AMH Material Handling apprentice wins NITAL’s Full Time Learner of the year award
Feb 19, 2019
Sam Pitfield, aged 19 from Rushden, was announced as the Training Centre Shield winner for Full Time Learner of the year at the Northamptonshire Industrial Training Association Ltd (NITAL) achievement awards ceremony held in Kettering in January 2019.
As part of his apprenticeship scheme with NITAL, Pitfield holds the role of engineering technician at AMH Material Handling. AMH is a West Midlands based provider of automated material handling and logistics solutions as well as a servicing and maintenance provider.
Based in a customer’s Northampton facility, Pitfield works with the AMH team to deliver both planned and reactive maintenance for an automated material handling system. Pitfield has held the role of engineering technician at AMH for one year and his apprenticeship scheme will run for a further three years. Alongside his position with AMH, as part of the scheme, Pitfield attends a training centre on day release.
NITAL Training and Development is an independent training provider based in Northampton. Established in 1969, the organisation delivers apprenticeships and training across a range of sectors.
AMH has been working in partnership with NITAL over the last 12 months and has now taken on four apprentices as a result. As well as working for AMH, each apprentice undertakes multi-skilled training at NITAL’s Kettering training centre covering a broad range of engineering disciplines.
Michael Ryan, accounts and commercial director at AMH Material Handling comments: “AMH first contacted NITAL when we needed to increase our servicing and maintenance assistance on a customer’s site. We were recruiting for engineering technicians and, having spoken to NITAL before and visited their training centre, we were impressed by the level of training they provide. Consequently, we decided to create an apprenticeship scheme at AMH and NITAL assisted us with designing and developing the programme.
“It was NITAL themselves who nominated Sam for the Full Time Learner of the year award and it’s great that he’s been recognised for his hard work. Sam has fitted in well on site, working alongside our other technicians, and is doing a great job for our customer. We look forward to seeing his career develop as he progresses with his apprenticeship over the next few years.
“In total we now employ six apprentices across multiple customer sites. Four apprentices work with us on the NITAL programme and two are through a scheme with Newcastle-under-Lyme College.”
