For #NAW2020 we look at the history of our Future Leaders programme – focusing on the journey of our first apprentices at Tribosonics. It all began with discovering unique young people that have the drive to lead in the engineering space. They can demonstrate interest and curiosity and passion to show their capability to grow and contribute. Therefore, bringing these talented individuals into the business began the Tribosonics apprenticeship.

As part of our search for unique characters in the world of apprenticeships, examples of the passion for engineering, challenge, and responsibility, as demonstrated by our current apprentices, include:

• integrating a petrol engine into a mobility scooter
• repairing mobile phones
• rebuilding an original Mini Cooper
• attending AMRC Training Centre Manufacturing Camps

About the Future Leaders Programme

We started our apprenticeship programme in 2016 to provide training for young people coming into engineering. Therefore, we started by taking on average two apprentices and began building our experience in recruitment and development.

The two initial apprentices made impressive candidates. They are driven and enthusiastic individuals and who greatly exceed our expectations. In early 2016, the two people we took on could not only follow works procedures and make great tea, but we also found that they could contribute significantly to design meetings and manufacture prototype components to very high standards. These Trainee Engineers have paved the way for the additional five apprentices we now have. Currently, we are a team of 21, having 7 apprentices in our midst has only been possible due to the high calibre of the original duo and those that have followed.

Therefore, I hope all of our apprentices see the significant role they have played and the opportunity they have created for the apprentices after them. Consequently, providing this development opportunity to others is part of their legacy, their mark on people’s lives, and this leaves a promising hope for their future and provides confidence in ours. These individuals showed their incredible talent and determination so the decision was made to rename the apprenticeship to the Future Leaders Scheme.

What can we expect from our Future Leaders?

We now have high expectations of any new apprentices coming through the door. In due time, we expect Future Leaders to be:

• managing their own customer projects
• looking after project documentation
• customer updates, resource planning
• devising test and build procedures for product and experimentation
• conduct testing and development of products

Of course, this level of responsibility comes with a support structure and development plan tailored to each apprentice.

In addition, our key partner in delivering the apprenticeship scheme is the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Training Centre. They are part of the University of Sheffield. Many of our apprentices first make contact with us at AMRC Training Centre Matching Events. At this point, potential candidates have completed the Training Centre’s assessment centre and are prepped for, potentially, their first interaction with an industrial employer. Thus, the Matching Events are an opportunity for candidates to meet employers and better understand what an apprenticeship at the company may look like and create a first impression.

Finally, our apprentices have made a significant impact on our business and have supported our transformation to the high-tech scale-up company it is today. So, who does make the tea? We all do, even the CEO!

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Tribosonics is an innovation-led scale-up with a strong challenger mindset, driving transformation by using its unique sensing technologies to address challenges in tribological contacts (wear, friction and lubrication) in rotating equipment.

Located and forged in Sheffield, it serves global markets in Transport, Power Generation and Manufacturing.

For further information or to arrange a discussion about how Tribosonics can add value to your business, contact: Christina King, c.king@tribosonics.com