Apprenticeships
CAREERS

Apprenticeships

Rewarding careers with a global company.

Looking to begin your career? Get off to a flying start on one of our apprenticeship schemes

 

Find out more from our apprentices past and present and our previous work experience student Annie who has now graduated in the field she trained with us in

 

Q&A's with our Apprentices: 

Apprenticeship Q&A with Joshua Young (2024)

Celebrating Apprenticeship Week TR talks to Joshua Young, Sourcing Coordinator based in Waterside Park, about his time so far with the company

Joshua Young

How long have you been with the company?

I have been with the company since August 2019.

What made you want to join the fastener industry?

This is an exciting and developing industry that holds a lot of opportunities for young people. TR Fastenings is an excellent company that supports development of its staff and its apprenticeship schemes.  

Can you describe a typical working day? 

A typical working day consists of various challenges which keeps the role interesting and varied. Enquiries that arrive are each different in their own way meaning there is always new obstacles to overcome. Working as a team and communicating with stakeholders is another key aspect of the role. My role consists of securing prices from suppliers and observing drawings customers have provided. This entails having good relationships with our suppliers to secure these competitive costs. This also includes query resolving, where a certain item may not have enough information on the part, this can include requesting more detail such as material, additional dimensions, and any plating that may be required.

What’s your favourite aspect of the role? 

My favourite aspect of the role is overcoming challenges and achieving the goal required. This goal can be achieving competitive costs for a customer, meeting target prices, and aligning with the sales team to complete a quote by a certain time. I also love communicating with stakeholders and working as a team. 

What advice would you give to a new starter now? 

Be willing to learn all aspects of the role, this includes basics such as suitable email communication to advanced product learning. Always investigate courses that TR offers such as product training and procurement functions.

Not every company provides an apprenticeship scheme – how do you feel this process helps both the employee and the employer?

An apprenticeship scheme is a valuable way of learning the role whilst earning. The employee gains valuable experience that can further a career, whilst the employer gains a valuable member of the team.
 

TR Fastenings is a major global company; would you like to gain experience working in a different department or location one day? 

Yes, there are many opportunities available in my role and I am open to new opportunities and challenges.

What are the prospects after completing your apprenticeship? 

Further advancing my role and taking on more challenging aspects of the job.

What is something you are particularly proud of that you have developed/worked on in your role? 

I am proud of gaining knowledge that helped with a larger understanding of the procurement function. This has helped me with my decision making and in turn supported the team. I am also proud of being more confident when communicating with stakeholders.

Published 07.02.2024

Apprenticeship Q&A with Tiago Lopes (2024)

Celebrating Apprenticeship Week TR talks to Tiago Lopes, Group HR Advisor based in Uckfield, about his time so far with the company

Tiago Lopes

How long have you been with the company?

I have been with the company for 2 years in May 2024.

What made you want to join the fastener industry?

The role in HR looked like a great opportunity and TR had a good reputation as an employer.  

Can you describe a typical working day? 

There is no such thing as a typical day in HR. People come to us for all kinds of advice and for employee relations guidance. There is a certain amount of paperwork involved and signposting people in the right direction and generally offering them support. My role covers recruitment, employee relations, information and guidance and health and wellbeing.

What’s your favourite aspect of the role? 

Helping and supporting people. I really enjoy being able to make a difference and being a support to people. It’s also exciting to bring new people into the business.

What advice would you give to a new starter now? 

Get involved in as much as you can. Speak to as many people in as many different departments so you can see things from a different perspective and most importantly be approachable and open-minded.

Not every company provides an apprenticeship scheme – how do you feel this process helps both the employee and the employer?

For an employer they gain a more dedicated and loyal member of staff who is properly trained and has the right skills for the job. For the employee they are developing their knowledge skills and experience not only in theory but also in practise and they are improving their career prospects.
 

TR Fastenings is a major global company; would you like to gain experience working in a different department or location one day? 

I would really like the opportunity to work in some of our global locations, to gain an insight into their culture and way of working.

What are the prospects after completing your apprenticeship? 

I would like to practise what I have learnt on my course and then move on to the next level.

What is something you are particularly proud of that you have developed/worked on in your role? 

I have had a great experience working in the warehouse at our new National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Birmingham. Working with different people throughout the business and all at different levels has really helped to build my confidence on a personal and professional level. It has made me less afraid to approach people and ask questions. I realise that all people enjoy talking to you and helping you if you are honest and approachable. It’s been a great team effort working at our NDC.

Published 07.02.2024

Apprenticeship Q&A with Rebecca Rutter (2024)

Celebrating Apprenticeship Week TR talks to Rebecca Rutter, Global Head of HR Analytics based in Uckfield, about her time so far with the company

Rebecca Rutter

How long have you been with the company?

