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.
