A MANUFACTURER has demonstrated its commitment to developing young careers in Ryedale by taking on a new mechanical apprentice.

Adam Sweeting, 18, is the latest in a long line of apprentices taken on by Ellis Patents, which specialises in cable cleat construction.

Adam joins the Rillington company from Scarborough University Technical College

He is doing his apprenticeship through Malton-based Derwent Training Association, which has close associations with Ellis Patents – with both Danny Macfarlane and chairman, Richard Shaw on its board.

At present, around 20 per cent of its 50 strong workforce started as apprentices – including all five members of its full-time tool room and metal work teams.

“We have a rich tradition of bringing on apprentices,” said Danny Macfarlane, managing director of Ellis Patents.

“We are extremely proud of just how many have stayed and built their careers with us.”

Ellis Patents recently decided in a board meeting to pay back the £130,000 furlough funds it has claimed since Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in March 2020.

The cable cleat manufacturer, whose products are used around the world, took advantage of the scheme between March and September 2020 in a bid to protect its workforce from the consequences of fluctuating demand caused by the pandemic.

“As a business we are viewed in two very distinct ways,” added Danny.

“On the one hand we are a manufacturer of specialised electrical safety products that are in demand around the world; while on the other we are a significant employer in our rural corner of Yorkshire.”

“These two sides make Ellis Patents what it is.

“The role of apprentices, both old and new, and the potential they have to grow and shape the business, will always be paramount to our success.”

Ellis’ cable cleats, used to secure large power cables in major new construction and retrofit projects, are in global demand; with the company exporting to more than 40 countries.

The company has announced a big order for its Cable Guide Clamps to be installed in the Sotra Connection – an infrastructure project in Norway that has been described as the biggest in a generation.