Sector: Automotive

Innovation doesn’t begin with machines. It begins with people; curiosity, craft, confidence, and the courage to solve problems that matter. At Sertec, investment in our future means investment in Early Careers Talent (ECT), apprentices, graduates, and emerging professionals who are shaping the next chapter of advanced manufacturing.

As a Tier 1 automotive supplier, Sertec operates at the pace of a changing industry; electrification, automation, and increasing customer expectations for quality, speed, and resilience. To stay ahead, we continuously grow the capabilities that power our performance. That’s why our ECT approach is more than a recruitment route,  it’s an innovation strategy.

A Heritage of Apprenticeships — and a Pipeline Built to Last

Sertec has a rich heritage in apprenticeship programmes, built on the belief that world-class manufacturing requires world-class skills, developed early, nurtured consistently, and applied in real production environments.

Today, that legacy is visible across the Group:

• A significant cohort of Sertec employees have come through our apprenticeship pathways including members of our Board of directors
• 1 in 5 colleagues across the Group staff area have developed through our “grow our own” pipeline
• Apprentice talent across all UK sites and business functions
• Gold Kite Mark accreditation for the quality of our Engineering apprenticeship programmes
• 89% Engagement Score from ECT talent, with 80 % retention after 5 years with the organisation. Ensuring Apprentices are trained towards real roles with progression routes available.

Our commitment reflects long-term, meaningful investment in skills; training, mentoring, technical pathways, and progression routes that create confident, capable professionals. This is how we build more than capacity. We build continuity, the kind that sustains performance across programmes, platforms, and future technologies

A Strong Voice in the Apprentice Space — and the Wider Industry

As a Tier 1 supplier, Sertec is deeply active in the apprentice space and committed to strengthening the skills ecosystem that supports UK manufacturing.

We don’t just participate, we contribute. Sertec is a voice for the automotive sector in key industry forums, including engagement with bodies such as the SMMT Automotive Skills Council, helping shape conversations around skills needs, training quality, future roles, and the direction of technical education.

Our goal is simple: ensure the skills pipeline stays aligned to the reality of modern manufacturing and that young people can see a future for themselves in it.

Partnerships that Spark Ambition: Schools, Colleges & STEM Engagement

Talent doesn’t appear overnight, it’s inspired, encouraged, and developed. That’s why Sertec invests in a strong network of school and college partnerships, supporting early engagement, careers education, and hands-on experiences that make engineering real.

Across the year, we are proud to be:

• Engaged in 20+ CSR school engagement events, interacting with over 2000+ students in the last 12 months
• Supporting activities ranging from interview days and CV coaching to factory tours and site experiences
• Delivering opportunities that show young people what modern engineering looks like and what it can lead to

These activities are creating visibility. We want students to understand that engineering is creative, collaborative, and full of purpose.

Real Projects. Real Stakes. Real Growth.

At Sertec, early careers colleagues don’t sit on the sidelines. They contribute — and they are trusted to deliver.

Our ECT programmes are built around real-world projects with high stakes and high reward, spanning business areas that directly impact performance, quality, safety, customer delivery, and continuous improvement.

This is where growth accelerates: when learning is applied, supported, and meaningful.

 Carl Milbourne commented: “We empower young people through trust. Trust to contribute, to try, to learn quickly, and to make a real difference. With strong mentorship, collaboration, and meaningful work, ECT colleagues don’t just develop skills, they develop belief in what they can achieve.”

Strong early careers programmes are built on two things: opportunity and support. At Sertec, ECT colleagues learn alongside and under the guidance of our industry professionals. That mentorship is practical, personal, and grounded in high standards.

From engineering and manufacturing to quality, commercial, IT and business support functions, early careers talent is developed in the environment where excellence is expected.

“Our future competitiveness depends on the skills we build today. Apprentices and early careers talent bring fresh thinking, energy and when that’s added to our engineering experience, it becomes a powerful force for innovation, problem-solving, and performance.” Highlighted Richard, Engineering Director

Growing Representation: Increasing Female Participation in ECT

We know engineering thrives when it reflects the diversity of the world it serves. Sertec is committed to improving representation in manufacturing and we are actively focused on increasing female participation across ECT programmes.

This includes stronger outreach to female students through schools and colleges, more visible role models, supportive mentoring, and inclusive programme design. Progress matters and we are committed to building a pipeline where everyone with the ambition and capability to succeed in engineering feels welcome and supported.

