32 graduates and apprentices in employment drive at Liberty Speciality Steels in Rotherham and Sheffield

The firm, which claims to be one of Britain’s fastest growing industrial employers, is on the lookout for 20 apprentices to fill electrical, mechanical and other roles at its plants in Stocksbridge and Rotherham.

The company has already started to recruit a dozen graduates to train in a range of engineering and commercial skills.

Bosses say a new wave of talented young people will become the backbone of the business, which now employs almost 1,900.

Liberty House bought the Speciality Steels business for £100m from Tata last year.

Mick Hood, human resource director for Liberty Speciality Steels said: “We’re investing heavily in future talent for the business and there are opportunities at all levels.

“We’re looking forward to receiving applications from the brightest and best coming out of schools, colleges and universities so we will have the skills to take the steel industry forward.”

Apprentices recruited by Liberty will attend a specialist training centre the company runs in association with Sheffield College at its plant in Stocksbridge.

One of Liberty Speciality Steels’ apprentices Joseph Briggs, aged 22, of Rotherham was chosen as North East, Yorkshire and Humberside regional champion in a national competition to find the 2017-18 top trainee in UK manufacturing industry.

The accolade is one of EEF’s prestigious Future Manufacturing Awards, and mechanical apprentice. Joseph, who is based at Liberty’s Aldwarke Cast Products division in Rotherham, is in the running for the intermediate apprentice title.

Mr Hood added: “The consistent success of our trainees in national competitions underlines the high calibre of young people that we take on”.

n Liberty is bidding for a speciality steel company employing 1,600 in France that would complement and not compete with Speciality Steels, bosses say.