To achieve our ambitions for growth, the UK Metals industry must attract 2,300 graduates and 9,200 apprentices and technicians per year – as well as retaining the existing talent we have.

There are lots of exciting high-value careers available in our sector, ranging from design engineers and metallurgists, through to marketing positions, testing and production roles.

Stars of our Sector

Leading from the front

Stuart Berry is one of the advancing stars of the UK metals scene, helping pressings and tooling specialist Brandauer produce millions of precisions components every week for customers across the world. 

He first joined the Birmingham company at the age of 18, when his current employer MG Rover closed its operations. Determined to finish his apprenticeship, he chose to move to a SME, and it has proved to be the best decision he’s ever made.

“I said when I joined that I wanted to be the MD and now I’m just one position off it, being appointed Manufacturing Director at just 30 years’ old,” commented Stuart.

“It has been a fantastic journey that has seen me spend time as a Toolmaker Machinist, New Product Development Engineer and then Team Leader, followed by Engineering Manager. All the way through, I was gaining essential skills and experience that is now helping me in today’s role.

“Two achievements that really stand out is earning a first-class honours degree in The Management of Manufacturing Systems and being named as an exemplar in The Manufacturer’s Top 100 in 2022.

“My advice to anyone considering a career in the UK Metals sector is to embrace every opportunities and make the most of all the training you are given – this will provide a solid foundation for your career development.”

Socially Speaking

The UK Metals sector is made up all of types of people, with varying skills and talents that make a real difference to its success.

Alupro’s Phoebe Kelly is a prime example. The Programme Assistant is responsible for bringing the ‘Every Can Counts’ initiative to life by using social media channels, taking what could be seen as a dry subject and making it more engaging through bite-sized videos.

“It’s a cliché but no two days are the same in my role; one day I can be on site at a festival filming/editing some social media content and then the next day I could be back in the office gathering social media analytics into a report,” pointed out Phoebe, who has seen engagement in the account rocket in the last year.

“I love experimenting with videos and learning how to work with the ever-changing algorithms on social media and one of my favourite parts of my job is seeing people engage positively with Every Can Counts and our messaging.”

She concluded: “I never imagined I’d end up working in the metal industry, but I can honestly say that I’ve loved every single second of my time at Alupro. 

“Not only have I learned a lot about recycling (I have so many facts to impress and annoy my friends with), but it’s also allowed me to feel like I’m making a difference in the world, which was all I ever wanted.”