Mayor helps Cambridgeshire training centre celebrate 500th apprenticeship landmark

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow visited The North Cambridgeshire Training Centre (NCTC) in Chatteris to celebrate its landmark 500th apprentice.  

The event, which took place during National Apprenticeship Week on 11 February, saw the Mayor present the 500th apprentice, Oliver Newman, with a commemorative certificate.   

Oliver is 16 years old and is training to be a machine technician at long-standing engineering firm, Stainless Metalcraft Ltd, which is based next to the training centre in Chatteris.  

The NCTC was officially opened in 2023 by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal who unveiled a plaque at the facility that is run by Eastern Education Group and West Suffolk College.  

NCTC is housed on land owned by Stainless Metalcraft Ltd, which recognised the need for high quality training in the region. Building the centre was funded by the Combined Authority with £3.16million through its Local Growth Fund. Alongside apprenticeships, the facility also offers leisure learning options, maths and English qualifications, management programmes, science pathways and commercial courses. 

The Combined Authority is working to drive up the number of apprentices in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to create more opportunities than ever before. Over the last 12 months, CPCA has reported a 171% increase in apprenticeship starts, nearly tripling the number of opportunities created for local people compared to the previous year.  

Mayor Paul Bristow said: “It's been great to be a part of the 500th apprentice celebrations here at NCTC in Chatteris. Addressing the skills gap in our region is central to achieving the level of growth we've set out in our Local Growth Plan. It's only with the help of education facilities such as NCTC that we can create the next generation of skilled workers”  

Laraine Moody, Group Principal of University and Professional Development at the Eastern Education Group said: “It's going as well as we could have hoped and we are very grateful to the CPCA, Stainless Metalcraft Ltd and other industry partners for their ongoing support. They have all been incredibly supportive and our relationship with them all continues to go from strength to strength. 

“We are part way into a ten-year plan, and we have plans to open other centres in Ely, Soham and St Neots later this year.   

“We are delighted to have signed up our 500th apprentice and we are looking at ways to expand the NCTC soon. In addition to this, we are going to continue to push the boundaries, keep pushing the skills levels and upping the ante in everything we do. 

“Finally, a massive thank you to the community of Chatteris and Cambridgeshire for trusting us to support them to get the skills they need to flourish.” 

Chris Duggan, Managing Director at Stainless Metalcraft said: “Apprenticeships are the lifeblood of our business. Over 50% of our workforce began their careers as apprentices - including members of our senior management team - so they are a key part of ours and the region's, economic success. 

“While Metalcraft has been training apprentices for well over one hundred years, we decided to reinvigorate the programme in the early noughties when we recognised the threat of an impending, retirement-led skills shortage. That step has proved to be one of the best commercial decisions we have made, helping us secure the skills we need to continue to grow the business and make the most of opportunities in new markets. 

“Working in partnership with organisations like NCTC and Eastern Education Group can really smooth the process. They are specialists in education delivery. They care about what they are doing and are willing to adapt delivery models to meet the specific skills needs of the employer, which is incredibly valuable.” 

Apprenticeship Case Studies 

NCTC – Patryk and Joshua 

For Joshua Pace, 19, from St Ives, and Patryk Kolasa, 20, from Papworth Everard, choosing a lab technician apprenticeship through the North Cambridgeshire Training Centre (NCTC) has given them a clear pathway into a career - without going to university. 

Both are currently completing their training while working in industry, gaining hands-on experience alongside professional analysts in a working laboratory. 

Joshua discovered the opportunity while still at sixth form. 

“I'd applied to a few apprenticeships in Cambridge, but nothing had quite clicked,” he explained. “I went to my Head of Sixth Form and said I didn't want to go through UCAS - university didn't feel right for me. I didn't want the debt, and I wasn't sure there'd be a guaranteed job at the end of it. He told me about an Anglian Water apprenticeship that had just gone live. I looked it up, applied, and here I am.” 

Patryk's route was slightly different. After taking a gap year following his A-levels, he began exploring the sector through work experience before spotting the role online. 

“I'd done some work experience just to get a feel for the industry, and that helped me realise this was the direction I wanted to go in,” he said. “Then the apprenticeship opportunity came up and it all fell into place.” 

Their weeks are split between study and work, with Mondays spent at NCTC, and the rest of the week in the laboratory. 

“We sometimes have meetings with our apprenticeship tutor - either one-to-ones or check-ins,” Joshua said. “They make sure we're supported and have everything we need.” 

At work, both apprentices rotate through departments and take on the same responsibilities as qualified staff. 

“We get the same training and responsibilities as analysts - we're not treated differently or ‘babied',” Patryk said. “We're part of the team. I really like seeing the differences between all the departments and getting an insight into the whole water industry. Before working here, I didn't realise how much work goes into it.” 

Joshua believes apprenticeships are particularly valuable for young people who may have missed out on workplace exposure in recent years. “A lot of people my age missed out on proper work experience because of COVID,” he said. “University gives you a qualification, sure, but often without much experience to back it up. It's like having a strong bridge without foundations. With an apprenticeship, you're getting a recognised qualification and real experience. Employers are increasingly looking for both - and for me, that combination made much more sense.” 

Patryk agrees and has no regrets about choosing this route. 

“I'd really recommend it,” he said. “You get qualifications, experience, and you get paid while learning. I didn't realise how many opportunities there were until I started.” 

Joshua added: “At the end, you still come out with a degree or nationally recognised qualification - plus all the hands-on learning.” 

Support from NCTC and the wider apprenticeship team has been a huge part of their success. 

“You get support whenever you need it; from the apprenticeship team and from each other as apprentices,” Joshua said. “We all help one another, and you always know who to go to if something comes up.” 

Looking ahead, both are keeping their options open within the industry. 

“There are so many opportunities to move up or across departments,” Joshua said. “That's really exciting.” 

Patryk added: “I'm pretty open-minded - I just go with the flow and see where opportunities take me.” 

If you're interested in exploring the apprenticeships NCTC has to offer, visit the website at: https://www.wsc.ac.uk/adult-learners/centres/chatteris/apprenticeships