Vector Aerospace apprentices meet PM
Above: Prime Minister David Cameron meeting with Vector Aerospace apprentices James Clement (left) and Sean Collins (right) during his visit to Portsmouth to announce government investment in the UK's defence capabilities in the region.
James Clement, aged 23, and Sean Collins, aged 21, are two recently graduated apprentices from Vector Aerospace's Fleetlands site at Gosport in Hampshire. This site provides one of the largest technical apprentice intakes in the region and there are currently 30 people engaged in three-year apprenticeships at the Gosport facility.
Commenting on his meeting the Prime Minister, Sean Collins said: "I enjoyed talking to the Prime Minister, who asked me about my apprenticeship and how my skills have developed since I graduated. I explained about my involvement and interest in Continuous Improvement and how important this is to Vector Aerospace's business."
The purpose of the Prime Minister's meeting was to recognise the key role of Boeing's through-life support contract in supporting the UK's fleet of Chinook helicopters. As a leading supplier to Boeing, Vector Aerospace provides Depth Maintenance for the Chinook fleet under this contract.
Prime Minister David Cameron said "The Chinook support contract represents significant value for money for what is a very capable and versatile support helicopter, protecting UK interests at home and abroad. This will sustain 450 jobs and save the taxpayer over £150million. As part of our long term economic plan, we are making major defence investments in areas like Portsmouth and today's announcements demonstrate our commitment to this great city and region."
Vector Aerospace continues to invest in training highly skilled aerospace technicians to develop the UK's future skills base. An additional six apprentices will be taken on at Gosport during 2015 who will train during three phases of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) study in aerospace engineering.
Michael Tyrrell, Managing Director of Vector Aerospace UK, who introduced the apprentices to the Prime Minister said: "Vector is proud of its effective partnership with Boeing in supporting the MoD's Chinook, the value of which has been demonstrated by the Prime Minister's recognition today. Our highly skilled teams continue to invest in this region's young engineering talent and on average, our apprentice retention has achieved an impressive 94% with a number of these employees going on to flourish and hold high-level managerial positions."