I have been with the company for 13 years.

What made you want to join the fastener industry?

TR Fastenings had a good reputation as a local employer with a focus on developing their people.  

Can you describe a typical working day? 

A typical working day is that no two days are the same, my role is about supporting the business and providing insightful data.

What’s your favourite aspect of the role? 

Being able to find solutions to peoples queries and by providing data to support this.

What advice would you give to a new starter now? 

Take all opportunities that come your way, including training and development, and to be open to new ways of working.

Not every company provides an apprenticeship scheme – how do you feel this process helps both the employee and the employer?

It’s a win win situation, apprenticeship schemes enable employees to develop their careers and the employer benefits from having upskilled people.
 

What are the prospects after completing your apprenticeship? 

Increased confidence within my role and the ability to provide training to other employees within the department.

What is something you are particularly proud of that you have developed/worked on in your role? 

Launching a number of successful projects into the business that provide support for our people, making their jobs easier.
 

Published 07.02.2024

Apprenticeship Q&A with Andrew Parry (2022)

Celebrating Apprenticeship Week TR talks to Andrew Parry, Assistant Group Accountant based in Uckfield, about his time so far with the company

Andrew Parry

How long have you been with the company?

I have been with the company for 14 months.

What made you want to join the fastener industry?

They are an essential part in manufacturing for a huge variety of goods throughout multiple industries.  

Can you describe a typical working day? 

Collection, manipulation, and analysis of data.

What’s your favourite aspect of the role? 

Global exposure to businesses with a variety of size and strategies.

What advice would you give to a new starter now? 

Spend time learning the company’s values and vision and look for as many relevant training opportunities to improve your skillsets even further. 

Not every company provides an apprenticeship scheme – how do you feel this process helps both the employee and the employer?

  • The employee will have access to extensive training and experience which can improve their professional development, and will often lead to clear, structured progression
  • The employer has access to these motivated individuals who are looking to expand their skillsets and can tailor these to company specific needs/scenarios, which provides additional value across the business

TR Fastenings is a major global company; would you like to gain experience working in a different department or location one day? 

Having the ability through TR Fastenings to move locations and departments is an exciting prospect, and if the opportunity was right, I would welcome the move. 

What are the prospects after completing your apprenticeship? 

Moving into a fully qualified finance position, and then continuing progression within the finance/accounting field.

Published 07.02.2022

Apprenticeship Q&A with Kainat Iqbal (2022)

Celebrating Apprenticeship Week TR talks to Kainat Iqbal, Group Assistant Accountant based in Uckfield, about her time so far with the company

Kainat Iqbal

How long have you been with the company?

1 year and 2 months.

What made you want to join the fastener industry?

I think what drew me to the fastener industry was the actual business itself (Trifast) as opposed to the industry.

Trifast’s vision statement about placing importance on their employees and emphasising their potential really appealed to me. It’s also very encouraging to see 30% of the Trifast board comprised of females and with the gender gap still a topical issue, I’m really inspired by the female directors. Go female empowerment! 

Can you describe a typical working day? 

I have a nice split of 2 days at home and 3 days in the office. I get into the office for 8:30, have a catch up with my colleagues whilst starting on emails and admin activities.

There’s usually much to get through as the subsidiaries are worldwide, so their day starts well before ours. Some days I have calls with the subs, to help them out with their queries. I get a list of tasks that need to be completed for the week, from my manager. It is usually provided to me in order of priority, with strict deadlines if applicable. I get on with those tasks, and if I need help with anything, my colleagues are more than happy to help. As an apprentice, I’m not expected to know everything, and if I do need help with anything my manager will provide me with explanations and examples to help me understand/learn. No working day is the same, the tasks are constantly different. Some days I finish earlier and some days I finish a bit later.

What’s your favourite aspect of the role? 

The variation of tasks provided to me. I can expect every day to be different to the last and I am entrusted to undertake a wide range of tasks.

Some tasks I may see monthly i.e. management accounts, some quarterly i.e. ONS government survey and some yearly i.e. budget process, however nothing is repeated on a daily basis, which makes my job super engaging and not robotic. When tasks are repeated, I can still expect the outcome to be completely different to the last time I had to perform them.

What advice would you give to a new starter now? 

Not to be afraid to ask a question.

Starting a new job is quite daunting and you don’t want to look stupid, but as mentioned above your employer knows at what level you’re coming into the business with and it’s in their best interest and yours that you’re actually learning. They know you don’t know everything and want to help you get to where you want to be. This was actually helpful advice given to me by my manager, which I think is applicable to all new starters.

Not every company provides an apprenticeship scheme – how do you feel this process helps both the employee and the employer?

I think it’s quite special growing with the business. I’ll always remember Trifast as the place where I got qualified (hopefully).

