Kyle Raffo – Moulding Apprenticeship Case Study

I've always liked working with my hands, so manufacturing and engineering was the obvious choice. At school, we did a tour of Gripple's sister company, Loadhog. I was blown away. I remember thinking 'I'd love to work somewhere like this'. Little did I know I'd end up working in that very building for Gripple years later.

I was 16 when I started at Gripple and was looking for some grounding in manufacturing. What I got was much more than that. My managers were fantastic and gave the perfect balance of teaching and hands-on experience. This approach was perfect for my development and gave me so much confidence to take forward.

Nothing beats learned experience. We're lucky at Gripple that many of our line managers were apprentices themselves. They understand the scheme and what you need to succeed and the results speak for themselves. My biggest thing is confidence. We want to nurture good people, and that can only be achieved through trust. We look after our people and allow them to grow at their own rate. But we also challenge them and instill in them that, at times, you need to leave your comfort zone to progress. This also helps young people find the right path for them, and that's why so many of our apprentices go on to have fulfilling careers in the business.

Gripple is a business that looks forward, not back. And that starts with apprentices. We aren't your everyday manufacturer. We are a global business, and employee-owned. It's such a unique place to work. You see that in the benefits we offer. How many manufacturers have a bar, and food delivered every day? Not many. Gripple is a great place to work and learn, and an apprenticeship here is the perfect way to kickstart your career.

Check out our current apprenticeship opportunities here: https://www.gripple.com/gripple-careers/apprenticeships/