MTC address skills shortage with plans for 40 new apprentices
THE Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry is recruiting a further 40 new advanced engineering apprentices to take part in its ground-breaking advanced manufacturing training programme.
The new intake will join the 36 apprentices who are currently completing their first year training at college and will shortly be moving into the new £36m Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC).
The AMTC courses are aimed at setting the standard for future of advanced manufacturing apprenticeships. The Ansty Park facility is well placed to deliver the scheme as it was recently named as one of the top 100 apprentice employers in the country at the National Apprenticeship Service’s awards.
The AMTC is looking to recruit 40 new apprentices to start in September. Applications are now being submitted but the centre said demand for places was high and the intake was expected to fill up quickly.
The new apprentices will be employed on the centre’s innovative Level 3 Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship programme.
The new AMTC is on the same site as the MTC and is intended to make a significant contribution towards solving the skills shortages which have blighted manufacturing growth for many years.
In its role providing apprentices, the new centre has already been praised by the Prime Minister David Cameron and Business Secretary Vince Cable.
The AMTC building will be the UK’s first National College, a flagship facility for advanced apprenticeship programmes. Apprentices will learn the latest technology in areas such as intelligent automation, additive layer manufacture, robotics, metrology, mechatronics, additive layer manufacture, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided machining (CAM). Apprentices will also be able to test and develop their skills in sponsored placements, including the opportunity to undertake international assignments with MTC members and supporters.
In the first year apprentices will learn the basics of engineering and manufacturing before using the sophisticated high-tech equipment in the AMTC, much of which is the most advanced available in the UK.
The training centre is part of an ambitious £90m expansion plan for the MTC and marks the beginning of a strategy to establish cultural changes in developing the skills and processes needed for future manufacturing in the UK.
Clive Hickman, MTC chief executive, said: “The new training centre will create vital skills, developing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technicians. The skills shortage has been an ongoing issue for manufacturing.
“Many small and medium-sized companies simply cannot afford the four year investment costs of apprentices, and fully skilled workers are attracted by the larger players – often at salaries that smaller companies simply can’t match. Our plan is help SMEs by offering apprenticeships which are cost-effective and provide tangible value from day one. A fully-qualified MTC apprentice will be a valuable asset to any SME.”
Anyone interested in joining the MTC’s 2015 apprentice intake should visit http://www.the-mtc.org/careers-apprenticeships and complete the application form.
