Women apprentices blaze a trail in firm's history as it tackles record order book

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 11 January 2016

UPDATED: 11 January 2016

TWO young female apprentices have gained qualifications at an Ilkeston company that manufactures bespoke building products in a trade that is usually dominated by men.

Sonja Eyre and Rosie Dales started in autumn last year at Dales Fabrications and have just gained their NVQ Level 2 in welding and fabrication.

They were the only women on their course at Learning Unlimited on Derby's Pride Park compared to 16 men and they are the first women to join Dales as apprentices from a non-engineering background.

Their success comes as the company which makes items such as rainwater systems(gutters and pipes), fascias and soffits, and solar shading for the construction industry comes to the end of a calendar year of investment in staff and equipment to deal with a record order book.

Twenty-two-year-old Sonja, of Barber Street, Eastwood, wanted to be in engineering from the age of 16. But initially she went into the beauty business which she did not like and then worked for a catering company who let her tinker with the drinks and ice cream machines when they were not working.

Latterly she worked at two branches of a coffee house in Derby as a barrista maestro before she wrote to Dales asking if she could be an apprentice. 

“I really enjoy all that I do at the different jobs at Dales”, she said.

Twenty-three-year Rosie, of Orchard Street, Ilkeston, worked as a chambermaid but did not enjoy it. Last year she worked two weeks without pay at the company, enjoyed it and became an apprentice.

She even left the family home at Southampton to move to the company at Crompton Road Industrial Estate which was founded by her grandfather Frank, who is chief executive officer. The firm, set up in 1977,  is wholly family-owned.

Rosie enjoys what she does and is continuing her studies one day a week.

Managing director Karl Prosser said:

“Sonja and Rosie both took to welding very quickly and have become accomplished in their trade.”

He said they were part of a wider recruitment drive that has meant the number of employees has risen to 36.

Those taken on include three graduates at project-management level, a chartered accountant, another apprentice who is starting a  foundation degree in mechanical engineering at Derby College, a driver for a new 26-tonne bespoke delivery vehicle which is the first of its carrying capacity  in the country, and two skilled production workers.

In addition the company has invested £500k in new fabrication equipment because of increased demand for its products which means the order book is at a record high of more than £1m.

The company welcomes CVs from well-qualified and experienced workers.

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