ASSA ABLOY has held a successful locksmith apprentice day at its Portobello site in the West Midlands (UK) for the second year in a row.

They hosted the 10 apprentices signed up to the Locksmith Level 2 Apprenticeship as part of their commitment to the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) and Skills for Security apprenticeship partnership.

The theme of the open day was ‘Past, Present and Future’. It consisted of manufacturing facility tours and practical product assembly sessions. It provided an insight into the future of the industry, especially pertaining to smart home technology.

Steve Ross, from the team who delivered the training on the day, said: “This programme is an excellent way to connect with the next generation of locksmiths, and is a great forum to allow us to share our knowledge and experience whilst also discussing trends for the future. After all, it is these young individuals who will become tomorrow’s business leaders and who will help take the industry into the digital word – exciting times indeed.”

He also said: “It is important that these young locksmith entrepreneurs are made aware of how fast our industry is changing, and see the opportunities which exist beyond the traditional mechanical world. Notwithstanding this, the mechanical world is still a significant part of the industry, and is the bread and butter of most locksmith businesses. The digital revolution brings with it fantastic opportunities with ‘smart home’ technology and app based management growing at a phenomenal rate. Security products are part of this revolution, as can be seen within the Smart Living portfolio of solutions from Yale.

“It’s great to spend time with these apprentices at the beginning of their careers within the industry, and we hope that our overview of the history of locking from 4000 BC through to the exciting world of tomorrow will help them on their way.”

At the end of the day, each apprentice was presented with a commemorative plaque as a memento.

For more information, visit ASSA ABLOY.