Albion Invests in the Next Generation as Apprentices Secure Permanent Roles

14th August 2026

Albion Valves (UK) Limited is celebrating the success of two of its apprentices, Nicole Sanderson and Josh Driver, who have successfully completed their Level 3 apprenticeships with Barnsley College and accepted permanent positions within the business.

Nicole has completed the Multi-channel Marketer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, achieving a Merit, and has now taken up a permanent role as Marketing Assistant at Albion.

Josh completed the Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, achieving a Distinction, and will continue his career with the company as a Purchasing Assistant.

Their achievements reflect Albion's continued commitment to apprenticeships, workplace training, and creating opportunities for people to develop long-term careers within the business.

For a company with more than 40 years' experience in the valve industry, investing in the next generation is an important part of ensuring that knowledge, skills, and experience continue to develop alongside the business. Albion has grown considerably over that time, from a single gas-approved brass ball valve to a comprehensive portfolio of more than 5,000 product lines serving the building services and industrial markets.

As the company has grown, so too has the need to develop talent across the different departments that support its customers, suppliers, and wider operations.

Darren Baxter, Managing Director at Albion Valves (UK) Limited, commented: "We are extremely proud of both Nicole and Josh and what they have achieved. Merit and Distinction are excellent results, but equally important to us is seeing how much they have developed personally and professionally during their apprenticeships.

"We don't see apprenticeships simply as a way of filling a role for 18 months. The aim is to give people a meaningful experience, help them develop valuable skills and, wherever possible, provide them with the opportunity to build a long-term career at Albion.

"Nicole and Josh have both become valued members of their respective teams, so offering them permanent positions was a natural next step. Their success demonstrates exactly why we continue to invest in apprenticeships, training, and promoting from within."

For Nicole, the apprenticeship has provided an opportunity to combine formal learning with practical experience across Albion's marketing activities, developing skills that she can now carry forward into her permanent role.

Nicole Sanderson, Marketing Assistant, said: "Completing my apprenticeship and achieving a Merit is something I'm really proud of. Learning while working in a real marketing environment has given me experience across a wide range of areas and helped me develop both my skills and confidence.

"I'm really pleased to be staying at Albion permanently, and I'm looking forward to continuing to develop within the Marketing team and taking on more responsibility as my career progresses."

Josh's Business Administrator apprenticeship has similarly allowed him to build a broad range of workplace skills whilst developing his career within Albion's Purchasing department.

Josh Driver, Purchasing Assistant, added: "I'm very pleased to have completed my apprenticeship with a Distinction. The apprenticeship has allowed me to develop practical skills and gain experience within the business while working towards a recognised qualification.

"I've learned a lot during my time at Albion, and I'm looking forward to continuing in my role within the Purchasing department and developing my career further."

Nicole and Josh's completion of their apprenticeships does not mark the end of Albion's investment in the scheme.

Following the conclusion of Nicole and Josh’s apprenticeships, the company has already recruited another apprentice to undertake the Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, who is due to start imminently. This time, they will work and be trained within the Internal Sales team, gaining hands-on experience in a busy commercial environment.

For Albion, the new vacancy represents the continuation of an approach that has already demonstrated its value: recruiting people with the potential to develop, giving them the training and experience they need, and creating opportunities for them to progress within the company.

As Nicole, Josh, and many more before them have demonstrated, an apprenticeship at Albion can be much more than a qualification. It can be the start of a long-term career.