Ritherdon are a manufacturer with over 130 years of history. Over many years, Ritherdon have had the privilege of opening its doors to dozens of apprentices.
This year marks 100 years since Ritherdon took on its very first apprentice, Bill Crowther, in 1926, to be trained as a Sheet Metal Worker, closely followed by George North and Charlie Gilibrand, in 1928, at their old factory in Bolton, all of them staying with the company for over 50 years.
Marking 100 Years During National Apprenticeship Week
As the company celebrated National Apprenticeship Week it took the opportunity to reflect on this milestone moment in our history, realising that it has been 100 years since Ritherdon welcomed its very first apprentice. It marked the occasion with its wider community on LinkedIn, sharing stories of the people and achievements that have shaped its apprenticeship legacy.
During the week, the century‑long apprenticeship journey drew media interest across the region: from Lancashire Business View to the Lancashire Telegraph, which covered the story under the headline “Apprenticeships still key to Darwen firm’s growth.”
Ritherdon are proud to share that story here on our blog as well. And if you’d like to explore how people shaped Ritherdon over the decades, you can dive deeper into the wider history of our company.
Celebrating the Success of its Apprentices
Apprentices who have come through Ritherdon have always achieved a great deal of success after completion, using the skills they have acquired to enhance their abilities and move into even more highly specialised areas of manufacturing. This includes former apprentice welder and metalworker, Harry, who recently used his apprenticeship training to secure a metalworking job all the way in Australia!
Many former apprentices also stay with the company, using the skills they learned to further improve the business. Ritherdon’s current Production Manager, Danny, was a former apprentice and has now taken charge of shop floor operations and Arron, another former apprentice, is now in charge of our Paint Shop.
With the development of digital technology, Ritherdon have also expanded the types of apprenticeships undertaken, starting with Digital Marketing. Our current Digital Marketer, Peter Simpkins, is the first to complete this new type of apprenticeship with us in 2022.
Apprenticeships for the Future
Ritherdon have also opened thier doors to other training schemes, including our newest Technical Support Engineer, Sahil, who has come to us through a training scheme operated by Made Smarter UK and its T-level student, Daniel, who will be beginning his final 2-week placement with the company , in partnership with local Runshaw College.
Currently, one of its Paint Shop Operators, Jake, is continuing our proud apprenticeship tradition, beginning an Apprenticeship in FAB Welding with local training provider Training 2000.
Ritherdon and its apprentices have greatly benefited from the skills and training offered by apprenticeship schemes, and look forward to opening their workshop to even more in the future.