I think it’s also very effective when you’ve learnt something on the course and the knowledge is substantiated in your role, almost provides a sense of accomplishment. Or even the other way around, where I’ve performed a task, but simply at face value, then covered it on my course and it all clicks. Learning and working is one of the best methods to retain your education. For the employee they get the obvious work experience and qualifications. For the employer they get the highest quality of work, as the employee is freshly trained.

TR Fastenings is a major global company; would you like to gain experience working in a different department or location one day? 

I enjoy the department I work in and would probably like to stick to it. However, I think it might be nice working in a different location one day, as there are different regulations worldwide, which is quite interesting.

What are the prospects after completing your apprenticeship? 

Once I become qualified, I will possess the chartered accountant title, which will enable me to take on more responsibilities from my team. I would like to develop in this role for a few years before looking to progress into a higher role e.g. Financial Controller. 

Published 07.02.2022

Apprenticeship Q&A with Jessica D'Silva (2022)

Celebrating Apprenticeship Week TR talks to Jessica D'Silva, Marketing Administrator based in Uckfield, about her time so far with the company

Jess D'Silva

How long have you been with the company?

Almost 4 years, I joined in March 2018.

What made you want to join the fastener industry?

It was an industry that I had never worked in before, and I was intrigued to discover how we could market this type of industry, having previously worked more with agencies and B2C.

Can you describe a typical working day? 

My day will start by clearing any customer enquiries we have had into our sales inboxes over night, then I check our social platforms, making sure any messages, comments and mentions have been responded to. Throughout my day, I monitor social media and our customer enquiries.

During my day I will look for inspiration we can then utilise in our social media, create social media posts, any administrative tasks required, send out any relevant reports, general website maintenance and social media.

Also, looking into my coursework tasks, and completing these!

What’s your favourite aspect of the role? 

Being able to work with a great team, create new ideas and manage our social media.

What advice would you give to a new starter now? 

Be confident and don’t be afraid to share any ideas you have with your team.

Not every company provides an apprenticeship scheme – how do you feel this process helps both the employee and the employer?

I believe that apprenticeships enable a great way to learn and this means that you are able to implement what you have learnt and utilise this within the workplace.

TR Fastenings is a major global company; would you like to gain experience working in a different department or location one day? 

I love marketing and I feel it gives us the opportunity to be creative and collaborate with other departments within the business. It’s nice to make a difference.

What are the prospects after completing your apprenticeship? 

I am excited to be able to have a lot of new knowledge that I can display and use within my role.

Published 07.02.2022

Apprenticeship Q&A with Jessica D'Silva (2023)

Celebrating Apprenticeship Week TR talks to Jessica D'Silva, Marketing Assistant based in Uckfield, about her time so far with the company

Jess 2023 web

How long have you been with the company?

I will have been at the company 5 years next month.

What made you want to join the fastener industry?

The fastener industry was an industry that I had never worked in before, I was intrigued to learn how we could market this type of industry, having previously worked closer with agencies and in a B2C environment.

Can you describe a typical working day? 

To start my day, I clear any customer enquiries we have had into our global sales inboxes overnight, I will also field out any reports we receive from Lead Forensics, a lead generation tool we use (sometimes downloading reports if required). I then check our social platforms, making sure any messages, comments and mentions have been responded to. Throughout the day, I monitor social media and our customer enquiries. 

Each month I download statistics to report on our social media activity, this is really interesting for me to analyse as I will use this information to then implement new post ideas and supporting imagery each month. This is beneficial to us to monitor the impact the posts have had on our audience interaction so we can continue to develop our messaging to suit.

I also support the Marketing team with any general admin requirements needed for the team, including support with the organisation of the global exhibitions the company attends throughout the year and monitoring and sourcing stocks for our giveaways and literature.

I have also been writing community stories for our website and social media and keeping up to date our News section in the website for some time now, creating web pages for our press releases and product news stories. 
 

What’s your favourite aspect of the role? 

Being able to work with a great team, researching and creating new ideas for our social media messaging and supporting imagery whilst managing our social media accounts and seeing the positive growth that have been generated organically.

What advice would you give to a new starter now? 

It is always a little daunting starting somewhere new, but at TR everyone is very welcoming and always here to help! Don’t be afraid to be creative and share your ideas with your team.

Not every company provides an apprenticeship scheme – how do you feel this process helps both the employee and the employer?

Apprenticeships enable people to learn and expand their skillset in the workplace, giving them the opportunity to apply this to their role. 
 
The employer benefits from further expansion of your skillset as you implement what you have learnt and utilise this within your role.
 

TR Fastenings is a major global company; would you like to gain experience working in a different department or location one day? 

