Operating in over 42 locations across the globe, David Brown is Director General Manager of Hexagon Metrology Ltd UK. One of the largest group of its kind in the world, Hexagon are experts in providing equipment and services in the science of metrology which David describes as ‘measuring and positioning objects’ in nearly all of the manufacturing sectors.

David is about to make a big decision in terms of selecting the company’s very first apprentices. We caught up with him to see how he was getting on.

David, thanks for sparing the time today. So you and Hexagon are at a very exciting time, you’re about to select the company’s very first apprentices. How have you found that experience?

Very difficult if I’m being honest, but in a good way. The calibre of candidates that we’ve seen has been excellent. There’s so much young talent on offer, everyone we’ve seen fit well, so it’s making my job very difficult. I was originally planning to hire two apprentices but it’s possible that we might take three on now, the standard is that high.

What a great predicament to be in! So have you had any experience in hiring apprentices before?

No, this is completely new territory for me. But as it happens, we had just joined EEF and turned to them for assistance which has been superb. They did pretty much everything. Sourced the candidates, screened and filtered each individual…before putting us in this predicament as you say. But it’s a positive predicament. EEF has found us amazing quality and I’d probably still be scratching my head if it wasn’t for their help.

That’s great to hear. If I can go back to the beginning, why did you decide to implement an apprenticeship scheme?

There’s a few reasons but I suppose the main one is that in the past we’ve sometimes hired newly qualified engineers who have all been fantastic and contribute endless amounts to the company. But we thought; ‘If these young people can provide this much for Hexagon, what could we harness out of a younger raw talent such as an apprentice?’ So it’s a bit of an experiment for us where we’re hopefully investing in the future.

So you view apprenticeships not only as an opportunity for the up-and-coming talent, but also the organisations that employ them?

Without a doubt, especially in metrology which is a fairly small community. I think the industry is in danger of not getting enough new blood which would ultimately cost dearly with the potential of engineer shortages, etc. It’s imperative that we all try to keep the industry motoring and a part of that is collectively investing in its future.

That’s a really interesting outlook. What advice would you give to other companies considering an apprenticeship scheme?

During the recession, the manufacturing sector was driven extremely hard to stay afloat and I think we’re all guilty of ‘tunnel vision’. We’ve all been so dedicated in getting the economy back on track, that we’ve perhaps ignored the next generation of engineers. My advice would be stop, evaluate the current situation, take stock of your work force and invest if necessary. We all need to be looking five or maybe ten years down the line and ensuring that we’re nurturing talent as an industry. It’s imperative.

Thanks for your insight David. We’ll check back on you soon to see how you got on with the big decision.

David highlighted the importance of investing in the future and also the risks of not doing so. If you’d benefit from some impartial advice about apprenticeships, get in touch here.