A longstanding industrial firm has taken on operational
apprentices for the very first time as it looks to the future.
Chemicals and fuels storage firm Navigator Terminals has been a
fixture of Teesside's industrial landscape for 60 years from its
home on the North bank of the River Tees.
Now the company has taken on Elliott Johnson and Kia Huntington
as apprentices for its operations.
Navigator advertised for its first ever operational apprentices
earlier this year – and Tees Valley Combined Authority helped
boost the firm's push to draw in applications.
Elliott, 19, from Redcar, is a Terminal Operator Apprentice.
He studied business at college but it wasn't quite for him. And
now he now sees a career in the chemical and fuels storage
industry as viable.
Elliott said added: “I had a job for a year and wanted something
a bit more secure in a thriving industry. That's when I put in
for the apprenticeship.
“It's the operations side of it I enjoy. The chemicals, and the
process of transferring it from tank to tanks, having the ships
come in, and the road tankers loading.
“The training has been brilliant – they go through everything in
fine detail. Everyone is friendly and getting on – everyone
teaches you something new every day.
“I'm definitely more of a hands-on learner – reading off a screen
isn't really for me. Getting out on site and seeing how to do it
is great for me.”
Kia also joined the company over the summer as a Terminal
Operator Apprentice after successfully coming through the
application process.
“It's really good to see what goes on,” she said.
“Even though we do fuel storage, there's a lot more that goes on
behind closed doors which I didn't know about.”
“I went to sixth form and did health and social care, but I had a
career change when this came up. I realised college wasn't for me
– I wanted to be more outside, hands on and learning, rather than
just in a classroom.”
Kia also enjoyed the variation in her apprenticeship so far – and
was keen to build a career in the industry.
“The team is very welcoming,” she added. We have shift operators
as well as day operators, so we work with different people –
which is good.”
Jimmy , Assistant HR and Training Manager at
Navigator, has worked for 12 years at the firm.
He explained how Navigator had been looking at getting
apprentices into tank storage for a number of years.
Tees Valley Combined Authority teams helped give the recruitment
push a leg-up once the firm had readied the positions.
He added: “We've had a new CEO come into Navigator Terminals, Roy
Brooke, and he's seen the value of apprentices and has seen the
future of the industry in apprenticeships.
“We've managed to successfully to get three apprentices into
operational training programme in tank storage which is really
good.
“Because we haven't had an apprentice in operations before, we
were starting from scratch and, luckily, we had some contacts
with the TVCA, and overnight they managed to advertise the
position for us, and share it on their platforms and because of
that we had massive success in applications. Within a 24-hour
period, 30 to 40 applications come in.
“Now they're here they've hit the ground running, they're out on
site every day with our trainers and picking up things really
quickly.
“It's great to have them.”
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Teesside is the beating
heart of our nation's chemical and processing industry – and
Navigator Terminals are another vital piece of the jigsaw in
keeping it running.
“We've laid the foundations to bring thousands of good, well-paid
jobs to the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool – but
it means nothing if we don't put the work in to ensure as many of
our young people get those jobs. Apprenticeships are crucial if
we want our area to succeed and reap the full potential of what
we're doing.
“So it's great to see our team giving a Teesside employer like
Navigator the boost it needs to get our young people into our
core industries and taking on apprentices.”
Roy Brooke, Chief Executive Officer of Navigator Terminals, said:
“At Navigator, we believe in the potential of people. Our
apprenticeship programme is more than just training; it's about
shaping the future of the industry.
“We recognise the growing need for fresh talent in the tank
storage and new energies sector. As the industry evolves, so too
does the demand for a workforce equipped with the latest
technical skills, and Navigator is determined to meet this
challenge head-on.
“We're excited to be at the forefront of developing skills that
are essential to our business and by doing so, Navigator is not
only preparing the business for the future but also creating
pathways for young talent to contribute to the evolving storage
and energy landscape.
“Navigator Terminals hopes to take a leading role in shaping the
future of the tank storage and energy industries, ensuring that
both the company and the community benefit from the shared
success.”
