Teesworks apprentice follows grandfather’s footsteps
Akram Akhmed, 21, is an apprentice quantity surveyor with AtkinsRรฉalis, working exclusively on the Teesworks site.
He is involved in delivering billions of pounds of investment on the land that previously sustained generations of Teessiders.
Akram Akhmed (Image: Supplied)
Mr Akhmed has encouraged others to seize the opportunities available now and in the future at Teesworks.
He said: “Teesworks means a lot to my family, not just because this is where I started my career, but because this is where my familyโs journey began, too.”
Mr Akhmedโs grandfather, Mohammed Aslam, began working at the age of 16 at Dorman Long, later joining British Steel.Akramโs grandfather Mohammed Aslam (Image: Supplied)
He handled some of the heaviest machinery on site at Steel House, Lackenby, and helped produce steel for the rail infrastructure that connected Teesside to the rest of the UK.
The site, a symbol of Teessideโs industrial strength, was dealt a devastating blow when the steelworks closed in 2015.
It is now being revived as part of the UKโs largest industrial regeneration programme at Teesworks, and Mr Akhmed is at the heart of it.Mohammed Aslam (Image: Supplied)
He said: “There is a great sense of pride in it, to be honest.
“When my grandfather worked here, it was about building mega-projects and contributing to mega-structures around the world.”
He added: โItโs quite cool when you see that. There was a point in time where the steelworks were pulled down and that impacted a lot of families โ the steelworks here provided people with a purpose and a means to look after their families.Akram Akhmed (Image: Supplied)
โWhen that was taken away, a lot of people lost their livelihoods. It wasnโt a great time for Teesside โ but weโre now part of something greater.โ
Now in his third year of apprenticeship, Mr Akhmed offers commercial support to major projects, including Net Zero Teesside (NZT), Park & Ride, Steel River Bank Quay, and the infrastructure for SeAH Wind, poised to be one of the largest offshore wind manufacturing facilities globally.
He said: “One of the key projects which caught my eye was the Net Zero Teesside project.Akramโs grandfather Mohammed Aslamย (Image: Supplied)
“Itโs providing almost ยฃ4bn of inward investment alone and thousands of jobs are being created.
“Weโve remediated the land for the NZT project.
“That is going to be the UKโs first Carbon Capture and Utilisation facility โ and one of the worldโs first to be operating.”
He also played a significant part in one of the country’s most complex demolition programmes, with the clearance of former steelworks and other assets completed in less than three years.
He said: “This is a fast-moving site and a fast-paced environment.
“It puts into perspective just how serious this work is.”
Martin Corney, chief executive of Teesworks, praised Mr Akhmed, saying: “Akram represents exactly what Teesworks is about โ reconnecting local people with opportunity.
“His story is a perfect example of what this regeneration means: honouring our past, empowering the present and building a better future.”
Reflecting on his grandfatherโs reaction to the changes at the site, Mr Akhmed said: “Heโs probably a little bit sad a lot of what he worked on, and is familiar with, is gone โ but heโs optimistic of what is to come.”
He urged others to explore opportunities in their area, noting the changing narrative about the need to move away from Teesside for better opportunities.
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He added: “There are opportunities, and I would strongly encourage people to go online and have a look at whatโs happening in their area.
“It shows they donโt need to move away or down south โ there are opportunities here and AtkinsRรฉalis are a global organisation which utilises its local workforce.”
He concluded with a quote from Gladstone: “This remarkable place, the youngest child of Englandโs enterprise, is an infant, but if an infant, an infant Hercules.”