Skills boost as Encyclis launches apprenticeship programme across operational facilities

Encyclis has welcomed eight new apprentices to support the development of new skills and career opportunities in the Energy-from-Waste sector.

The first intake has seen eight apprentices join the company’s operations and maintenance teams on a four-year basis, during which time they will combine college studies with workplace training across a range of engineering disciplines.

The apprentices are spread between three of the four recovery facilities (ERFs) in Encyclis’ operational cluster in the central regions of England. Together, the three facilities offer capacity to safely and sustainably treat over 1,600 tonnes of residual waste while recovering reusable resources and generating enough secure baseload electricity to power around 280,000 homes. The fourth facility, Walsall ERF, is in construction and will begin recruiting apprentices in the next two years.

Four apprentices have joined the team at Protos ERF, near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. The plant recently entered commissioning and received Government backing to install full-scale carbon capture technology in the first UK project of its kind.

Two apprentices have started work at Rookery South ERF, in Bedfordshire, and two more are based at Encyclis’ Newhurst ERF, in Leicestershire.

They were chosen from hundreds of applicants following a rigorous selection process that involved interviews, presentations and aptitude tests.

The apprentices are joining a workforce of more than 250 employees whose roles range from electrical engineering and environmental management to plant maintenance and performance optimisation.

Mark Burrows-Smith, CEO of Encyclis, said: “We are extremely proud to welcome our first cohort of apprentices into the UK. The launch of this programme is one of the ways we are cultivating technical skills for the future, and delivering on our social contract. There are skills gaps throughout the UK in our area of industry and we are determined to be part of the solution. These are the green jobs of the future’’

“The apprenticeship programme is also another way in which we are connecting with the communities we serve, by providing long-term, skilled jobs and opportunities for career development. The young people we employ today will be the senior engineers and leaders of the future – ensuring we can continue to fulfil our essential role in society by not only safely processing the non-recyclable waste of homes and businesses but turning it into electricity, heat and reusable resources.”

To facilitate the programme, Encyclis has linked up with local colleges including Loughborough College, in Leicestershire, where nearby apprentices are studying for BTEC qualifications as Maintenance and Operations Technicians.

One of the apprentices, Muhammed, 16, held an ambition to be an engineer from an early age. In his last year of school, he applied for dozens of apprenticeships and is delighted to have the opportunity to work and study at the same time.

“I’m so glad to get started,” he said. “When I got the role, I called my mum on speaker to tell her the news, and she was so loud that everyone laughed.

“This is my first experience working in a real engineering environment and It’s been good so far. I’ve learned a lot already. One thing I love is the variety of jobs to do at an energy recovery facility like this. It will give me a good range of experience for the future.”

Another apprentice, Lewis, 18, has enjoyed his first few weeks with the operations team. “It’s been exciting getting to know how Energy-from-Waste works. The biggest surprise is seeing how much goes into the process of turning waste into energy. Being in operations and maintenance has really opened my mind for my future career.”

In December, the Government highlighted the value of apprenticeships with a pledge to encourage 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships across the UK over the next three years. A range of reforms are being introduced to increase opportunities for apprenticeships.