Our investment in early careers and skills development has been strengthened by recognition through People and Skills award at the Manufacture MX awards, celebrating the commitment of our teams and the results achieved through training, mentoring, and capability-building.

Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) — Across the Business

National Apprenticeship Week is a standout moment in the Sertec calendar; not as a single celebration, but as a business-wide programme that reinforces the value of apprenticeships and the impact of early careers colleagues.

Across the week, Sertec delivers a full programme of activity that typically includes:

• Leadership engagement and site visibility — celebrating apprentices and early careers colleagues in action
• Apprentice stories and spotlight features — highlighting individual journeys, achievements and progression
• Mentor recognition — celebrating the colleagues who coach, guide and build others
• Skills showcases — demonstrations of projects, improvements and technical learning in practice
• School/college engagement moments — tours, talks, outreach and pathways conversations
• “Day in the life” features across functions — showing the breadth of roles apprentices can progress into
• Interactive sessions and Q&A — encouraging honest conversations about routes into engineering and manufacturing

The Week’s Finale: Apprenticeship Awards & Celebrations

NAW culminates in our Apprenticeship Awards; a meaningful moment that brings the business together to recognise achievement, growth, and contribution.

At the Sertec Apprenticeship Awards, we come together as one organisation to honour the remarkable achievements of our Apprentices and the colleagues who champion and support them. It is a celebration not only of those who have successfully completed their apprenticeship programmes, but also of individuals who have demonstrated exceptional performance, creativity, teamwork, and continuous improvement across real business projects. The event shines a light on colleagues who bring our Sertec values to life every day, whether through the quality of their work, the way they solve problems, or the positive impact they have on the teams around them.

It is a moment of pride, connection, and recognition, highlighting award winners whose journeys truly reflect the power of learning while delivering.

Emmanuel reflects on the importance of the day:
“The Apprenticeship Awards remind us why investing in people matters. Watching our young talent stand tall, surrounded by their mentors, leaders, and peers, is incredibly powerful. It shows the impact of trust, opportunity, and belief — and it proves that when we support people to grow, they lift the whole organisation with them.”

Innovation Through People — The Sertec Way

At Sertec, innovation is more than technology. It’s:

• developing skills that keep pace with change
• building pathways that unlock potential
• creating environments where young talent can thrive
• and delivering real outcomes through trust, mentorship, and purposeful work

Our Early Careers Talent approach is a statement about what we believe: the future is built, not found, and it’s built by investing in people.

Age 13-14, I started out with a thought of a potential career pathway to become an engineer in year 8. I had no clue how I was going to get to that point and no idea where to find out how, however, it was my relatives and friends of my parents that made me have that thought. I was still at that age where there was an overwhelming amount of other options so I had plenty of time to decide what career pathway I wanted to take on. I initially applied for WMG Academy For Young Engineers Solihull not knowing what type of engineering I wanted to get into but wanted to see where this school could take me.

At ages 15-16, I wanted a fresh start at a school where there are so many opportunities for careers, apprenticeships and recently implementing T-levels, therefore, moving schools to WMG Academy was one of the best decisions I’ve made. As I expand and improve my knowledge, skills and experience, I soon came to realise engineering is the pathway I would love to undertake.

Coming up to the end of February 2024, I took some time to research and look deeper into a few of the companies I’d like to apply for. I then found out about Make UK an apprenticeship fair, which is where I researched about a couple of companies I was interested in and their apprenticeships that were vacant on their websites as well as the companies that I spoke to. By this time, I was very keen to get into an apprenticeship, therefore, I dedicated myself towards applying for a couple and strived at preparing for my GCSEs to ensure I got the required grades.

Approaching the end of June, I’d received a response for my Multi-skilled Maintenance Engineer Apprentice application mentioning for me to attend an interview. This was the first stage of interviewing, which I knew I had to perform and stand out in front of the rest. After gaining the feedback from the 1st interview, I got offered a position which recently became vacant at the time and was told continuous improvement would suit my personality a lot better, which I 100% agreed with. I was then invited to attend a face-to-face interview at Sertec, Wincaster House. I knew this was my final time to stand out in front of the rest and was very excited but nervous at the same time for the interview.

