Support Helps Teesside Gas Firm Grow After Backing Apprentices

A former apprentice and RAF veteran has seen two apprentices of his own flourish at his growing Teesside company.

Mark Taylor formed MTP Gas in 2014 after working for himself for many years – and four years ago, with a little help from the Combined Authority, he took on an apprentice.

Now based in Acklam, Mark grew up in the Midlands, left school at 15 and spent three years in an apprenticeship before a spell of almost nine years in the RAF.

He went on to work for himself on Teesside before forming his own company. With the help of business support from the Combined Authority, MTP Gas is now taking on more work – with two Teesside apprentices on its books.

Now Mark has ambitions to take on a new apprentice every year.

The 51-year-old said: “I had apprentices, but it never seemed to work when we did it.

“I approached the Mayor to see if there was help available and he put me onto the team to help through the process.

“The authority helped set up the interviews.

“We whittled it down to about six and did the interviews from there. The funding from the Tees Valley was brilliant.”

Mark explained apprenticeship schemes like this are key to securing a future workforce and talent pipeline that are equipped with the specialist skills needed for his sector to succeed.

He added: “Unless there are employers willing to invest, which I have done, we’re not going to have a future.

“The average age of a gas fitter at the moment is between 50 and 55, which is just not sustainable for the industry.”

During Covid, the firm was working out of a garden shed – but it has now expanded to a unit on Riverside Industrial Estate.

Apprentices Luke Boddy, from South Bank, and Will Simpson, from Nunthorpe, are part of the MTP operation.

Luke joined around four-and-a-half years ago.

“It’s been good, I’ve learned a lot over the last four years,” he added.

“I like learning and thinking about the future – it’s a good career to have.

“It’s put me in a good position in life.

“It’s been good to learn off Mark – he’s taught me properly.”

Will’s path saw him go to university after college, but he didn’t really like it – and sought out a more “hands on” job.

He got work at a company but didn’t have the most positive of experiences.

Will said: “I didn’t learn anything – and I wouldn’t have passed college if I’d stayed there.

“I reached out to Mark, and I’ve learned more here since starting last June than I did in years there.”

The business accessed the UKSPF Expertise and Supply Chain programmes, and has also received £2,000 funding through the Tees Valley Apprenticeship Support Grant.

Will is completing his exams at Redcar and Cleveland College – following Luke who has also taken on the course.

“At Uni, I was bored but I think I’m a hands-on learner,” Will explained.

“It’s exciting as well. I don’t mind working away.”

MTP’s work has taken them nationwide on large NHS contracts in East Anglia, the Midlands and London.

Mark added: “Because we’ve expanded, we’ve been able to take on contract jobs – we’ve done one in Birmingham putting a full central heating system in.

“We’ve been to London and Norwich.

“We’ve got the office space now and more space in the warehouse to stock things. It means we can bulk buy stuff now and make massive savings.

“At Christmas time, we bit the bullet and bought another van.”

Business support from the Combined Authority and RTC North has helped MTP build up its social media profile – and attend some worthwhile networking events which have yielded work.

And the firm’s two apprentices have gained valuable experience from the jobs.

Mark said it was satisfying to see them grow in their role.

“The advantage I see in having an apprentice, rather than taking on someone who is fully qualified – which I’m not ruling out as we probably will have to at some point – is I’m very particular,” he added.

“My forces background means I am. It means I can mould them into how I expect everything to be done.

“The job we’re on with the client at the moment highlighted the quality of the work – which is brilliant.

“Some of these are new clients, so we try and go that little extra mile for every customer. I always tell the lads it’s got to be A1 perfect.

“If it isn’t, it’s taken out and done again – which they have done in the past.

“That’s the way the business is run. It’s taken me 23 years to build a good reputation in the area – even though a few people still don’t know us.

“We have got a good reputation and a lot of our work over the years has come off recommendations.

“We might get a job off Checkatrade but then get three or four jobs from recommendations off the back of that.

“It’s because we do that little bit extra. We turn up smart, in uniform, in clean vans – and we’ve had positive remarks on it over the years.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Mark’s career and approach shows exactly what we’re all about in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool – backing our brilliant small businesses and making sure they have the support they need, shaped by what they tell us works.

“Apprenticeships are a gamechanger – not just for the young people starting out, but for businesses like MTP Gas that are growing, expanding, and keeping crucial skills in our region.

“We’ve got massive projects coming down the line, and we want to make sure our tireless tradespeople – the ones who’ve built their reputations over decades – can pass on what they know to the next generation.

“That’s why we’re working closely with training providers and business owners to break down the barriers and make it easier than ever to take on apprentices, because we want small businesses to benefit from the opportunities we’re creating.

“We’re proud to support companies like Mark’s – and we’ll keep backing them every step of the way.”

Support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund comes via the Government.

To find out more about business support available, go to: https://teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/business/business-growth-support/