The MP for Heywood and Middleton North visited a leading Heywood manufacturer to see first hand how apprentices are being trained within a live engineering environment during National Apprenticeship Week.
R&B Switchgear Group welcomed Elsie Blundell MP to its R&B Switchgear Academy, based at the company’s manufacturing facility in Heywood.
The visit formed part of the MP’s engagement with local employers to understand how apprenticeship programmes are delivered in practice and the challenges businesses face when investing in skills.
The academy is an employer led engineering training programme embedded within the company’s working factory. Apprentices join live production teams at an early stage, developing practical skills alongside experienced engineers while completing accredited qualifications through local colleges.
During the visit, Ms Blundell toured the manufacturing and engineering workshops, where she observed switchboard assembly, circuit breaker retrofits and the modernisation of older switchgear systems. She met apprentices from both mechanical and electrical disciplines to discuss how they entered the industry and how they balance classroom study with hands on manufacturing work.
Among those she met was Lily Chandler, a third year apprentice and the current Apprentice of the Year 2026 at Hopwood Hall College. She spoke about her development within the company and her ambition to build a long term career in engineering. Christian Bennett, who has progressed from apprentice to junior field service engineer, described his route from being one of the academy’s earliest recruits to working on projects across the UK.
A key focus of the visit was the company’s work upgrading and refurbishing existing switchgear assets to extend their operational life. This includes modernising legacy Whipp and Bourne equipment originally manufactured in Castleton, supporting infrastructure across sectors including energy, utilities and rail in the UK and overseas.
Speaking after the visit, Elsie Blundell said: “It is impressive to see the level of specialist engineering expertise here in Heywood. The apprentices I met are developing high-level technical skills within a real-world, and live, manufacturing environment, contributing directly to projects that support critical infrastructure. Crucially, they are happy, enjoying the challenge and looking forward to their future!”
“I was particularly struck by the company’s commitment to upgrading and modernising existing switchgear assets, extending their lifespan and maintaining essential services across the UK and internationally.”
Sean Floyd, head of engineering at R&B Switchgear Group, said: “Our apprenticeship programme is central to how we sustain specialist engineering capability. Alongside manufacturing new switchgear systems, we provide upgrade, retrofit and refurbishment solutions for infrastructure assets that remain vital to national networks.
“Embedding apprentices within live operations ensures those technical skills are transferred to the next generation, strengthening regional capability and supporting the long-term resilience of critical infrastructure.”
The Heywood site operates as both a manufacturing hub and a training centre, contributing to skills development within the borough’s advanced engineering sector.
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