AWS, one of Europe’s leading specialist contract electronics manufacturers, has announced that it has just taken on a new intake of apprentices at its newly-expanded and upgraded Newcastle-under-Lyme manufacturing facility. Two new apprentices have just started the four year course, which is being run by the company in partnership with Newcastle-under-Lyme Technical College.

Last year the company took on three engineering apprentices and one office apprentice. On completion of the training, the engineering apprentices can choose to further their training by doing a Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) degree in Manufacturing or Electronics.

“We were seeing a lack of graduates coming into our sector”, commented AWS Group CEO, Paul Deehan. “There was a real danger of a skills shortage in the future, so we decided to do something about it. I am delighted to say that all the apprentices we have are highly motivated and very enthusiastic. They get the chance to work across all our technology, manufacturing and service disciplines, and in the long term, we know that they will contribute significantly to building our manufacturing centre, here in Staffordshire.”