Apprentices from South Staffs Water will be out and about in the local community during National Apprenticeship Week (which runs from 6 to 10 March) to raise awareness of the scheme and encourage new recruits.

The water company took on five local apprentices last year. It has been so overwhelmed with their enthusiasm, dedication and desire to drive the company forward, it wants to encourage more recruits with its Talent Pipeline campaign.

Throughout the week the team of apprentices will be out and about acting as ambassadors for the Talent Pipeline scheme – starting with taking over the water company’s Twitter feed.

Maryjane Squires, HR Business Partner, at South Staffs Water, said: “We really want to get the message out there that the apprenticeship scheme is a fantastic way to get into a forward thinking industry that is committed to career growth.

“We’ll be putting regular tweets out and responding to any questions people may have about the apprenticeship scheme, under the banner #SSWTalentPipeline, which was thought of by one of apprentices.”

On Wednesday 8 March three apprentices will be at the ICC Birmingham for the National Apprenticeship Event.  The event will feature a host of employers and training providers on hand to talk to people about apprenticeship opportunities in the Midlands.

This will be followed by a visit to Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy in Walsall where the team will discuss career opportunities with pupils. The apprentices will also be volunteering on community projects within the region as well as one of our talented apprentices Gareth Hall leading a talk at Wednesday Fire Cadets.

Since starting with South Staffs Water in September, the apprentices have worked across different departments, gaining an insight to all business operations.

16-year-old Aston Villa supporter Sam Perks from Sutton Coldfield completed his GCSEs last June and has so far spent time in Water Quality and Asset Management.

He said: “The part of the apprenticeship I have enjoyed the most since I joined has been learning the underground networks of the business and how much water goes through our pipes and treatment each day.”

Callum Grocutt, from Walsall, has spent time in Operational Technology and with the team responsible for laying and maintaining the water network.

He said “I’ve learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t even know existed before I started. I’m really enjoying my time with South Staffs Water and hopefully there are many years to come!”

Each apprenticeship lasts for three years and those which successfully complete the programme will be guaranteed a job.

Marcella Nash, Director of Human Resources at South Staffs Water, said: “It’s great to have been able to be bring talent into the business and water industry.

“We hope this year’s National Apprenticeship Week will help raise awareness of the company and bring in future talent.”

Anyone who is interested in finding out more should send a CV to waterhr@south-staffs-water.co.uk