Alvance British Aluminium has been named regional winner in the Developing Future Talent category for the North West region at the Make UK Manufacturing Awards 2025, recognising the company’s leadership in championing apprenticeships and building future skills for the Highlands.

The award celebrates Alvance British Aluminium’s long-standing commitment to creating meaningful career pathways in engineering and manufacturing, through a mix of hands-on training, local collaboration and community engagement.

More than one in five people working at Lochaber Smelter began their journey as apprentices. Many have gone on to become engineers, supervisors and managers across the smelter, hydropower and estates operations, while others have built careers in business administration, maintenance and environmental management. This broad mix of apprenticeships reflects the company’s belief that developing people across disciplines is key to sustaining both the business and keeping young talent in Lochaber.

In more recent years, the company’s flagship programme, ‘Your Future Career in Lochaber’, launched in 2022 to inspire the next generation of talent in the area. The initiative brings together local schools, employers and training providers to help young people understand how modern industry works and where an apprenticeship can lead.

Through site visits, school partnerships and an annual careers event that attracts pupils, teachers and families from across the region. Alvance British Aluminium gives students the chance to see first-hand how Lochaber Smelter produces aluminium with a carbon footprint 70% below the global average, taking advantage of the benefits coming from rural estate holdings, hydro generation through to smelting and casting skills on site. Apprentices and engineers play a central role in every visit, sharing their own stories and experiences to show that high-skilled careers can start close to home.

The programme has achieved a significant increase in apprenticeship applications since it began, with a sharp rise in local candidates choosing to stay in the area to train and work. Its success has also encouraged other major Highland employers, including MOWI Scotland, BSW Timber, Ferguson Transport & Shipping and Kishorn Port Ltd, to join forces under a shared goal of developing skills and opportunity across the region.

Tom Uppington, Managing Director of Alvance British Aluminium, commented on the award, saying:

“This award means a great deal to our team and is a real source of pride for everyone at Lochaber Smelter. Our long-established apprenticeship programme has been shaping generations of local families for many years.

A significant number of our people are second or even third generation, and that shared pride and sense of continuity is what makes our workforce so special. This recognition belongs to everyone who’s helped keep that tradition alive — by mentoring, encouraging and supporting the next generation to build their careers in manufacturing.”

The Make UK judges commended Alvance British Aluminium for its collaborative approach to tackling rural skills shortages and for creating a model that connects education with real industrial opportunity.

As the UK’s only remaining aluminium smelter, Alvance British Aluminium plays a vital role in the country’s manufacturing supply chain, producing low-carbon metal using renewable hydropower. Alongside its commitment to sustainability, the business is determined to ensure that future generations have the skills and confidence to continue that legacy.