I’m now in the second year of my level 3 apprenticeship, which I have no regrets at all since applying. There’s not a day when I’m not learning and what’s been said to me is as being a part of the continuous improvement department, you’ll never stop learning. I’m keen to progress each day in a very friendly working environment both at the training provider and on site.

Oliver Price – Continuous Improvement Engineer Apprentice

Over the next two years, I completed a BTEC in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, gaining valuable skills and knowledge that laid the foundation for my growth as an engineer over the following years.

After completing the first year, I transitioned to a day-release schedule, spending one day a week on my studies and the rest at work. During this time, I rotated through 3-6 month placements in various departments at Sertec. This gave me exposure to different areas of the business, helped me build a broad skillset, and allowed me to establish strong relationships with colleagues across the company—connections that have only grown more valuable over time.

At the end of the two-year BTEC program, I earned a Distinction, which enabled me to enroll in the Foundation Degree program at Birmingham City University. Around this time, my responsibilities at work started increasing, so I had to step up my time management and self-discipline to meet deadlines while balancing the challenges of learning at a higher academic level. Adapting to these new demands wasn’t easy at first, but it played a big role in my development.

Completing my Foundation Degree and apprenticeship was a huge personal and professional milestone for me. By 2021, I had grown so much, both as an individual and an engineer. That October, I was honored to be shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year at the Made in the Midlands Awards, alongside six other nominees, including another Sertec apprentice, Robin Campbell. To my surprise, I won the award based on a project I worked on within the Continuous Improvement Department at Wincaster House under Chris Durrant. This recognition validated all the effort I’d put into my apprenticeship.

After completing the program, I moved into a Trainee Project Engineer role within the NPI department. I took a year off from studying to focus on settling into the role. During this time, I discovered how much I enjoyed project work. Despite having less than four months of experience, I was tasked with managing the Engineering Change department, which included daily presentations to the customer and reporting to senior leaders. This steep learning curve forced me to adapt quickly, building both confidence and capability.

After that year, I decided to resume my studies and pursue a Level 6 Bachelor’s degree to complete my academic journey. The next two years were the toughest yet—balancing full-time work with the demands of the degree. With limited time during my weekdays, I had to rely on day release hours and personal time to stay on top of deadlines. Juggling work pressures and university studies pushed me to become more resilient and efficient.

In early 2023, at 22, I was promoted to Project Manager, becoming the youngest in Sertec’s history. I took on the responsibility of managing a new EV project, which has since grown into the company’s largest-ever project. At the same time, I was finishing my Level 6 apprenticeship degree. After two intense years, I graduated in May 2024 with a 2:1 with Honors.

Looking back, the past seven years—starting as a 16-year-old apprentice in 2017—have been incredibly challenging, but equally rewarding. The apprenticeships I’ve completed have shaped me into the engineer and person I am today, and I’m excited to see what’s next on this journey.

Will Moore – Project Manager

I was lucky enough that I went to a Design & Technology school so when it came to choosing my options at GCSE, engineering was an obvious choice. It turned out to be my best subject so after school, I then went on to study engineering further at college before starting my apprenticeship.

This further proved I’d made the right decision as I loved everything I learned and excelled in the subject. Since starting my apprenticeship, I have learnt many valuable life skills that will help me as I progress in my career.

I now work in the CAD/design department at Sertec and my daily duties include helping to create drawings using CAD software.

Georgia Witheridge – Trainee CAD Engineer

During my apprenticeship, I developed a solid foundation in technical skills and problem solving, laying the foundations for my future roles. After completing my apprenticeship, I transitioned into the role of SIA (Supplier Technical Assistance) Engineer. In this position, I was responsible for ensuring that suppliers met quality standards and adhered to technical specifications.

I worked closely with suppliers to identify and resolve issues, improving production efficiency and maintaining high product quality. With my growing expertise in supplier management and engineering processes, I progressed into the role of Buyer in the procurement department. This new position allowed me to combine my technical knowledge with commercial skills, negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring cost-effectiveness while maintaining quality standards. Building on my diverse experience across engineering, supplier management, and procurement, I recently advanced into the position of Project Manager, taking on greater responsibility of overseeing complex business projects through to completion.

Alongside my apprenticeship and early career development I pursued further education and completed a degree in engineering, achieving First Class Honours, balancing both academic and professional commitments to further deepen business expertise.

Macaulay Jones – Project Manager