Flying High

June 2020

WDM USA's parent company, W.D.M. Limited’s tradition of investing in the future by taking on apprentices has been vindicated after its latest two trainees completed their courses with flying colours.

The two apprentices, Samuel Belcher and Rhys Brooks, are the latest in a tradition dating back over seven decades - the Company was founded in 1945 and took on its first trainee in 1946.

Sam, who’s now 21, is originally from the Reading area in the UK, but now lives at Fishponds in Bristol. A former pupil of the BT Academy at Filton, he attended the City of Bristol College as part of his training during a three-year apprenticeship in fabrication and welding.

Rhys, from Mangotsfield, UK, is now 19 and was apprenticed for three years as a heavy vehicle technician. The middle of three children, he developed his interest in engines and vehicles from his father. Rhys went to Mangotsfield Secondary School and attended S & B Automotive Academy for the academic element of his training.

In April 2017 the British government introduced a levy on employers with a pay bill of more than £3m to encourage more companies to take on apprentices. In 2015/16 more than half a million started apprenticeships, up 9,500 on the previous year, but there is still a shortage of people going into engineering and construction.

Both Sam and Rhys have no hesitation in recommending apprenticeships and said their hands-on work helped them relate to what they were being taught.

Sam said: “Doing the apprenticeship not only gave me a valuable life skill, but also helped me develop as a person. It’s also been great to work for a family company, which is something really special.”

Rhys added: “The apprenticeship meant I was learning on the job, as well as getting paid for it. You get the theory at college, but doing the work as well helped make sense of it all. I’d certainly recommend it.”

Congratulating Sam and Rhys on their success, Chris Gardiner, Managing Director of W.D.M. Limited, said the Company has always believed in offering apprenticeships.

“Encouraging youngsters to come into engineering is so important – not only to us, but also for UK plc. We started out as a general engineering organisation, able to turn our hand to any challenge."

“Today, the focus is on manufacturing and maintaining highway survey equipment and vehicles, so we also need to ensure we have trained engineers coming off the staff production line.” he said.

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