Four young people from Luton, Bedford, Hemel Hempstead and Clophill flew the flag for the UK’s aeronautical engineering apprentices as part of a nationwide campaign.
The awesome foursome work at Monarch Aircraft Engineering in Luton and they joined fellow apprentices from around the country to be recognised for their contribution to creating some of England’s finest and most well-respected exports and goods.
Chis Redford, 20, from Luton, Jamie Cooper, 19 from Bedford, Mason Cooper, 18 from Hemel Hempstead and Jonathan Bell, 17 from Clophill, near Bedford are all half-way through a four year apprenticeship. After initial training at the academy the apprentices will move on to Monarch’s London Luton, Birmingham and Manchester Airport bases.
The ‘Made by Apprentices’ project saw the talents of apprentices celebrated as they were asked for the very first time to put their names on their handiwork and to showcase the projects apprentices are involved in.
As part of the nation-wide campaign they signed their names on to one of the aircraft which they help to service and maintain and their pictures are now featured on the Prime Minister’s Pinterest Page within a Made by Apprentices gallery.
Speaking at the signing, the apprentices said that they were delighted to represent many fantastic goods and services which are made or maintained by apprentices in the UK.
Jay O’Brien, practical training coordinator at Monarch Aircraft Engineering Limited said: “We have trained apprentices for over 40 years and are recognised world-wide producing high calibre engineers. Not only does the scheme help to provide jobs for people in the local community, it also provides an essential pipeline of skilled aircraft engineers, both for us and the industry as a whole.”
Other apprentices across the UK involved in the project include bridal wear company Sassi Holford, BAE Systems and York Minster Stone Masons.
Karen Woodward, central divisional area director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “Apprentices are vital to businesses up and down the country. It’s great to see them getting the recognition they deserve and giving them the chance to put their own stamp on some of Britain’s most iconic products.”