King Charles has tries his hand at wind turbine production, as you do, as the Royal Family gave its backing to National Apprenticeship week.

The King visited SeAH Wind in Middlesbrough which trains people to work in offshore wind turbine manufacturing with a focus on welding and heavy engineering skills.

National Apprenticeship Week runs in mid February to spotlight the importance of learning a trade and the benefits for apprentices and industry alike. There are currently around 740, 000 apprentices in the UK compared with around 3 million students at higher education providers. National Apprenticeship Week aims to show the positives of taking on a training role as a way to full time employment.

King Charles was given a high vis jacket to wear over his winter coat for his tour of SeAH Wind and had troubel getting the velcro fastening to meet. However, once he’d added a hard hat he looked the part for a visit that showcased how apprentices quickly develop engineering skills in a fast paced environment.

The factory has a weekly production of up to four monopiles – a crucial component in wind turbine production. The King was shown the machinery used for manufacture and met many of the apprentices currently developing skills there.

The King, of course, was perhaps once the most famous apprentice in the world, being the longest serving heir to the throne in British history. And, having spent 70 years learning his own trade, his was keen to see how others are doing the same.