Faced with an ageing workforce and increasing recruitment challenges, Cerulean is tackling the skills gap head-on. Through a long-term partnership with MK College. The company has embedded apprenticeships and now T Level industry placements into its workforce strategy – and is already seeing the benefits. 

Based in Milton Keynes, Cerulean is a manufacturing company that supplies precision test and measurement equipment for the tobacco industry.  

Claire Millsop, HR Business Partner, explains that the company has worked closely with MK College for several years, particularly in the recruitment and training of apprentices, to help address the engineering skills gap. 

“We started off with apprentices. Over the last eight years, they’ve been key to our business, especially in the last five, where we’ve really focused on it. We became part of the 5% Club because we felt it was important to show our commitment to ‘earn while you learn’ schemes. This was in direct response to the reality we were facing – an ageing workforce in engineering. The average age of our engineers was 50, and it was getting harder to find the right skills externally. So, we realised we needed to invest heavily in apprenticeships. We began in engineering and have since expanded into marketing, finance, and IT.” 

The company recently extended its support to include T Level industry placements, although this wasn’t originally part of the plan.  

“We’re part of the MAKE UK federation and take part in events like Manufacturing Day. We decided to open our doors to students from MK College to show them what we do. One of the attendees, Abdul, approached us afterwards to ask about a T Level placement. To be honest, we had initially rejected the idea of taking T Level students. We thought it was impractical to have someone come in just one day a week. But we liked him, he presented himself well, and we knew what he could do. So we decided to give him an opportunity.” 

The experience turned out to be overwhelmingly positive. “T Levels are a great opportunity to bring in young professionals. If you can, then go on to offer an apprenticeship at a higher level, like Level 4, it’s definitely worth considering. We’re hoping to keep Abdul on. He’s fitted in incredibly well and has been a real pleasure to have on the team. I’ve heard nothing but praise about him. One of the big differences with T Levels is the academic standard. It’s noticeably strong.” 

Beyond recruitment, the partnership also supports the company’s wider community values. 

“For us, as an employer, it’s important to give back to the community. The partnership with MK College gives us the chance to do that – whether it’s through attending careers events or helping students understand the kinds of careers we offer. We really value having that relationship with a local education organisation.” 

When asked what advice she would give to other employers, Claire said: “I think it’s essential to give the college the chance to really understand your business. We always invite people in to look around, meet key stakeholders, and get to grips with the skills we’re looking for. I highly recommend investing that time. It enables a much more successful recruitment and training process in the long term. It has to be a long-term relationship; it can’t be a quick fix. If you take that approach, you’re missing the bigger picture.” 

To find out more about offering work placements through MK College, contact the Work Experience Team at: workexperienceteam@mkcollege.ac.uk