Yamazaki Mazak chose to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2020 (3-7 February) with an ‘innovative twist’, by allowing the current crop of young engineering talent to turn the tables on the senior management and interview them on their own careers in the manufacturing industry.

Mazak currently employs 48 apprentices and has trained more than 200 in recent years across a range of disciplines — including production, service and business administration.

Over a third of the current employees at the machine tool manufacturer’s European headquarters in Worcester began their careers as apprentices, including 53 who undertook a Mazak apprenticeship.

The company invited a selection of its current class of 47 apprentices to put their questions on a career in engineering to a selection of senior staff, including Alan Mucklow (managing director, UK and Ireland Sales Division), Lawrence McCann (general manager, European Sales Engineering) and Dave Clarke (Spindle Service Centre manager).

Mr Mucklow said: “Without doubt, our apprentice scheme is one of the cornerstones of our operations here in Worcester.

"As a former apprentice myself, I can offer first-hand ratification as to the solid foundation such a route lays down for you in our industry, and the ceremony in which we present newly qualified apprentices with their first grey shirt of a full-time engineer always fills me with great pride.”

Further details on Mazak’s apprenticeship programme can be found at the Web site (www.mazakeu.co.uk/careers).