Carrick company supports apprentices’ development

The company, which delivers quality projects throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe, has placed a keen focus on developing apprenticeships for over 20 years, in partnership with the Northern Regional College.

It currently employs 18 apprentices – all of whom are studying NVQ Carpentry and Joinery at the college. As part of the apprenticeship programme, students undertake on-the-job training with the company’s highly skilled craftsmen, as well as studying part time, which culminates in a recognised qualification.

Economy Minster, Gordon Lyons MLA, during a recent visit to the firm’s Sloefield Drive facility, saw first-hand the skills and craftsmanship that McCue has developed through its apprenticeship programme.

The Minister said: “As part of my 10X Economy vision, we’re focusing on developing a flexible skills system for the next decade, and in order to realise this ambition, we’re focusing on innovation in areas where we have real strengths. We’ve an exuberant manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland, which is showcased globally, and it is thanks to companies like McCue, that the industry is so strong. Getting first-hand experience will help apprentices develop the key skills that are required within the manufacturing environment, which can only strengthen our economy further. I’m delighted to see that McCue, a company established some 68 years ago, is a thriving and successful business and that its apprenticeship programme is making a real difference and impacting not just the future of apprentices, but the business.”

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