Yolk & EKF Diagnostics recruitment partnership in reaction to COVID-19

The current economic climate has meant businesses have had to adapt their ways of working, and in some cases, further the scope of their company’s products and offerings.

It’s a strategy that Yolk Engineering have found incredibly prevalent within South Wales’ Engineering and Manufacturing sectors, and in some cases it has shone a brilliant light on the work being completed by some of our clients.

EKF Diagnostics, a Penarth based medical manufacturer of point-of-care products and tests for global use, is one such case, and we have seen them rapidly evolve a branch within their business to help the UK combat the global COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the fast nature of the project which required a new team of workers and an adapted work facility, EKF enlisted Yolk to create a team of temporary workers within their business.

EKF’s involvement in the fight against COVID-19 has been to manufacture a sample collection device called PrimeStore® MTM. PrimeStore® is now being supplied to the NHS laboratory testing service provider, as one of the "safest forms of sample collection and transportation in the world."

The device deactivates any virus in the sample while also releasing the DNA and RNA for analysis. The RNA is then kept stable for up to four weeks.

With the requirement for the NHS meaning manufacturing of the device in the UK needed to be stepped up, it meant there was the need for more workers, which involved the creation of a team of Production Operatives and a new social distancing safe facility for them to work in.

As Yolk have supplied EKF with successful permanent recruitment solutions in the past, they came to us to work exclusively on the project where we were able to offer guidance with the creation of a team of temporary workers, which in itself was a brand new project for EKF having not hired temps in the past.

With the urgency and rapid nature of the project being the biggest challenge, the recruitment partnership saw Yolk supply EKF with a team of 12 temporary workers who met specific criteria within the strict deadlines, going from a team of 0 to 12 in a week. We were honoured to help EKF broaden their employment scope in response to COVID-19 and share our knowledge through the process of hiring temporary workers, including the logistics and administration that comes with such a different way of hiring staff. 

The Penarth site is expected to produce 12,500 sample collection tubes a day once normal production is established, with the first orders rolling off the production line this week.

Mr Baines said EKF will continue to build up its production capacity in the UK and in Europe to fulfil the demand created by the UK Government’s testing targets.

We’re incredibly grateful to EKF for coming to Yolk with such an important project at what can be seen as a pivotal moment in history as businesses and the NHS come together in the fight against COVID-19.

For more information on the work being conducted by EKF Diagnostics please visit their website here.

To find out more about Yolk Engineering, and the services we offer, click here.