Located at the company’s Portsmouth headquarters, construction and kitting out of the unit that will house both these operations has been completed and they are now ready to be staffed.
From this September onwards, those joining the company’s apprentice programme will benefit from ultra-modern, fully-equipped facilities providing an enhanced environment in which to develop their engineering skills. Likewise, the R&D division is going to have access to cutting-edge resources that will significantly accelerate product development cycles.
“Offering apprenticeships has long been at the heart of Harwin’s recruitment strategy, and has allowed us to build and nurture an exceptional workforce. At any point, on average, twenty percent of our employees are involved in some form of personal advancement programme,” said Damon de Laszlo, Chairman of Harwin. “Through continuous investment in training, we are ensuring that we have the engineering expertise necessary to create highly productive teams capable of addressing future challenges.”
“In addition, the R&D Centre is pivotal to our programme of developing next generation technologies to serve the ever-changing global electronics market, giving us the product differentiation needed to keep us at the forefront of interconnect technology,” he concluded.
The opening ceremony was conducted by the current Astronomer Royal, astrophysicist Professor Lord Martin Rees. In attendance were leading representatives of the scientific community, such as the geneticist Dr Stephen Oppenheimer, as well as local dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth.
Photo: Harwin Chairman Damon de Laszlo (centre left) and the current Astronomer Royal, Professor Lord Martin Rees Lord with apprentices at the opening of Harwin’s Apprentice Training Hub.