A TEESSIDE water management company is seeking an apprentice to follow in its managing director's footsteps.

Dave Ruddy, managing director of Billingham-based Biochemica UK, started his career as an apprentice laboratory technician.

Now the company is offering the same apprenticeship which kick started his own career and which led to him being recognised as one of the North-East's most successful business leaders.

Biochemica UK is the North East’s largest independent water and wastewater treatment specialist.

Formed in 2007 by Mr Ruddy and commercial and technical director Dr Tim Robinson, the company has grown year-on-year and today operates nationally and in Ireland, with its sights set on international growth.

Mr Ruddy began his career with support from the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) as his apprenticeship training provider. He was named as one of the NECC’s "Apprentice Greats" as part of its 200th anniversary celebrations.

Biochemica has now joined forces with NECC to fill the newly created laboratory technician apprentice role.

Mr Ruddy said: “I’m proud to be an apprentice champion and Biochemica appreciates the significance of apprenticeships as a career path, especially as many of our staff started their working lives by taking this route.

"I enjoyed my apprenticeship because it gave me the chance to learn a wide range of on-the-job technical skills from seasoned experts, something we can promise to deliver for our new laboratory technician apprentice role. It opened the door to my career, so there are great possibilities for the successful candidate."

Last year, Biochemica recruited four local youngsters in different areas of the business and two warehouse assistant apprentices taken on the year before, were given permanent positions and have gone on to work in Biochemica’s specialist services in wastewater treatment and Legionella control.

In addition to the laboratory technician apprentice, the company is creating at least two more apprentices within the next month for its warehouse and logistics sections.

Mr Ruddy said: "The successful candidate for this new role will gain hands-on chemistry experience in a quality control laboratory. They will also learn about our complete package of technical services from effluent, boiler and cooling water treatment to Legionella control and Ecochemica, our environmentally-friendly business stream.

"With this broad knowledge and experience in their arsenal, who knows, they could one day become Biochemica’s next managing director."

Mike Matthews, NECC president, who also started his career as an apprentice, said: "This is a great opportunity to learn a valuable vocational skill. Through NECC’s Apprentice Greats book we saw that many leading business people began their careers as apprentices, myself included.

"Appointments such as this certainly bring exciting prospects. NECC is keen to facilitate greater collaboration between business and education so to see Biochemica offering this interesting role is very encouraging."

Anyone interested should contact Kristina Sherwood at the NECC on 0300 3036322, email kristina.sherwood@necc.co.uk. Candidates must be18 or over and should apply direct at necctraining.co.uk by Friday, March 11th.