Stannah’s ongoing investment in skills for life

For National Apprenticeship Week 2025, Stannah, a fifth-generation family business known globally for its stairlifts, passenger lifts and platform lifts, reaffirms its long-standing commitment to developing the next generation of skilled engineers, designers and business professionals.

With a history spanning more than 150 years, its dedication to apprenticeships is rooted in the values of its founder, Joseph Stannah, who believed in nurturing talent through hands-on experience and mentorship.

With this year’s National Apprenticeship Week theme being Skills for Life, Stannah celebrates the lasting impact of its apprenticeship programmes. Designed to offer real career pathways, from engineering and manufacturing to IT and business administration, apprenticeships at Stannah provide structured training, hands-on experience and mentorship. This approach has enabled generations of employees to develop the knowledge, confidence and adaptability needed to build successful, lasting careers.

For Stannah, apprenticeships are not just about filling roles – they are a vital part of the company’s future. Many of its senior engineers, managers and directors began their careers as apprentices, demonstrating the long-term value of investing in people. This commitment strengthens not only Stannah but also the wider engineering and manufacturing sectors, ensuring that essential skills continue to be passed on.

One such success story is Joseph Ciesielski, a Lift and Escalator Electromechanic at Stannah. After facing redundancy during COVID-19, Joseph sought new opportunities and discovered the lift industry through Stannah’s apprenticeship scheme. Two years later, he became the first apprentice in the country to achieve a distinction in his end-point assessment. Joseph’s journey highlights the resilience, hands-on learning, and career progression that an apprenticeship can offer.

“I was already doing an apprenticeship in engineering, but in a different industry, and during Covid-19 I was unfortunately made redundant.” Joseph said in a recent interview with LEIA, the trade association and advisory body for the lift and escalator industry. “Instead of giving up, I immediately got myself online and looked for opportunities, Stannah showed up in my search results. I did some research and decided that a Lift Engineer would be an interesting career and applied. I’ve never looked back since.”

“I am currently working on the North Wales service and callout route. I intend to make a positive impact in this area, keeping breakdowns to a minimum and fixing lifts promptly. I would love the opportunity to progress onto my NVQ level 4 and look at working towards becoming a Lift Tester in years to come.”

Stannah is committed to offering high-quality apprenticeships that provide real career prospects and skills for life. With a strong foundation of over 50 apprentices already in the business, Stannah is committed to expanding its apprenticeship programme in 2025 with recruitment set to open in March. By investing in people, the company continues to ensure it remains at the forefront of innovation while staying true to the values that have shaped it for generations.

You can read Joseph’s full interview from LEIA here: https://www.leia-assessment.co.uk/joseph-ciesielski/

For more information about apprenticeships at Stannah, email recruitment@stannah.co.uk or visit: https://corporate.stannah.com/careers/apprentices/