United Utilities celebrates 10th anniversary of successful training centre in

• More than 400 apprentices have passed through the doors of Bolton training centre in the last 10 years
• North West water company will hire more largest cohort of apprentices as it gears up for transformative investment in water and wastewater infrastructure across the region

United Utilities has celebrated the 10^th anniversary of its flagship training centre in Bolton. 

Since opening, the training centre has been hugely successful with more than 400 apprentices across the North West having received training at the specially designed site. 

Graduates of the apprenticeship programme have now gone on to develop their careers with United Utilities and hold roles within the company including Operational Technology Manager and Production Manager.

The award-winning apprenticeship programme allows students at the site to sample some of the tasks they will face out in the network as the facility boasts six interactive training rooms as well as dedicated practical training areas for all the technical disciplines.  This includes a simulation sewer environment for confined spaces training, more than 30 metres of pressured water pipework, live electrical and chlorine rigs and a replica water treatment works.

As National Apprenticeship Week gets underway, the North West water company has announced it will be recruiting more than 97 roles as it gears up for the largest investment in water and wastewater infrastructure for a century. 

Roles available include Field Service Engineers, Data Scientists, Laboratory Technicians, Fleet Technicians and Catchments Controllers with the deadline for applications closing on 19 February.

Adrienne McFarland, People Director at United Utilities, said: “To see the number of apprentices who have gone on to have successful careers within the company is hugely rewarding. The facility allows us to train students to the highest standard, and importantly retain key talent and skills in the North West.

“As we gear up for the largest investment programme in a century, I’m really pleased to see that we’re taking on more apprentices than ever before.”

United Utilities was the first water company to deliver the Water Industry Apprenticeship Standards at its centre in Bolton and has recently received a Good inspection rating by Ofsted.