in place since the Staverton-based firm was founded in 1981.
Kohler Mira
Kohler Mira's UK operations are headquartered in Cheltenham, where it employs an estimated 700 staff and turns over £130 million-plus annually.
Best known for its brand Mira Showers and as a long-term sponsor to Cheltenham Town FC, the firm has a long history of successful early careers programmes and investment in its employees’ development — with apprenticeship schemes in business, engineering and finance.
Hazlewoods
While in the past, apprenticeships might have been considered mostly for blue collar workers, nowadays white collar professions in a diverse variety of sectors are realising the benefits, too — and few understand the power of training your own staff for the future more than Hazlewoods.
The Gloucestershire accountants and business advisors offers apprenticeship places at both graduate and school leaver levels, as well as the option to take on a summer placement. With all team members treated on a level playing field, the firm sees the investment as key to its future successes.
Trelleborg
Trelleborg’s Tewkesbury seal manufacturing operation is one of the Swedish giant's prime European production and development facilities.
Its global team of 24,000 staff is bolstered by a commitment to apprentices and training — a commitment that allows the firm to maintain its position as market leader across a huge range of sectors including aerospace; automotive; oil and gas; and medical. It proudly partners with Gloucestershire College as its apprenticeship training provider.
Ontic
Ontic may not be a household name like Boeing and Airbus, but the firm is on speed-dial to some of the biggest and most well-respected names in aerospace — including these two giants, which it counts as customers.
With bases in Staverton and Bishop’s Cleeve and a UK turnover of £123 million, it keeps ‘legacy aircraft’ — civilian and military — in operation, producing the spares each plane needs as part of its portfolio of 6,500 products and 1,000,000 component parts. It goes big on apprenticeships — and offers both graduate and internship programmes, too.
SPP Pumps
SPP Pumps can trace its roots back to 1875 when a British engineer bought the patent rights to something called the Pulsometer pump. Today, it is a global business with sites in the USA, India, France, Italy, Poland, South Africa, Singapore, Dubai and Abu Dhabi — and forms part of the $2.5 billion Kiroskar Brothers Limited.
Its UK business has an £85 million-plus turnover with the firm employing 336 staff at its Coleford powerhouse — with emphasis on investing in apprentices, too.
St. James’s Place
Often lauded as the biggest firm in Gloucestershire by turnover, Cirencester-based wealth management firm, St. James’s Place, has more than £162 billion of funds under management as of January 2024.
The firm continues to invest in not just its graduate training programme, but also apprenticeships and summer internship placements. Apprentices can join the firm in departments ranging from accountancy, project management and technology to HR and business operations.
Spirax Sarco
Spirax Sarco recently unveiled its new-look headquarters, after a significant investment in Cheltenham's Bishop’s Cleeve and some help from well-respected Gloucester architects, Roberts Limbrick.
As well as investing in the local area, Spirax Sarco also invests in training the new generation of engineers, with apprenticeships and graduate places available at the firm, which has operations across the world.
BorgWarner
Known as Delphi Technologies until October 2020, this Stonehouse-based business was known for championing apprenticeships, forging strong links with schools and colleges, as well as hosting its own annual apprenticeship awards.
Now part of American multi-national automotive supplier, BorgWarner, the company — which is a leading exponent in developing and delivering industry-leading propulsion products and systems across combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles — remains committed to apprenticeships through its Empower Programme.
Hewer FM
A region-leading building services, installation and maintenance provider, Hewer FM employs more than 100 staff, serving commercial, industrial and domestic clientele throughout Gloucestershire, the south west and the midlands.
It takes pride in offering numerous apprenticeship opportunities, which it has been doing for most of its 40-plus years of service. It recently took on its first ever female gas engineering apprentice, who spoke to SoGlos about her experiences in an exclusive interview this National Apprenticeship Week 2024.
Safran
Multiple apprenticeships are available at Gloucester-based sustainable aviation firm, Safran, offering chances to learn and train at a world-renowned company.
With a reported 83,000 staff members on its books worldwide in 2022, the team is ever-growing, with apprenticeship opportunities in Gloucestershire including manufacturing engineering, engineering technician, customer support engineer and many more.
