Tamas Rieder (left), Service & Aftersales Manager at Landia, with Landia apprentice Will Lewis.

Does this decidedly unattractive job offer description entice some of the UK’s near one million 16–24-year-olds currently not working (nor in education) to join a pump company? Possibly not!

Younger people don’t often get positive press these days, but speaking with engineers who have graduated though Landia’s apprentice scheme, one can’t fail to be immediately impressed by their hard work, enthusiasm and loyalty.

At a time when the water industry is taking such a battering in the media, it is heartening to see that with the right help, hungry new people can be nurtured into becoming the skilled professionals that our sector desperately needs.

Typically spending one day per week at college, and four days per week at Landia (in Whitchurch, Shropshire) to gain priceless hands-on experience, apprentices are carefully guided through their learning so that their skillsets can best match the company’s needs.

“We enjoy working with new faces, because they come with fresh, open minds; without having picked up any bad habits,” says Tamas Rieder, Landia’s Service & Aftersales Manager, who steers the apprentices on their 18–month training path.

“Senior engineers are always present,” he says, “so for us as a company, it is a big, time-consuming commitment, but the results speak for themselves. We have some outstanding members of staff now, who although they always keep learning, have true first-hand knowledge. We hope we have found just the right balance between giving them enough time to develop their skills with just the right amount of a ‘push’ so that they can go on to do the job on their own.”

Kieran Hilton (30), now a Senior Mechanical Engineer, was just 17 when he landed an apprenticeship at Landia. Just three years later, he was given the responsibility of having his own company van to go out on service appointments.

“I knew I always wanted to use my hands and work outdoors,” said Kieran. “Being told that I’d get covered in cow, pig or human muck didn’t bother me. I just wanted to get stuck in and learn as much as I could. Paul Broadhurst and Dave Baldock (both still with Landia after 25-plus years) were/are great models for me and all the apprentices that have come through. They take huge pride in their work; very conscientious and always go the extra mile to try and solve problems for our customers. Early on I considered it a reward for hard work in the workshop to be taken out on site to see installations close up. Then and now, we’re never doing the same old thing. It keeps me invested in the job. Yes, we work on routine services, but we often have to dig deep and find solutions to some really challenging problems.”

From a child into a man

He added: “In the fourteen years since I began here, Landia have watched me grow up from a child into a man. They’ve always treated me with respect. I felt so proud when I was given the keys to my van, because as a company with such a strong focus on its customers, they would only have sent me out if they trusted me completely to do the job.”

Jack Foster (31), who has also progressed from apprentice to a highly respected Senior Mechanical Engineer, agrees that whilst wanting to work with one’s hands lends itself to the mechanical side of the pump industry, a key requirement for Landia is simply to recruit people who want to learn, are team players and who aren’t afraid of hard work.

Think for ourselves

“Looking back at our interviews”, said Jack, “I think the vastly experienced leaders at Landia could see very quickly what type of people, for example, me and Kieran were/are and how we would fit into the business, but importantly, be able to think for ourselves. I was 21 when I joined, worked at Landia for a year, and then having settled in, wanted to learn much more, so asked if I could take on a proper apprenticeship. Being in the classroom and in the workshop all helps, but nothing beats being out there, seeing it for yourself. I’ve always been encouraged and shown how to do things the right way, focusing on the fact that I’m on a customer’s site to do a good job and help their site succeed. Now, as a lead engineer on servicing visits, you have a duty to make sure that everything is right before you leave, and that the customer is happy. You gain confidence and feel really good about having responsibility and a career.”

In looking after apprentices, Landia’s Tamas Rieder also emphasises that classroom time is an important part of the side of the learning process, but says that only by going to site is an apprentice going to come to terms with say, having to walk up to one’s knees through fresh pig manure! On a bitterly cold dark winter’s morning, this might be the point where somebody decides that the ‘glamour’ of servicing a slurry pump isn’t for them!

“Over the years we’ve actually seen very few quit.” continued Tamas. “This is a shame for them of course, and after putting in so much time, it is a downside for us, but it’s life and these things happen across all industries. This is all the more reason why we interview so thoroughly to see what ambitions our candidates have, and that with us serving such a wide range of industries that they’ll be able to think on their feet. Naturally, there are ‘rules’, but we want those who are open minded, with good communication skills, who enjoy problem-solving. At college, an apprentice might learn about shaft seals, which is good to get the basics, but they are never going to be the same type of shaft seals or mechanical parts that we use. After getting some grounding, and achieving the necessary construction safety skills, getting out on the road, even just initially to observe our senior engineers, is the best way to learn.”

Tamas says that the likes of Kieran Hilton and Jack Foster set the bar very high at Landia, as has Josh Edge (29), who after more than a decade with the company is now an important part of the Landia sales team.

“From learning how to weld,” said Josh, “I never dreamed I’d ever be working in sales, but meeting current and prospective customers, representing Landia at exhibitions, I’m really enjoying it. I was given time to consider what was the best career option for me. Senior personnel knew instinctively at what sort of pace to give me information. They would always stop to listen to me, making sure that I could best weigh up the choices, giving me freedom and flexibility. Landia put me through my HNC, and now the sky’s the limit.”

 Following in the footsteps of Josh, Jack and Kieran (who now have 35 years’ experience between them) is Nate Brown (21), who has just completed his apprenticeship with Landia, and new recruit Will Lewis, who has a wealth of experienced personnel to call upon for advice. Perhaps getting covered in lots of unpleasant sticky smelly stuff isn’t so bad after all!?

“We do have a laugh about it; you have to,” continued Kieran Hilton. “We clock up plenty of hours on the road, so it’s important that we get on and share the ethic of wanting to do a top job – every time. At Landia there’s continuous investment, so even though we’ve been at the company quite a while now, me, Jack and Josh, for example, know that we can keep progressing and keep bettering ourselves.”

As for joining the pump/water/wastewater industry, Kieran said: 

“With the right guidance you can learn loads, believe in yourself, and build your career. So, if you’re young, willing to work as hard as you can, and get your hands dirty, then come and have a go.”