The first cohort has seen eight apprentices join the company’s operations and maintenance teams on four-year placements, during which they will combine college-based learning with hands-on training across a range of engineering disciplines.
The new starters are spread across three of the four energy recovery facilities (ERFs) that make up Encyclis’ operational cluster in the central region.
Together, these sites have capacity to treat more than 1,600 tonnes of residual waste per day.
A fourth site, the Walsall ERF, is currently under construction and is expected to begin recruiting apprentices within the next two years.
Mark Burrows-Smith, Chief Executive of Encyclis, commented: “We are extremely proud to welcome our first cohort of apprentices into the company.
“The launch of this programme is one of the ways we are cultivating technical skills for the future, and delivering on our social contract.
“There are skills gaps throughout the UK in our area of industry and we are determined to be part of the solution.
“These are the green jobs of the future.”
First placements across three ERFs
To support the programme, Encyclis has partnered with several local colleges, including Loughborough College in Leicestershire, where nearby apprentices are working towards BTEC qualifications as Maintenance and Operations Technicians.
Four apprentices have joined teams at the Protos ERF, near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.
The facility entered commissioning recently and has secured government backing for what is set to become the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture installation at an EfW plant.
A further two apprentices are now based at Rookery South ERF in Bedfordshire, while two more have taken up roles at Newhurst ERF in Leicestershire.
Encyclis said the apprentices were selected from hundreds of applicants, following a rigorous assessment process that included interviews, presentations and aptitude testing.
Once trained, they will join a workforce of more than 250 employees whose roles span electrical engineering, environmental management, plant maintenance and performance optimisation.
Burrows-Smith added: “The apprenticeship programme is also another way in which we are connecting with the communities we serve, by providing long-term, skilled jobs and opportunities for career development.
“The young people we employ today will be the senior engineers and leaders of the future – ensuring we can continue to fulfil our essential role in society by not only safely processing the non-recyclable waste of homes and businesses but turning it into electricity, heat and reusable resources.”
