As National Apprenticeship Week draws to a close, it is often tempting to focus solely on statistics — starts, completions and funding commitments. But behind every apprenticeship number lies a story. For HT Brigham CEO Doug Allen, it is a story that began on the factory floors of the Black Country and culminated in leading one of the UK’s respected precision pressings and toolmaking specialists.
Doug did not grow up planning a career in engineering. “I never planned a career in engineering,” he reflects. “But where I came from, factory work was what you did, so I became a foundry apprentice.”
From Darlaston to the Boardroom
Doug began his apprenticeship in Darlaston as an apprentice metallurgist at Wednesfield Tube, undertaking his technical training before being taken on at Brindley & Foster in Birmingham. It was a grounding in materials, metallurgy and manufacturing discipline that would shape his entire career.
Those early years were not glamorous. They were practical, hands-on and demanding. Doug learned quickly that engineering rewards those who are curious, resilient and willing to take responsibility.
From Brindley & Foster, he moved into increasingly advanced roles at Cradley Foundries and Drayton Beaumont. Each position expanded his understanding — from metallurgical science to production efficiency, from quality control to leadership under pressure.
Eventually, he found his way into aerospace with Goodrich and later Moog, where precision, compliance and performance were non-negotiable.
“Luckily, I worked for great people who believed in me,” Doug says. “I managed to earn a reputation for getting things done, which created career opportunities.”
That reputation — built on delivery, integrity and problem-solving — became the foundation of his leadership philosophy.
Continuous Learning as a Career Strategy
Doug’s apprenticeship did not end with his indentures. It evolved. An apprenticed Metallurgical Engineer, he studied at Sandwell College before continuing his academic journey with the Open University, Warwick Manufacturing Group and Oxford University.
This blend of practical factory-floor experience and advanced strategic education created something powerful: a leader who understands both the shopfloor and the boardroom.
“I’m far more strategic now,” he explains. “Continuous learning fires me up, while I love helping people grow.”
That commitment to learning is now embedded in HT Brigham’s culture — from pressings and metal stamping to toolmaking and engineering excellence, underpinned by AS9100-accredited systems and a drive to remain at the forefront of aerospace and high-integrity manufacturing.
Lessons Forged Early
Doug credits his apprenticeship years with instilling lessons that remain central to his approach today: that discipline matters. Engineering tolerances leave no room for complacency. He learned that reputation compounds, to deliver consistently, and that opportunity follows. To say curious, because skills age quickly unless continuously refreshed.
People make the difference. Good mentors accelerate growth.
Those early experiences prepared him not simply for technical roles, but for stewardship — culminating in his position as CEO, where he now focuses on delivering a strategy that positions HT Brigham at the heart of the supply chain of the future.
A Moment of Opportunity for UK Manufacturing
Doug believes the UK stands at an inflection point.
“UK manufacturing is still underrated,” he says. “Yet today’s geopolitical winds give us a real chance to reshore work. With clear strategy we can seize that opportunity – provided we attract more young people into the industry and safeguard the skills that once made us the engineering envy of the world.”
Reshoring, supply chain resilience and defence and aerospace demand growth all present tangible opportunity. But without skilled engineers, toolmakers, press operators and metallurgists, that opportunity will pass elsewhere.
For HT Brigham, apprenticeships are not a corporate social responsibility exercise — they are a strategic necessity. They represent the continuity of capability.
From Apprentice to Architect of Strategy
Doug’s journey is not just inspirational; it is instructive. It demonstrates that apprenticeships are foundations for leadership.
From Darlaston to Birmingham, from foundries to aerospace giants, from shopfloor metallurgist to CEO, his career has been one long preparation — forged in heat, shaped by discipline and refined by continuous learning.
As National Apprenticeship Week closes, his message is clear: the future of British manufacturing will not be built on nostalgia, but on skills.
And somewhere, on a factory floor this year, another apprentice may well be starting a journey that ends in the boardroom.