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This week we are celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2016, so we wanted to share with you an article published in current issue of IMI Magazine about our Autotech’s Academy ambition. Please read it below or download a pdf version.
AUTOTECH’S APPRENTICE AMBITION
Profiling the Autotech Academy: an initiative from industry recruiters Autotech Recruit.
How can you be sure that you are getting the right candidate for your apprenticeship scheme? And what does it take to ensure the apprenticeship is a positive experience and the candidates and their the skills stay in your organisation?
These were the questions that precipitated Autotech Recruit, a specialist automotive recruitment consultancy, to start working towards opening Autotech Academy: an endeavour to assist the motor trade in finding and developing the best apprentices ready to become the future of the industry.
Gavin White, the initiator of the idea of Autotech Academy and Managing Director of Autotech Recruit explained: “Apprenticeships offer a great solution to the skill shortages problem and for that reason Autotech Recruit decided to promote this idea within the industry by actively supporting automotive businesses in training the next generation of the workforce.”
“Whilst the government is striving to boost the levels of participation in apprenticeship schemes among the employers across the UK, it is evident that the motor trade could benefit from assistance and guidance from an organisation who could monitor the apprentice enrollment and development acting as a link between the employer and training providers throughout the whole process.”
For this reason, Autotech Academy is set to allow businesses to choose the right candidates for their apprenticeship schemes, while enabling them to reduce the time and cost of expensive recruitment processes and let their focus remain in other areas that demand their attention.
“Having worked in the recruitment side of the motor industry, we acquired first-hand experience of the demand for suitable apprentices. Establishing Autotech Academy will mean re-investing part of our financial gains back to the industry to match those exceptional youngsters with automotive businesses and help develop the next generation of highly skilled work force,” White added.
TRIALS ONGOING
The project is currently being trialled with Vindis Group at its Bedford Audi site, and its high quality Audi apprenticeship programme Autotech Recruit has been supporting since October 2015.
Lee Macintyre and Jake Bartlett, both 21, who were carefully selected from a number of candidates, are now five months into their three-year apprenticeship with Vindis Group and Audi UK.
“I wanted to learn how servicing and repairing vehicles works in the real world and this apprenticeship was a great way to do that. It gives me the best of both worlds: gaining practical skills and theoretical knowledge, while being paid for by Autotech Recruit,” Jake said.
“I think the apprenticeship is a great start to a career and should be more widely used in the automotive industry to encourage more people to learn this profession,” his colleague Lee, added.
Richard Hillier, Head of Business at Bedford Audi, is convinced high-quality apprenticeships are the way forward for the automotive industry.
“Vehicle mechanics have moved on at such a quick pace over the last few years. The UK motor industry is experiencing some difficulty finding workers who possess the right blend of skills and education to complete technical jobs effectively.
“When Autotech Recruit approached us and offered to support recruitment and training, as well as providing sponsorship of two apprentices, it was clear that although their offer was commendable and innovative, it was also a sound investment.
“With Lee and Jake now on board, we will have a chance to end up with people specifically trained to fit into our business and we can trust to work to the highest standards,” Richard concluded.
You can read more about National Apprenticeship Week 2016 here.