New pottery apprenticeship aiming to save skills

A new apprenticeship covering the complete process of creating ceramics is being launched by pottery firm Emma Bridgewater, which is seeking to bring new blood into the industry.

The scheme is thought by organisers to be the first of its kind since the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) ended in 1990.

James Munro, the head of specialist production at the Stoke-on-Trent firm and the driving force behind the project, said the average age of workers was getting older, which was proving to be an issue.

"Energy prices are a big challenge but right up behind that is a skills shortage, particularly in the clay end - there is a real generation gap," he said.

The apprenticeships will see staff at Emma Bridgewater team up with other manufacturers in the industry such as 1882, Susan Rose China, Steelite, Phoenix Tiles and Burleigh to run the 18-month courses, due to launch in April.

Munro said the industry risked losing skills by not having younger people to replenish the existing workforce.

"If I wanted to be here in 10 to 20 years' time, I needed to find a way of bringing some young people in" he said.

"The last sustainable pathway for young people to come into the industry was the YTS, 30 years ago.

"Since then you can see across all the business there is a skills gap there."

Holly Chevin, 25, one of the youngest members of staff at the company, said the scheme would help bring younger people into the industry and be "great for the business and industry as a whole".

The lithographer came into the business after completing a different type of apprenticeship a few years ago.

"I didn't think you were able to do [this] as someone my age, I didn't even know what a lithographer was before I looked at the job," she said.

Staff member Mark Hall, 40, said he was concerned about what could happen if more young people did not start to view the ceramics industry as somewhere they could work.

"We need some of that younger blood coming in so we can show them the skills.

"If we left or people start retiring then this job becomes extinct," he said.

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