Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week at Midland Lead

Midland Lead is a company focused on the future, and investing in the next generation of talent is a particular passion for us. From providing free lead to colleges, to recruiting apprentices to support various functions in our busy manufacturing plant…. It’s all part of our mission to support young people and develop future craftsmanship in lead, one of the most sustainable materials used in construction.

National Apprenticeship Week 2026

National Apprenticeship Week is a week-long celebration that shines a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. We love any excuse to celebrate the great work that’s been done by past and present apprentices in Team Midland Lead!

Jonna Groenewoud joined Midland Lead in March 2025 on a Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship. Jonna is originally from the Netherlands, and prior to joining Midland Lead, was working locally as a waitress. Jonna already had a passion for understanding personal finance, so the role in Midland Lead’s finance department came at the perfect time.   Jonna’s apprenticeship is 15 months, with an additional 3 months of project time at the end, which will qualify her as an Assistant Accountant AAT Level 3.

Jonna’s duties include updating the accounting software, reconciliation work and sales analysis to show how the company is performing against budget. She most enjoys the detailed problem solving involved in investigating reporting errors. Jonna comments on her experience of the apprenticeship:

“The apprenticeship has been a great starting point for my career in finance. I spend one day a week studying at home – attending online workshops, handing in homework and completing modules. Being paid for this day, in addition to the time I spend in the office, is great. It means I don’t have to take on another job just to make ends meet while I’m studying.

I work in a small team of 4 in the finance department. The people at Midland Lead are lovely, everyone gets on really well. I’m considering an ACCA qualification for chartered accountancy next, but right now I’m really grateful to have this apprenticeship as my first open door to a finance career!”  

Gemma Mulcahy is another former apprentice enjoying a varied career here at Midland Lead. Gemma joined aged 16, as a Level 2 Administration Apprentice in 2018. Working in the sales office, she soon progressed to a Level 3 Customer Service Specialist. During Covid, the Operations team were short-staffed due to staff isolation and Gemma volunteered to help out, quickly gaining her fork-lift truck licence. She’s now permanently employed in Operations, and is our only female production operative who can drive all Midland Lead vehicles including excavators and forklifts of up to 12 tonnes.

Gemma looks back on her career journey to date: “I quickly felt like I was working as part of a forward-thinking company that supports its staff every step of the way. For me, job progression is really important and I know I have a great career ahead of me at Midland Lead”.

Developing our people is crucial for our future success. Last year we invested 600 hours of training and development for Team Midland Lead – and this is on top of on-the-job mentoring and coaching. We will continue to invest in the next generation of talent, and the apprenticeship route is a great way to develop and upskill our people. Interested in working for Midland Lead? Contact us to learn more.