Manufacturing Machinery World April 2020

THE NEXT GENERATION
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME HITS 30 YEAR LANDMARK
Additive manufacturing specialist Ricoh is
celebrating a landmark anniversary at the
start of National Apprenticeship Week 2020.
It was back in 1990 that Ricoh launched its
own apprenticeship programme to unearth
and develop the next generation of talent in
the West Midlands.
Exactly three decades on and the success
of the apprenticeship scheme is evident in
the workforce of a company which is now
growing and investing in cutting edge
technologies in 2D and 3D printing.
Scores of youngsters have completed
apprenticeships, with a focus on providing
real career and progression opportunities,
and 35 remain with the business today.
That number includes Mark Dickin, who
now heads up the Ricoh 3D printing
department in his role as Additive
Manufacturing and Moulding Engineering
Manager, and began his apprenticeship in
1999.
Over 20 years later and the newest success
in the Ricoh 3D team is Junior Engineer
Myles Jarman, who has recently completed
his Technical Apprenticeship.
Myles, who is a 22-year-old from Telford
and began his apprenticeship straight from
school, said: “It has been fantastic for me.
“I had the option of doing this or going to
university and I’ve no doubts in my mind
that I made the right decision.
“Ricoh is a fantastic company for
youngsters looking to go down the
apprenticeship route and I would encourage
anyone thinking of applying for this
opportunity in the future to grasp it.
“The company covers all your training
and gives you the chance to learn on the job.
“We have also been involved in external
programmes to aid our development, such as
an outward bound experience in Aberdovey
where we had first and third year
apprentices at Ricoh join forces for a week
and combine our skills to carry out problemsolving
exercises.
“I’m now part way through an additional
two-year Manufacturing Engineering degree
at Wolverhampton University.
“I’m heavily involved in the day-to-day
operations of Ricoh’s 3D printing operation,
including machine and process optimisation
and evaluation, design and production
support.
“I’m really excited to be involved in an
industry which has huge potential and is
evolving at such a pace
“The apprenticeship has given me the
chance to look to the future with a level of
confidence I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Ricoh’s Apprentice Academy
traditionally offers Commerical,
Engineering, Production Print and Tool
Making apprenticeships, and has now
started recruiting degree apprentices in
addition.
Claire Shepherd, Learning and
Development Officer at Ricoh, said: “The
apprenticeship programme has been hugely
successful over the last 30 years and we are
extremely proud of what we have achieved
in that particular area of the business.
“We have made a substantial investment
in young talent and the rewards are there for
all to see, with a number of fully qualified
team members who have committed their
long-term futures to the business.
“I can only see the apprenticeship
programme at Ricoh continuing to go from
strength to strength in the future. There is a
real appetite to build on the great work we
have already done.”
Ricoh is a true end-to-end manufacturer,
taking products through their full
development cycle – whether it’s one or one
million parts.
www.rapidfab.ricoh-europe.com
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10 Manufacturing Machinery World, April 2020