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in teesside's
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A valve repair and supply company based in Middlesbrough’s Riverside Park continues to grow after a consistent increase in new contracts and support. Since it was formed eight years ago, Virasel Valve Solutions has reached a stage where it is developing its own talent, having identified a huge shortage of valve technicians.
Following funded support from Tees Valley Expertise, the firm has received the correct advice and guidance to further its ambitions to expand and nurture the next generation.
Tees Valley Expertise is delivered by Orangebox Training on behalf of the Tees Valley mayor and combined authority and funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
VIRASEL VALVE SOLUTIONS
DEVELOPING
LOCAL TALENT
The programme has helped secure and fund Reece Keen, a maintenance and operations engineering technician apprentice, working closely with Middlesbrough College. Virasel has also interviewed candidates selected through the TTE Engineering Scholarship Programme and agreed to sponsor a young, talented student during their second year of engineering.
T-level business admin student Josh Coaker will be working with the company until the summer of 2025. Developing talent is something managing director Lee Donnelly and the team are keen to do, having started out as a TTE apprentice himself, aged 16, when he began his valve engineering career.
VIRASEL VALVE SOLUTIONS
This year's
growth has
been rapid
Virasel is one of the UK’s leading valve companies with extensive expertise in servicing, repairing and supplying all types of valves and flame arresters. It operates across all industries from power, utilities, oil, gas, chemical, food, beverages and pharmaceuticals, among others.
As well as being TUV-approved and authorised repair centres for Protego UK (PARC) specialising in Tank Protection devices testing only to API2000 standard and ISO 28300, Virasel has been supported by the Tees Valley Expertise programme, delivered by Orangebox, to achieve the ISO45001 certification early in the New Year.
“This year’s growth has been rapid. There are kids out there who need an opportunity. We are pleased to be working on ways to bring people under our wing and change their lives. “We want Virasel to be Virasel employees. We don’t want to take sub-contractors on because we want every member of the team to have Virasel’s core values at heart. We don’t want to have an influx in the market with workers we don’t trust.”
Lee Donnelly – Virasel Valve Solutions
VIRASEL VALVE SOLUTIONS
creating
opportunities
for the next
generation
Virasel is one of the UK’s leading valve companies with extensive expertise in servicing, repairing and supplying all types of valves and flame arresters.
“We have been able to expand the workforce due to demand. We are bridging the gap for valve technicians which exists and the Tees Valley Expertise programme has helped with that.
To have received the funding to work towards the ISO certification and recruit an apprentice has been huge, but the overall support we have received from Tees Valley Expertise has been fantastic too.
We have made lots of new connections through the programme, which has helped us tremendously.”
Sue Donnelly – Office Manager
Virasel has impressed the head of Tees Valley Expertise at Orangebox Training, Mark Beard, with how it wants to develop.
He said: “After receiving a referral from the Tees Valley Combined Authority we learned how Virasel needed help to grow and we could help.
Virasel were the first business to be approved to take an apprentice on through our programme and with help from the UKSPF. We realised they wanted an array of different experts. This is a massive reflection of what we do.”
Mark Beard – Head of Expertise Programme
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