The Worcester-based company, which is one of the largest manufacturers of CNC machine tools in the world, has a lengthy history of training apprentices, going back more than 25 years. Mazak's annual intake is about 20 apprentices every year, with new recruits working in a variety of roles across the business, from production engineering through to field service and business administration.
All Mazak apprentices work towards national vocational qualifications through technical, management or shop floor routes.
Dave Barnett, learning and development manager at Yamazaki Mazak UK, comments: "Apprenticeships form a fundamental part of our Worcester operations. Over the years many of our most senior management team have started in apprentice roles before graduating to greater responsibilities. Mazak places a great deal of emphasis on measuring the success of our apprenticeship scheme to ensure all those taking part are able to gain as much as possible from the process. Currently the scheme is running at a 100% qualification success rate, with a retention rate of 94%.
The WCA Apprenticeship Employer of the Year award was supported by the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Group Training Association. It is the second award Mazak has collected in recent weeks, after one of its apprentices, Alex Stockwell, was announced as the Best Senior Craft Engineer at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Group Training Association awards.
Stockwell, who has worked for Mazak since September 2011, was chosen having excelled in all areas of his apprenticeship, so much so that he completed it a year early.