Tata Steel UK is welcoming 55 new apprentices across its UK operations this September, as the next generation of talent takes its first steps into the steel industry.
This week, 48 new apprentices began their careers across Port Talbot, Trostre, Llanwern, Catnic, Shotton and Hartlepool, with a further 7 set to join Steelpark and Corby later this month.
The new recruits will be developing their skills across a wide range of disciplines, including mechanical and electrical engineering, fabrication and welding, machining, process control and automation, as well as mechanical and electrical degree apprenticeships.
In Wales, 44 apprentices have joined sites across the country, including 24 at Port Talbot, eight at Trostre, four at Llanwern, one at Catnic in Caerphilly and seven across Tata Steel UK’s Shotton operations.
Four new apprentices have also started in mechanical and electrical engineering roles at Hartlepool, with apprentices at Steelpark and Corby completing the 55-strong intake later this month.
From apprentice to instructor
For Mechanical Training Instructor Craig Lancett, welcoming a new generation of apprentices has particular significance.
Craig began his own career as a mechanical apprentice at the steelworks 27 years ago and, after holding several roles across the business, returned to apprentice training last year to pass his experience on to those now following in his footsteps.
Craig said:
“For me, it’s about giving back from what I’ve experienced. I started as a mechanical apprentice myself, so it’s about taking what I’ve learnt throughout my career as a trainee and as a professional and passing that on to the next cohort.
“The apprenticeship scheme is a great way of bringing new talent into the industry from all disciplines and all walks of life, bringing that variation of experience and talent into the business.”
The start of a new journey
Among those taking their first steps at Port Talbot this week were Charlotte Price and Rebecca Jones, who have both joined as mechanical engineering degree apprentices.
For Rebecca, seeing members of her own family build their careers at Tata Steel helped inspire her to follow a similar path.
She said:
“I knew I wanted to do mechanical engineering, but seeing family members start as apprentices and seeing how far they’ve gone with it really pushed me to think, that’s something I want to do.”
Charlotte had also heard positive experiences from family friends already working at Tata Steel.
She said:
“I’ve got quite a lot of family friends working here, so there was a lot of positive feedback about the workplace. I thought it sounded like a good place to work.”
Tata Steel offers advanced, higher and degree apprenticeships across its UK operations, providing opportunities to gain hands-on experience, undertake training and development and work towards professional qualifications.
Good luck to all our new apprentices as they begin their careers with Tata Steel UK.
About Tata Steel UK
- The Tata Steel Group has been named one of the most ethical companies in the world, and is among the top producing global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 34 million tonnes.
- Tata Steel in the UK has the ambition to produce net-zero steel by 2045 at the latest, and to have reduced 30% of its CO2 emissions by 2030.
- In October 2024, Tata Steel ceased ironmaking at its Port Talbot site and temporarily paused steelmaking pending the construction of a 3.2Mtpa Electric Arc Furnace, due to be commissioned late in 2027 / early 2028. For that period, the business will import slab and hot rolled coil to support manufacturing and distribution operations at sites across Wales, England and Northern Ireland as well as Norway, Sweden, France, Germany and UAE. It also benefits from a network of sales offices around the world.
- Throughout 2024 Tata Steel UK has been undergoing a restructuring that will reduce the size of its workforce to around 5000 direct employees, supplying high-quality steel products to demanding markets, including construction and infrastructure, automotive, packaging and engineering.
- Tata Steel Group is one of the world's most geographically-diversified steel producers, with operations and a commercial presence across the world.
- The Group recorded a consolidated turnover of around US$27.3 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2026.
- Tata Steel has long played a key role in enabling the UK economy to become more circular. Its products are highly durable, reusable and recyclable, It applies a sustainability assessment tool during its new product development process to measure the sustainability credentials of its new offerings.
- More information about the crucial role that Tata Steel UK already plays in driving the UK to a more circular economy, and its plans to play an even greater role, can be found in its recently-published Sustainability Report covering 2023-2025.