Our visit to AESSEAL and Naylor Industries

AESSEAL, Rotherham

AESSEAL is a global manufacturer of mechanical seals and support systems, headquartered in Rotherham, and one of the most impressive apprenticeship providers in the country. Georgiana and Matthew were welcomed by Darren Jones, Learning and Development Manager, and Andrew Mosley, Communications Manager, for a tour of the facility.

As our Ladders of Opportunity report highlighted, apprenticeships remain one of the most powerful tools available to businesses seeking to open doors for young people – with studies showing that those from lower socio-economic backgrounds reap the most substantial benefits, achieving the highest post-completion earnings premiums. AESSEAL were one of the case studies in the report highlighting this. Since 2017, the business has enrolled employees onto more than 300 apprenticeships across over 25 different career pathways, ranging from engineering and manufacturing to finance, legal, IT, marketing, facilities management and gardening. The business guarantees a permanent role at the start and end of every apprenticeship and provides a dedicated workplace coach and mentor throughout.

AESSEAL has been recognised as a Top 100 Apprentice Employer by the Department for Education and has received multiple national accolades including Make UK Apprentice Employer of the Year and a Princess Royal Training Award.

Under the leadership of CEO, Chris Rea, the business has embedded itself deeply in the educational life of the region. Chris is passionate about inspiring people into work and helping people’s growth journeys through the business and has kept this at the forefront of his leadership of the business. AESSEAL maintains active links with local schools to ensure young people can see the full range of careers on offer, holds open evenings for parents of prospective apprentices, and provides career skills workshops and interview preparation. It is a business that understands that getting young people into work requires engaging the whole community around them.

The connection between AESSEAL and the Jobs Foundation runs deep. Martin McKervey, Chairman of our Yorkshire Business Council, is a Non-Executive Director of AESSEAL. AESSEAL will also feature in our forthcoming report on supporting NEETs into work as a model of how employers can help reduce the number of young people who fall through the cracks between education and employment.

Naylor Industries, Barnsley

From Rotherham, Georgiana and Matthew travelled to Barnsley to visit one of the sites of Naylor Industries, a family-owned manufacturer of plastic pipes and construction products. They were welcomed by Edward Naylor, Chief Executive, and Corina Cato, the company’s HR Director.

Naylor Industries operates across seven UK sites, including four in Yorkshire, and employs around 400 people. Despite being a large business, it has never lost the warmth of a family enterprise. Edward and his team know their people by name, know their families, and in many cases those families have worked at Naylor Industries for generations.

Edward spoke about the importance of communication as the business has grown across multiple sites. Naylor Industries produces a regular newsletter and sets yearly goals shared across the organisation, so that every employee understands the direction of travel and feels they have a stake in the outcome. The business is an extension of the family, and that ethos shapes everything.

Edward is also thinking carefully about the future. The business runs an active apprenticeship scheme and has sponsored individuals through business degrees at Sheffield Hallam University. The ambition is straightforward: to build a business that lasts, rooted in the communities it serves, and offering real careers to the next generation.

Both visits reinforced the key message of the Jobs Foundation: that business, at its best, is the most powerful engine of opportunity we have. Yorkshire’s employers are showing the way.

If you would like to learn more about our work in Yorkshire, or to get involved, please contact info@thejobsfoundation.com.