Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake visits Sheffield Forgemasters

On Friday 4 July, Sheffield Hallam MP, Olivia Blake visited our site. 

The visit was an opportunity to showcase our work in the nuclear sector, how £1.3 billion of investment will support future jobs and to meet some of our apprentices. 

As part of the visit Richard Bell, Sales and Business Development Director explained how the Recapitalisation plan will benefit not only Sheffield Forgemasters but also the local community and secure future employment opportunities. 

“We were delighted to welcome Olivia Blake, MP for Sheffield Hallam, to our site. During her visit, we discussed the recent investment package and its significance for both our organisation and the wider region.” said Richard. 

Olivia also spent time speaking to some of our apprentices and exploring the different pathways into employment we offer for those starting out in their careers. 

Emily Baldwin, People and Development Advisor - Early Careers explains, “It’s important to share what we are doing. To be able to offer feedback on the opportunities to improve the offer not only for us but for all businesses across Sheffield is valuable. It’s so crucial to be able to showcase our incredible apprentices to wider government and really celebrate the future pipeline of talent we’re developing.”    

Olivia Blake MP (centre), pictured outside our Forge building with (left to right): Business Development Manager - Clean Energy Edward Proudfoot, Head of Communications Alice Gledhill, Apprentice Quality Engineer Tom Brookes, Foundry Apprentice Callum Casewell, Apprentice Machinist Jacob Lemons, and People Development Advisior - Early Careers Emily Baldwin.

As part of the visit Olivia was keen to hear directly from apprentices on what could be done to provide greater support in the college aspects of the programme.  

Callum Casewell, a Foundry Apprentice was keen to share his experience, “I work in the Foundry and the scale and technicalities of what we do here can’t be replicated in a college classroom, it’s just not big enough. To be able to explain this to her and how it could be improved for future apprentices was great,” he said.  

Olivia was also interested in hearing about why our apprentices had chosen the steel industry and Jacob Lemons a Machining Apprentice said afterwards “It is great to see an MP taking interest in what we’re doing and is interested in what it’s like working in the steel industry and this way of life.” 

After the visit Tom Brookes, an Apprentice Quality Engineer said “It is good that people are coming to see us and taking an interest in what we are doing. It just proves what we’re doing is something special and how we are doing it is working.”