18 year old Lewis Koranteng, from Moston, is attracting high praise from his colleagues as he progresses through his advanced apprenticeship in toolmaking at HT Tooling Solutions, based in Middleton.
Lewis joined the company after completing a 20 week pre-apprenticeship program with The Growth Company, at the SkillCentre in Trafford Park. Prior to this he had attended Manchester Communication Academy in Harpurhey, where he worked hard and achieved excellent GCSE results, including ‘A’ grades in maths and science.
During his last year at school, a visit from a Growth Company ambassador at a careers event, inspired Lewis to pursue his interest in engineering. This led him to apply for a place, and he successfully secured an apprenticeship with HT Tooling.
A year into his advanced apprenticeship, Lewis has been given the opportunity to learn how to set and operate a range of state-of-the art toolroom machine tools, learning from toolmakers with years of experience.
Lewis’s manager, Paul McHugh, has received positive feedback on Lewis throughout the process so far. Paul said: “All the toolmakers we have placed Lewis under the guidance of so far have been very complimentary of Lewis’s attitude and application, and he is learning at a very quick pace, which is very good to see. He clearly enjoys his work and all the signs are there that he has a long and bright future here at HT Tooling Solutions”.
Lewis said: “I didn’t really know what to expect when I started, but I quickly found the work interesting, and it’s great to have such good support and of course, I get to work on the very best machine tools available. There is a lot to learn in toolmaking, but I’m very happy with my progress so far. I’m planning to complete a HNC after I finish my apprenticeship, and I know I have the support of the company to go as far as I can.”
Hanson Thorpe Precision Toolmakers was founded in 1991, with the aim of designing and producing the most precise and demanding injection mould tooling incorporating every possible innovation. The company moved to its current facility in Middleton in 2004 as the workforce grew, and in 2015 it was rebranded as HT Tooling Solutions. Today the company has an international customer base and is recognised as a leader in the field.
Many of the workforce have been with the company for over 20 years including Paul McHugh, who joined the company at 18 years of age.
Apprenticeships are a key part of HT Tooling’s forward strategy, and in early May 2018, the next apprentice will start his journey, at HT Tooling’s sister company, Elite Tooling.
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