6 August 2026
More new apprentices will begin careers at British Steel’s Skinningrove and Teesside mills next month, following Labour’s intervention to protect the company and secure the future of British steelmaking.
The new recruits will take up electrical, mechanical and structural roles, gaining the skills needed to become the next generation of Teesside steelworkers. They will begin their studies with TTE at Middlesbrough College, before moving on-site to gain practical experience at the Teesside Beam Mill in Lackenby and the Special Profiles plant in Skinningrove.
The recruits are among 70 new apprentices and graduates joining British Steel across the UK in September. The sixteen new graduates are the first to join the company in four years.
It comes after the Labour Government stepped in to safeguard British Steel last year, and brought the company into public ownership in July.
As Chair of Parliament’s Steel and Metals-Related Industries group, Luke Myer MP has brought ministers, steelmakers, trade unions and MPs together to press for a long-term plan for the industry. Luke supported the Government’s intervention and voted for the legislation needed to secure British Steel’s future. He has repeatedly warned that Britain cannot afford to lose its ability to make its own steel or repeat the devastating mistakes made when the Redcar blast furnace was allowed to close.
The new apprenticeships will help British Steel develop the engineers and technical specialists it needs to manufacture steel for construction, mining, shipbuilding and other major industries.
Luke Myer MP said:
“These are exactly the skilled opportunities we need to create for young people across Teesside and East Cleveland.
“These new apprentices will now be able to learn a trade, earn a wage and build a career at the heart of an industry that has shaped our area for generations.
“Labour stepped in because steel is vital to our economy, our national security and communities like ours. We are now seeing British Steel recruit and invest in the next generation again.
“I have worked closely with steelworkers, unions, local colleges and ministers to fight for the future of our industry. There is more to do, particularly on energy costs and securing new orders, but this is real progress for Teesside steel.”
Minister for Industry, Blair McDougall, said:
“Reindustrialising Britain starts with steel. These new roles will help build the next generation of skilled workers we need to secure the long-term future of British Steel and strengthen one of our foundation industries.
“We acted to safeguard British Steel because steelmaking is vital to our economy, our security and our industrial future. Today’s announcement is a sign of that brighter future, creating new opportunities for young people in communities across the UK to build careers at the heart of Britain’s industrial renewal.”
British Steel HR Director Nick Ashton said:
“The quality of applications for our apprentice and graduate roles was extremely high, so we’re excited by the prospect of inviting so many talented new people into the business.
“Together they are an important part of our future as they are our next generation of engineers, technical specialists, and functional experts, with the opportunity to build long-term and fulfilling careers with British Steel.
“Together, with our highly skilled colleagues, they will help manufacture the steel Britain needs now and for decades to come and we look forward to welcoming them into the company at such an exciting time for British Steel.”