This week is Scottish Apprenticeship Week, an opportunity to shine a light on the vital role apprenticeships play in supporting people, employers, and the economy.
The theme for this year is ‘Unlocking Potential’. Apprenticeships allow people from diverse backgrounds and abilities to gain and develop skills. These skills will support individuals throughout their life and in work. They'll also support economic priorities and renewal, including Net Zero ambitions.
We currently have 56 apprentices as a part of the Chemring Apprenticeship programme. People are at the heart of our organisation. We believe that everyone should have the chance to develop their skills and progress in their careers.
To mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we caught up with one of our Scottish apprentices, Alisha May-Hilton, to hear about her experiences on the apprenticeship programme.
When did you join Chemring and what is your role?
I joined Chemring in October 2022 as a Stores Apprentice at the Chemring Energetics UK (CEUK) site in Ardeer, Scotland.
Tell us a bit about your role
My role at CEUK is to book Overhead Orders (OHDs) and get them supplied to the right people. I also count the stock and input it into a system, so my team know the accurate quantities for each item.
What attracted you to an apprenticeship with Chemring?
I chose to become a stores apprentice to get a better understanding of how to work in a warehouse. This will give me a better knowledge of the warehouse environment plus the qualifications and experience I’ll need to apply for other warehouse roles.
I know a few people who work at Chemring and had heard a lot of good comments about Chemring and the opportunities you can have when you join. That got me interested and then I heard Chemring was looking for a stores apprentice, so I applied.
What have you enjoyed about your apprenticeship so far?
I have enjoyed meeting people around the site and putting names to faces. I also enjoy meeting the other Chemring apprentices.
Since becoming an apprentice, can you say how your future career plans have changed or developed, and what you are looking forward to in the future?
Absolutely. I came in not knowing at all what I wanted to be. Now, I’ve decided that I quite enjoy working in the warehouse environment which has given me ideas for the future.
What advice would you give to anybody starting an apprenticeship in Chemring today?
I would tell them that it can start off repetitive while you’re learning the ropes. Give it time, as you will do more eventually. And just make sure you can process as much as you can by taking it a step at a time and don’t rush to know everything.