Employees at global engineering steel specialist, William Hare Group were invited to tour British Steel and Tata Steel facilities last month, allowing them to gain valuable insight into the steel manufacturing process.

Sixteen employees, made up of mainly graduates, interns and apprentices attended the open day, where they were shown how the steel creation process works, furthering their personal development and knowledge of the steel industry.

British Steel, headquartered in Scunthorpe is a leading steel manufacturer in Europe, producing around 3 million tonnes of quality steel products every year. Whilst Tata, based in Port Talbot is the largest steelworks in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in the world.

The visits gave the attendees the chance to watch how decking and flooring is created, enhancing their knowledge of the steel manufacturing process.

Skye Kelley, Quality Engineer at William Hare Group said: “It was a privilege to be invited to visit British and Tata Steel and to experience two major steel manufacturers in the UK firsthand. We were given the chance to tour the facility and meet some of the team and left with a wider understanding of the steel industry and how our role at William Hare fits into the bigger picture of UK steel manufacture.

“Before the tour, I had never put much thought into how decking and cladding was made, so it was interesting to learn and watch some being rolled for William Hare jobs. I also found it insightful to hear about their sustainability plans as this is at the forefront of innovation and responsibility in the steel industry.”

The Tata Steel visit came as the business received the green light for a new electric arc furnace at its Port Talbot site. The new furnace will replace the blast furnaces closed in 2024 and supports its transition to greener production methods.