The value of a visit to Sheffield Forgemasters by the Princess Royal cannot be underestimated for the 75 apprentices she met on her tour.
Harriett Eccles, People Development Specialist at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “The value of a Royal visit for our apprentices cannot be understated. These are the young people who will lead this business for decades to come, and our ties with the armed forces and the Royal family are a fundamental part of that future. The Princess Royal’s support for their career progression is a great boost for all involved.”
Her Royal Highness was given a tour of the Brightside Lane facilities, seeing heavy forging operations, meeting employees from all levels of the 675-strong workforce and was briefed on the dramatic recapitalisation taking place across the site.
CEO Gary Nutter said: “It was a real honour to host The Princess Royal and to see the pride in our experienced and dedicated workforce, including our full tranche of apprentices, who warmly greeted her.
“Her Royal Highness carries the rank of naval Admiral, and as our recapitalisation programme underpins the company’s supply into UK defence, particularly our continued work to support the Royal Navy, this visit has a resonance for us.
“The continuing support of the Royal Family to this business and its employees is a great accolade and reflects the company’s historic importance in the defence of our realm.”
The Princess Royal was briefed on the extensive works under way on the site, including the new Heavy Forging Line, and learned about our award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which is providing highly skilled careers for the Sheffield City Region.
