Tata Steel UK welcomes new intake of apprentices

The intake includes 44 new apprentices at Tata Steel’s operations in Wales

Tata Steel UK has welcomed its latest intake of apprentices across its operations, including 44 in Wales.

Some 24 apprentices joined Port Talbot, eight at Trostre, four at Llanwern, one at Catnic in Caerphilly and seven at Tata Steel’s Shotton operations.

The new recruits are starting careers across a range of disciplines, including mechanical and electrical engineering, fabrication and welding, machining and process control and automation, as well as mechanical and electrical degree apprenticeships.

They form part of a UK-wide intake of 55 apprentices joining Tata Steel with four also starting at Hartlepool and further seven due to join Steelpark and Corby later this month.

Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Kinnock said: “The UK Government is backing Welsh steelmaking and backing young people to build the skills they need to access the jobs of the future in our key industries.

“In the past week I have been to Tata Steel’s sites in Port Talbot and Llanwern and seen how the company is investing in its local workforce and in apprenticeships.

“The UK Government wants to see good jobs in every community and Tata is one of the companies helping to deliver that vision.”

Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, Cefin Campbell, said: “I am delighted so many new apprentices are joining Tata Steel UK this September, including 44 right here in Wales.

“Apprenticeships are central to our future skills system, offering people the chance to build rewarding careers while helping to develop the skilled workforce Wales needs. It’s fantastic to see people starting out across such a wide range of disciplines showing the different pathways available.

“I want to wish all the new apprentices every success as they take this exciting step in their careers.”

Tata Steel in the UK has the ambition to produce net-zero steel by 2045 at the latest, and to have reduced 30% of its CO2 emissions by 2030.

However, its £1.25bn electric arc furnace at Port Talbot is now not scheduled to become operational until 2028. The project, which will make steel from scrap, was planned to open next year, but has been pushed back due to a delay by the National Grid in providing the required connection to the grid.

Since the ending of blast furnace primary steel making, and ahead of the arc furnace, Indian-owned Tata has been importing slab and hot rolled coil to support its downstream manufacturing and distribution operations.