ROCOL, the industrial lubricant manufacturer, continues to invest in and develop chemical expertise, and in 2020, they took on two apprentices in the technical team.
Kiera Wareing and Taylor Duckworth are combining studying for degrees in Chemistry at the University of Bradford while working at ROCOL. The pair will predominantly be based within the technical team but will gain experience working across other departments.
Kiera said, “The opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the lab on a daily basis whilst still being in education is one that very few are lucky enough to have. I’m really excited to have joined ROCOL and can’t wait to see where the journey takes me.”
Opportunities to grow
Shaun Heys joined ROCOL as a marketing specialist on the ITW Graduate Scheme straight after finishing his degree at Leeds Metropolitan (now Leeds Beckett) University in 2012. His time at ROCOL has been varied, and filled with challenges and opportunities.
“I started my ROCOL career in the marketing department, where I put into practice what I had learnt in my degree as well building knowledge and insight into how a large company like ROCOL operates,” says Shaun. “Just over a year after I joined the company, a Sales Engineer role in the Metalworking section came up. It was a great opportunity for me to really get to grips with the products that ROCOL offer to the metalworking industry as well as learning how to manage key accounts. Following a restructure of the teams, I took on a role in the sales team covering Yorkshire and parts of North East Lincolnshire before moving permanently back into marketing, the department I now head up.”
Shaun says the opportunity to work in other parts of the business gave him great insight into the business, products, and customers, which he says has been invaluable.
“The team at ROCOL isn’t the biggest. So, when a new demand appears that needs addressing, the business always looks internally to see if there is already someone with the required skillset, or someone who could develop those skills. This means that there are often opportunities to work with other departments and gain insights that you just don’t get in other companies.”
ROCOL is part of the larger ITW group, within which there is an employee resource group called Young Professionals Network (YPN). Shaun leads the European division of YPN managing their 7 chapters dedicated to investing in young talent within ITW. “The group is open to anyone, regardless of age. It’s about how long you have been working in the industry. As well as a yearly conference, which brings together members from across Europe, there is also the opportunity to learn from peers in the network and take advantage of their knowledge and experience through the many local chapter events throughout the year. One of the core aims of the YPN is to empower people to take control of their career, and it has been a valuable part of my career journey with ITW so far.”
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