I love working in our department, I have always worked in Marketing! My role gives me the opportunity to be creative and collaborate with other departments within the business. 

What are the prospects after completing your apprenticeship? 

My job title has now changed to Marketing Assistant from Marketing Administrator, and I am looking forward to applying my expanded skillset to my role and further developing these. 

What is something you are particularly proud of that you have developed/worked on in your role? 

I am proud of the distinction I was awarded for my project report I produced for my apprenticeship ‘Social Media Growth and Management – New website launch and employee engagement’. 
 
My project enabled me to research our audience and work out ways to best reach our target demographics with the focused development and growth of our social channels, especially LinkedIn.
 
After having recently reported on our yearly statistics, I was proud to see the impressive increase in our social engagements.
 
LinkedIn: 
 
  • Impressions: 219,380 (Increased by 2,077.25% since 2021)
  • Page views: 18,674 (Increased by 1,329.9% since 2021)
  • Comments: 104 (Increased by 2,500% since 2021)
  • Followers gained: 1,231 (Increased by 1,684.06% since 2021)
  • Shares: 852 (Increased by 1,978% since 2021)

Published 07.02.2023

 

Work experience

Annie Wyld - Marketing

In 2014 Annie Wyld spent two weeks interning at TR Fastenings in Uckfield. She joined TR’s Marketing department and participated as a full member of the team, reporting into the Head of Marketing, Abi Burnett

Fast-forward four years, and she has just graduated from Leeds Beckett University with a degree in Marketing. 

Abi comments, “We really enjoyed having Annie working with us at TR. She was fully immersed in the experience in order to give her a good flavour of what we do, specifically within the Marketing department. She handled the work brilliantly and showed true potential. Developing future talent is one of our fundamental visions at TR; it is paramount that we assist in cultivating the leaders of the future, as having the best people will ensure our competitive edge stays intact. Annie was a great asset to the team and we congratulate her on her recent graduation."

 

In the news

Starting with a bang: Encouraging young people into STEM careers

At TR Fastenings we are really proud to champion young engineering talent. We have long recognised the need for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills across many aspects of our business, not just in the ‘traditional’ engineering departments

In this blog, we will share our experience of nurturing interest amongst young people to embark on STEM careers and in particular, the schemes and apprenticeships we are proud to run in our business.

Big bang fair 2019

What are STEM skills and why are they so important?

The rapid growth of high-tech jobs and a lack of uptake in STEM education in recent years, particularly by girls (a government report highlights that only 8% of STEM apprenticeships are undertaken by women) have combined to cause a massive shortfall in the young people suitable and available for STEM roles. This is bad news for our economy.

Why are STEM skills so important? STEM education is vital for critical thinking skills which are fundamental to innovation and business success. It’s not just the tech and engineering sectors that need employees with a STEM education.

The manufacturing, R&D, financial services, medicine and healthcare sectors and more rely on young people choosing STEM career pathways. In fact, critical thinking skills are essential for innovation across almost all industries.

TR Fastenings gets involved in Sussex Big Bang Fair

We were delighted to be involved in the recent STEM Sussex Big Bang Fair South East. Two TR employees, Luke Murphy, HR Manager and Keith Gibb, Head of Web Development, were judges at the event to select finalists from heats for the Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineer Awards.

The event, now in its seventh year, aims to inspire young people to study STEM courses and pursue STEM careers. The Mid Sussex Times reported that more than ten thousand young people from 250 schools attended the annual event.

Luke Murphy said, “This event is more important now than ever before. Technology around the globe is changing at such a rapid pace. We need to engage young people in STEM subjects, not only to address the current skills gap, but to ensure UK businesses are able to compete on the world stage in the future. The importance of nurturing upcoming talent has never been more pressing.”

Our apprenticeships

It sounds dramatic but the world would be a very different place without STEM. We need STEM to make a difference and to stay competitive in business and as a nation.

It’s why we believe so passionately in investing in young people. Our two-year apprenticeship schemes offer school leavers an alternative route into a STEM career with TR Fastenings. Young people with a GCSE pass in Maths and English, who have an enthusiasm for business, good communication skills and an aptitude for learning, are invited to apply.

We also offer NVQ training in business administration and customer services.

The future: what else needs to be done?

In 2015, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills reported that 43% of STEM vacancies were hard to fill. The skills gap has improved but there is still much work to be done by government, schools and business.

Encouraging and nurturing interest among children and young people is vital from an early age. This relies on educational policy, parents and collaboration between businesses and schools. Diversity across genders and ages also needs addressing. Supporting key influencers, (teachers, carers and parents), to help young people access STEM pathways is key.

Our young people are crucial for pushing the boundaries, making new discoveries and influencing the future of our business. STEM is the future and we’re really proud to be helping young people be part of it.

Published 16.08.2019

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