Apprenticeships are key to family business that works with superyachts

 Providing well paid jobs for young people and developing their skills has always been the mantra for husband and wife team Bill and Brenda Brown since launching Makefast as a start-up engineering business 51 years ago.

 Today, their business, Makefast, employs 114 people in Newtown, has satellite sales offices in America and Italy and exports its products around the world. The company currently has eight apprentice mechanical engineers on its books - six of whom were recruited in the last year.

 Around 20 per cent of the workforce is made up of either former or current apprentices and the company has plans to recruit another four apprentices this year, including budding electrical engineers, to specialise in control boxes for sunroofs and awnings.

 Bill worked with local businesses and Mid Wales Manufacturing Group to establish a Shared Apprenticeship Scheme in the past, which gave young people the experience of working for a number of different companies.

 One of the first shared apprentices was Stuart Bowen, who is now technical director of Custom Marine Developments, part of the Makefast Group, which provides bespoke engineering solutions for clients in the very high end of the luxury marine market.

 “Makefast is now big enough to provide apprentices with the experience of working in different departments and we also offer the added bonus of overseas travel, which helps to attract talented and dynamic young people,” said Bill and Brenda’s son Chris Brown, who now runs the successful business with his brother, Michael.

 “Our plan is to set group projects for our apprentices from design and planning through to the manufacture of products. That way, they get to experience working in different departments and develop teamwork.

 “Employing apprentices allows us to mould them with the skills we need in the business. They are hugely important because they are our investment in the future and we hope it will pay off handsomely. We would have struggled to grow the business without them.

 “We like them to stay and offer them career progression opportunities but also understand that some want to travel and experience new challenges. Several have done that and come back to the company. Either way, we have grown the skills base for the area.

 “That’s not to say that recruiting staff of the calibre we need is easy here in Powys, the least populated county in Wales with small pool of skilled staff.”

 That’s why Makefast and fellow manufacturers are involved in talks with the Welsh Government to establish an Advanced Manufacturing Centre serving Mid Wales, which would provide a talent pipeline for them.

 The company currently works with training providers Myrick Training, NPTC Group’s Newtown campus and Shrewsbury Colleges Group to deliver apprentices and other learning programmes. It also supports engineering graduates and provides internships.

 Chris Williams, Makefast’s senior planner, completed a series of apprenticeships over the last decade, culminating in a First-Class Honours degree in Industrial Engineering.

 “I chose to become an apprentice because it offered the perfect balance of earning while learning, allowing me to gain hands-on experience while furthering my education,” he said.

 “Makefast provided me with the opportunity to explore a diverse range of manufacturing processes, all of which have been instrumental in shaping my career and expertise in the engineering field.”

Jen Owen, production data controller, has grown with the company over the past decade and achieved a distinction in her HND in Manufacturing Engineering.

 “An apprenticeship has always appealed to me because it allows you to gain qualifications and job experience without accumulating student debt - you earn while you learn,” she said. “From my experience, I would highly recommend an apprenticeship as a fantastic way to start your career.”

 One of the latest apprentice recruits is Ted Madeley, who is working towards a Foundation Apprenticeship In Mechanical Engineering, said: “Engineering attracted me as a career because it is hands-on, practical and allows me to learn many useful skills.

 “Working at Makefast has given me the opportunity to experience various areas within the company and develop my skills.”

 Makefast Group has developed good links with high schools in North Powys and a private school in Shropshire to promote career opportunities. The company also welcomes work experience placements, a key recruitment source.

 A group of Shrewsbury School students recently toured the business and engineering students from Newtown High School will pay a visit on Friday, as part of the Apprenticeship Week Wales celebrations.

 Optimistic about business prospects, Chris revealed that Makefast Group has recently secured orders worth $500,000 from America and is targeting further export growth this year. Exports account for more than a half the company’s production.

 Poland, now the leading boat building country in Europe, is in the company’s sights and sales representatives have been hired to cover potential customers in the southern states of America.

 Makefast Group is also acutely aware of its responsibility to the environment. Twelve per cent of its power is generated by solar panels and virtually all the company’s products are repairable or can be recycled.

 More than £200,000 has been invested in new machinery and nitrogen generator in the past year to aid productivity and sustainability.