Posts In: Apprentices

Sam Schoonderwoerd is proud of his achievement

March 17, 2020 News

Sam Schoonderwoerd is proud of his achievement as he completes the final stage of his apprenticeship course at Smith of Derby! Sam started his apprenticeship at Smith of Derby back in 2016 and has now completed his 4-year course in February 2020.  He has achieved Advanced Level Apprenticeship in Engineering Manufacture (Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering) along with City and Guilds Level 3 diploma and BTEC level 3 subsidiary diploma in the same subjects. Sam will continue training and developing with coaching from our experienced team of clockmakers and hands-on experience. 7 months into starting his apprenticeship in September 2016, “I like…

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Training Week at Smith of Derby 2020

February 26, 2020 News

Every January a week is put aside for training at Smith of Derby and 2020 has been no different. Last month our clockmakers travelled to our Derby works from their various locations across the UK, to take part in a week of training.  The week started with the clockmakers arriving at our Alfreton Road works and unloading their vans so that equipment, such as harnesses and other safety apparatus, could be tested by external adjudicators. At the start of the week all the Clockmakers were given a presentation from MD Bob Betts on what the week would entail and the…

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Apprentice Clockmakers work with the Museum of Making

March 13, 2019 News

Apprentices at Smith of Derby have been busy restoring Derby’s historic Harrison clock for installation in the new Museum of Making when it re-opens to the public in 2020. First installed at Derby Guildhall in 1842, the Harrison turret clock dates back to the same period. Its movement was designed by clockmaker, James Harrison of Hull (1792-1875), the great-grandnephew of John (Longitude) Harrison (1693-1776) who famously invented the marine chronometer to calculate longitude at sea. Derby’s Harrison clock was retired from the Guildhall in 1976 and moved to the former Industrial Museum as a non-working exhibit where it later went into…

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National Apprentice Week

March 3, 2019 News

March 4th-8th is National Apprentice Week – celebrating all those involved within apprenticeships across England. Here at Smith of Derby we are extremely proud of all of our apprentices and are delighted to celebrate the success of the program which is run in partnership with Learning Unlimited. The annual celebration, which is now in its twelfth year, brings the whole apprenticeship community together to promote and explore the positive impact of apprenticeships on individuals, employers and the economy across the UK. Over the last four years we have employed six apprentices in both clock making and administration roles. Our latest…

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BHI Turret Clock Forum

September 12, 2018 Uncategorized

Last week was the annual staging of the BHI Turret Clock Forum at Upton Hall, Newark. Martin Butchers and Tom Ratcliffe attended on behalf of Smith of Derby to discuss all things turret clocks! The pair listened to various speakers including BHI chairman Derek Frampton along with turret clock specialists Andy Burdon and Chris McKay, who is also a familiar face at our Smith of Derby works developing our clockmaker apprentices to become the best they can possibly be. This year’s forum was focused on conservation, something which is vitally important in the turret clock sector. Restoration projects must balance…

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