Thirty jobs created in Rotherham after MTL Advanced wins huge order for armoured steel

MTL Advanced is hiring paint sprayers, electricians, welders, laser operators, cnc millers and press brake operators to make material used in the hull of Boxers.

It also recruited 12 apprentices to its engineering and welding academy and recruited four youngsters as part of the Government’s KickStart programme.

The deal was awarded by fabricator WFEL in Stockport, part of the German-owned KMW group.

More than 500 Boxers are being made after German consortium ARTEC won a £2.3bn order from the MoD in 2019.

MTL Advanced general manager, Karl Stewart said they had invested more than £2m in new equipment to support the project.

He added: “As a company located at the heart of the Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing corridor, the region that was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, we are immensely proud to be able to bring such a prestigious multi-year contract to Rotherham for the benefit of our local community.”

He added: “We look forward to engaging closely with WFEL and KMW’s engineering teams and leveraging our armour manufacturing expertise to help make this Boxer Vehicle programme a great success for the British Army.”

MTL will be attending a KickStart recruitment event on Wednesday January 12 at the Youth Hub at Rotherham United Community Sports Trust, New York Stadium.

The firm will also be hosting an open evening during National Apprenticeship Week 2022 on Thursday February 10, where local school leavers and anyone interested in starting a career in engineering will be welcome to discuss the company’s apprenticeship opportunities for September 2022.

MTL is part of WEC Group Ltd, one of the largest engineering and fabrication companies in the UK, the organisation has manufacturing sites in Lancashire, Merseyside, Yorkshire and the West Midlands spread across 600,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing facilities.

In 2018, MTL Advanced said it had taken on 20 apprentices and was creating 28 jobs as it prepared to play a major role in UK defence programmes.

The firm, which employs 300 in Brinsworth, launched a major recruitment drive and expansion plans after winning 'multiple contracts'.

It claims to be Europe's largest contract manufacturer of armoured steel with projects ranging from turrets and blast floors to fully fabricated, painted and assembled hulls.

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