Business

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

in association with

Argus

SPTS adds two more regional award wins to end the year on a high

Newport-based SPTS Technologies, a supplier of advanced wafer processing solutions for the global semi-conductor industry and related markets, has added to this years awards tally . This completes a year in which the company was recognised for a variety of initiatives, from manufacturing excellence to impressive company growth over the past three years, culminating in the Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade. At the annual Insiders Made in Wales Awards, SPTS won the Manufacturer of the Year Award. Kevin Crofton, executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said: It is a real validation of the hard work done by our employees based here in Newport. The judges recognised our focus on continuous improvement in our internal operations and in our ability to execute on customer engagements. SPTS was also honoured by EEF Future Manufacturing Awards with The South West Investing in Skills Award. This award recognises companies which invest to build skills, develop employees and harness the talent of its workforce. SPTS now automatically qualifies for the national finals, where it will compete against other regional winners from across the UK. Tony Knowles, SPTS vice-president for global human resources, said: The skills required by our workforce are highly technical and specialised, and recruitment of new staff as the company grows is an ongoing challenge. It is vital we invest in people.

Apprentices strike gold in skills competition

SOUTH Wales electrical engineering apprentices Alex Scott and Luke Elsmore are lapping up their success after striking gold in the finals of the WorldSkills UK National Competitions. The two apprentices at Newportbased controls systems rm IAC each won gold after battling it out against some of the UKs most talented apprentices and learners. They have now been rewarded with top-of-the-range Acer lap tops. And the pair of apprentices could now go on to represent the UK at the WSI (WorldSkills International) 2015 nals which are to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Mr Scott, aged 20, a fourth year apprentice, from Newport and Mr Elsmore, aged 19, a third year apprentice, from Blackwood, represented IAC competing in the industrial control section at The Skills Show at the NEC Birmingham in November. Mr Scott, a former pupil at Lliswerry High School, and Mr Elsmore, who attended Blackwood School, both also study at the University of South Wales in Newport and with Newport and District Group Training Association (NDGTA) as part of their apprenticeship training at IAC. The two were presented with the lap tops as prizes by Tony Battison, of Siemens Industry Automation and Drive Technologies, who is also Industrial Controls expert at WorldskillsUK. Mr Battison said: The two IAC apprentices, Alex and Luke, did exceptionally well in the recent Worldskills UK nals at the NEC in Birmingham. The work that they produced over the three days was quite exemplary and of a very high standard scoring 190 out of a possible 200. Kath Lewis, of IAC Ltd. said: Alex and Luke did extremely well at the UK nals and were thrilled that our partner Siemens has recognised their achievements in that way with giving them each a lap top computer. Its now very much ngers crossed that one of them wins through to represent the UK in Brazil at Worldskills International in 2015. Ms Lewis said IAC, a multi-award-winning global controls Systems Company, is committed to supporting apprenticeships. The established Newport rm currently has eight apprentices in its workforce and take on two a year. Alex and Luke competed over three days at The Skills Show in November against aspiring industrial control apprentice engineers from all over the UK in the competition which showcased skills from a huge range of sectors across the UK. During the competition the pair of Gwent apprentices had to complete a number of specic and intricate tasks. For more information and results visit theskillsshow.com

Luke Elsmore (left) and Alex Scott, of IAC, with laptops presented by Anthony Battison, of Siemens, and Kath Lewis, of IAC

Two key appointments

NEWPORT-based law firm HardingEvans has made two key new appointments as part of its expansion plans for 2014. Kate Lingley joins the firms crime department as an assistant criminal defence solicitor while Lucy Mason will be working as an assistant solicitor for the firms residential property department. Kate, joins the firm from Cardiffbased Morgans Criminal Law Ltd, where she has worked since qualifying with the firm in 2009. With a wealth of experience in criminal defence, benefit fraud and general crime Kate will now specialise in these areas for HardingEvans, focusing on police station and magistrates court representation. Kate is also a holder of the Law Societys Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme qualification and is a qualified police station representative and magistrates court duty solicitor. Kate said: I am excited to have the opportunity to work with a new and vibrant team. I am looking forward to developing my experience in areas such as actions against the police and Higher Rights (of audience) two matters that I am particularly interested in. Lucy qualified as a solicitor six months ago and she joins the firm from Properts Solicitors, based in Monmouthshire. She has gained the majority of her experience in residential conveyancing work and in her new role will be dealing with a mixture of sales, purchases, remortgages and transfers of equity.Harding Evans LLP was recommended by Chambers 2014 in five practice areas and in 13 by

Lucy Mason and Kate Lingley

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