Last Autumn, the first cohort of seven apprentices started a 3-4 year programme, which will lead to NVQ Level 3 and BTEC diploma qualifications, and the company is now looking to recruit further trainees for the next intake, this September.
The scheme has a strong local content, being managed by MetSkill of Sheffield and involving external training delivered by Rotherham College of Arts & Technology and the Strategic Training Partnership (STP) of Rotherham.
“It was an important step for the company, because it meant we could recruit and train young people to take on the roles of our skilled tradesmen, who will one day retire,” says managing director, Kevin Parkin.
“For many years, the company used to run its own highly acclaimed apprenticeship scheme, but it was discontinued in the mid-80s as non-essential, which looking back was clearly a mistake. Now, we have started building for the future,” he added.
DavyMarkham has a long history of building single and double drum winders for the global mining industry, although in North America these are referred to as mining hoists. Typically, these large units, up to 6.6m in diameter and beyond, are fabricated in more manageable sections, so that they can be easily handled by on-site EOTs in the mining headframe or even deep underground.
