University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre joins forces with Black & Decker

The AMRC Training Centre has continued its collaboration for the third consecutive intake with the world’s biggest tool company, Stanley Black & Decker, and is celebrating with the launch of a new apprentice scheme.

The Sir George W. Buckley Engineering Excellence Programme will be open to local engineering students, in honour of the company’s new Chairman of the Board, Sir George, who was born in Pitsmoor and began his own career with an apprenticeship at the Sheffield-based company.

Founded in collaboration with the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, the scheme will provide young people from the region with an opportunity to embark upon an exciting career with the global manufacturer.

Sir George W. Buckley returned to Hellaby in Rotherham this month to meet the employees at Stanley Black & Decker’s manufacturing plant, and to announce the new programme established in his name.

Apprentices will be based at Hellaby - which produces a wide range of high quality hand tools for the building trade – while also receiving training at the AMRC Training Centre’s state-of-the-art facilities beginning with a first year full-time off the job engineering programme.

Stanley Black & Decker and the Training Centre have forged a strong apprenticeship partnership over the past two and a half years, resulting in the enrolment of seven apprentices since the beginning of the co-operation between the two organisations in 2015.

Candidates can apply for the programme from May 2017 and it is scheduled to begin later in the year.

Successful applicants will complete an introductory engineering course of about 30 weeks, during which participants will compete for the Sir George W. Buckley Excellence Award. A specially-appointed panel will consider the achievements of each candidate, and an overall winner will be identified and announced as the ‘Sir George Buckley Engineering Excellence Apprentice’ for that year.

The recipient of this prestigious accolade will then be granted the opportunity of an additional training programme that includes best practice in advanced, innovative subjects, such as automation, robotics, additive design and manufacturing, as well as the chance to visit and work at other international Stanley Black & Decker facilities.

Dan Swift, programme manager, University of Sheffield, commented, “The AMRC Training Centre is excited to be collaborating with Stanley Black & Decker and delivering the ‘Sir George Buckley Engineering Excellence Programme’. This is a wonderful opportunity for individuals to embark on an engineering apprenticeship with a globally recognised organisation, and to potentially follow in the footsteps of Sir George Buckley himself.”

James M. Loree, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Black & Decker, added, “Around the world, we have fostered a culture of continuous learning, breakthrough innovation and growth. We invest in the training and careers of our associates, empowering them to take on any challenge – hard work is always rewarded. People are our most important asset, and this new Excellence Programme will help keep us ahead of the curve in developing young local talent, to discover the next generation of engineering leaders who will create the Stanley Black & Decker products and solutions of the future.”