Group Rhodes, a leading original equipment manufacturer, welcomed Secretary of State for Education, The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson, and local MP Simon Lightwood to its Calder Vale headquarters this week to highlight the critical role of apprenticeships in tackling the UK’s engineering skills shortage.
During the visit, Group Rhodes CEO Mark Ridgway OBE DL presented an overview of the company’s operations and warned that the shortage of skilled engineers entering the workforce remains “arguably the biggest threat” to the UK’s manufacturing sector. He emphasised the importance of investment in higher-level apprenticeships, which he said are essential not only for attracting new talent but also for enabling mid-career professionals to retrain. “Like many engineering companies, we face a skills shortage as older employees retire, and it becomes increasingly difficult to attract talented young engineers,” Ridgway said.
Phillipson and Lightwood toured the company’s divisions – Craven Fawcett, Rhodes Interform, BJD Crushers and Hallamshire Engineering Services – where they met employees who had completed apprenticeships at the firm. The apprentices shared their experiences, underscoring the impact of structured training in advancing their careers. The delegation also viewed machinery awaiting export to the United States and three composite presses destined for the UK aerospace sector.
The discussions touched on the Government’s Growth and Skills Levy, which has replaced the Apprenticeship Levy, with Group Rhodes welcoming the move as a step toward creating more flexible, business-aligned training pathways. The company also called for Skills England to work more closely with SMEs to ensure programmes match industry needs. Ridgway also referenced the upcoming Wakefield Futures Report on Skills, due for release on 10 September, in which he is a commissioner under the chairmanship of Sir Chris Husbands. The report will outline strategies for developing local talent pipelines.
Simon Lightwood MP praised the company’s commitment to innovation and workforce development, commenting: “I have visited Group Rhodes on a couple of occasions and continue to be impressed by the innovation and technical advancements that can clearly be seen here. It was particularly useful to hear about the challenges the industry is facing and the ideas that Group Rhodes has on the creation of more high-level employment opportunities in both Wakefield and further afield.”
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