Being a manufacturer with over 130 years of history, Ritherdon have had the privilege of opening our doors to dozens of apprentices over the decades.
In fact, this year marks 100 years since we took on our very first apprentice, Bill Crowther, in 1926, to be trained as a Sheet Metal Worker closely followed by George North and Charlie Gilibrand, in 1928, at our old factory in Bolton, all of them staying with the company for over 50 years.
Marking 100 Years During National Apprenticeship Week
As we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week (9th–15th February), we took the opportunity to reflect on this milestone moment in our history, realising that it has been 100 years since Ritherdon welcomed its very first apprentice. We marked the occasion with our wider community on LinkedIn, sharing stories of the people and achievements that have shaped our apprenticeship legacy.
That reflection resonated beyond our walls. During the week, our century‑long apprenticeship journey drew media interest across the region: from Lancashire Business View to the Lancashire Telegraph, which covered the story under the headline “Apprenticeships still key to Darwen firm’s growth.”
We’re proud to share that story here on our blog as well. And if you’d like to explore how people shaped Ritherdon over the decades, you can dive deeper into the wider history of our company.
Celebrating the Success of Our Apprentices
Apprentices who have come through Ritherdon have always achieved a great deal of success after completion, using the skills they have acquired to enhance their abilities and move into even more highly specialised areas of manufacturing. This includes our former apprentice welder and metalworker, Harry, who recently used his apprenticeship training to secure a metalworking job all the way in Australia!
Many former apprentices also stay with us, using the skills they learned to further improve our business. Our current Production Manager, Danny, was a former apprentice and has now taken charge of shop floor operations and Arron, another former apprentice, is now in charge of our Paint Shop.
With the development of digital technology, we have also expanded the types of apprenticeships undertaken starting with Digital Marketing. Our current Digital Marketer, Peter, being the first to complete this new type of apprenticeship with us in 2022.
Apprenticeships for the Future
We have also opened our doors to other training schemes, including our newest Technical Support Engineer, Sahil, who has come to us through a training scheme operated by Made Smarter UK and our T-level student, Daniel, who will be beginning his final 2-week placement with us this March, in partnership with local Runshaw College.
Currently, one of our Paint Shop Operators, Jake, is continuing our proud apprenticeship tradition, beginning an Apprenticeship in FAB Welding with local training provider Training 2000.
As you can see, Ritherdon and our apprentices have greatly benefited from the skills and training offered by apprenticeship schemes, and we look forward to opening our workshop to even more in the future.
If you or someone you know is interested in beginning a career through an apprenticeship with us, we invite you to get in touch or explore the opportunities we offer.
