Effective Training

Taking on an apprentice is a brilliant way to bring in new talent to your business or develop new skills within your existing workforce.

Free Consultation

Our no obligation visit to your business will identify your needs, match suitable apprenticeship qualifications and advise you on your funding options. We can complete the free consultation either in person or via a Zoom meeting.

Contact us to book your free consultation

Apprenticeships & Funding

We have been delivering engineering apprenticeships for over 25 years and have a vast amount of experience in working closely with our business partners to ensure that their investment in money, time and effort delivers a successful apprenticeship. Read our blog about finding the right training provider >

New Employees
Apprenticeships are great for bringing new talent into your business and securing your workforce of the future. Read our blog about the benefits of taking on an apprentice >

Existing Employees
An apprenticeship can be started at any age and be completed by someone who is already in post. They are ideal for up-skilling staff within their current role, offering them CPD or to equip them if you are looking to move them into a more senior role. 

FUNDING
Employers fall into one of two groups.
1. Levy payers. Those of you who have a payroll of more than £3 million per year. We can help you to utilise your Apprenticeship Levy by delivering a high quality scheme within your business, advice on what the levy can be used for and advice if you have exhausted your levy pot.

2. Non-levy payers. Those of you with a payroll under £3 million per year. The Government will pay 95% of the training cost with you contributing the other 5% - this is called co-investment.

What does the funding cover?
In both cases, funding covers the training of the apprentice and cannot be used for wages, statutory licences to practice, travel and subsidiary costs, work placement programmes or any fees required when setting up your apprenticeship scheme.

Full information regarding funding here >

 

Apprentice Recruitment

The most important part of any apprenticeship scheme is finding the right people to employ. This takes time and effort however our Recruitment, Screening and Shortlisting service can do much of the work for you.

Read more

How We Work

Partnership with you, the employer
We support you from start to finish to ensure your apprenticeship scheme is a success. We work with you to understand your business and what you would like to achieve from the apprenticeship, helping you to match your needs with an Apprenticeship Standard (the base on which all apprenticeships are built).

Programme construction and delivery
Our Training Officers (all of which are engineers) work with you to develop a company training plan and will be on hand throughout to support you and the apprentice. They will also arrange college access (if required) for the apprentice and facilitate all aspects of their training. Our Training Officers visit apprentices regularly, managing their learning all the way through to completion on the course.

Find the right person to employ (if using an apprenticeship for new staff)
Our in-depth recruitment process shortlists suitable candidates and matches them to the right apprenticeship – this benefits the learner and business getting the right person for the right role. Ultimately the final decision on who you employ rests with you. We do much of the work involved in getting you to that decision.

Learner Centric
We build meaningful relationships with each apprentice, placing them at the centre of everything we do and providing them with high quality advice, honest opinion and high quality training.
 
Industry specific
All our training officers are engineers which means they have a high level of understanding in respect of the work that each employer does and the learning that the apprentice completes. They are a great link between the different elements involved in the delivery of an apprenticeship and work to ensure it is a success. 

Apprenticeships Standards

Level 2: Lean Manufacturing Operative

Duration: 12 Months

Lean Manufacturing Operatives are multi-skilled employees and this standard develops their ability to carry out their work safely, meeting precise quality and production standards. Manufacturing operatives can follow a number of pathways within the standard that enhances the apprenticeship specific to their role. These pathways include Production/Assembly, Inspection/Quality Control, Logistics/Material Handling, and Production Processing/Finishing.

Prior to enrolment, we will work with the you to understand the role and the correct pathway will be agreed and optional units selected.

An apprentice completing this standard will gain knowledge, skills and behaviours in the following areas:

  • Health and Safety and Environment
  • Production and manufacturing operations
  • Quality control 
  • Problem solving 
  • Continuous improvement
  • Communication and team work
  • Workplace organisation
  • Apprentices also have the opportunity to develop their maths and English skills if they have not already achieved level 2 qualifications or equivalent in these subjects.

 

 

Level 2: Science Manufacturing Process Operative

Duration: 18 Months

A science manufacturing process operative will undertake basic operations and monitoring of plant and equipment, including pumps, valves, temperature gauges, filtration equipment, tanks, vessels and production/processing machinery; or they will safely operate machines to process/manufacture, assemble and finish component parts or finished products by hand, appropriate to their level of responsibility. The working environment may require the use of specialist safety equipment. They may also have to comply with the requirements of Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) regulations if operating in a ‘clean room’ environment. A science manufacturing process operative will be expected to work in a supervised environment either individually or as part of a team. 

An apprentice completing this standard will gain knowledge, skills and behaviours in the following areas:

  • Prepare science manufacturing materials, plant and equipment, for hand or machine based process operations, typically using pumps, valves, temperature gauges, filtration equipment, tanks and vessels; including checking availability and quality of materials, correct conditions and safety checks according to standard operating procedures.
  • Start-up a basic science manufacturing machine based or hand based processes, typically using equipment as above, following process operating instructions.
  • Perform operations and monitor basic science manufacturing process according to company safe working practices as directed by line manager.
  • Produce a representative sample of science manufacturing product for quality test purposes and inspect products to ensure quality is maintained in line with company quality procedures.
  • Carry out assembly and finishing operations for a machine or hand based process operation in science manufacturing process.
  • Make simple adjustments to the science manufacturing process to remedy problems, reporting any problems or abnormal conditions when unable or unauthorised to resolve.
  • Shut down/complete a basic science manufacturing process following process operating instructions.
  • Comply with the Health, Safety and Environmental regulations, including correct use of PPE.
  • Comply with and meet the requirements of their company quality standards.
  • Complete routine documentation such as quality inspection sheets and production records.
  • Support process manufacturing improvement activities, for example implementing plant improvements as directed and responding to plant and process change requirements.

 

 

Level 3: Engineering Fitter

Duration: 36-42 months

Engineering Fitters can follow a number of pathways within the standard that enhances the delivery specific to the role. These pathways Mechanical fitter, Electrical fitter, Electronic fitter, Instrumentation fitter, Pipe fitter, Controls and systems fitter.

Prior to enrolment, we will work with the you to understand the role and the correct pathway will be agreed and optional units selected.

An apprentice completing this standard will be able to:

  • Interpret and follow drawings/diagrams and/or specifications for required component or assembly. 
  • Plan work activity, including resources, equipment and tooling.
  • Produce individual components, for example keys, pipework, threading, wiring looms, interfacing parts, motors, wiring cables.
  • Re-furbish components.
  • Assemble components to produce equipment, machine or system - in full or part.
  • Quality check and adjust components or assembly against required specification for example, testing and calibrating.
  • Identify and resolve problems with components or assembly; fault diagnosis.
  • Handle over completed components or assembly, this may include storage and commissioning.
  • Re-instate work area and equipment 
  • Contribute to continuous improvement in component production or assembly 

 

Level 3: Engineering Technician

Duration: 42-48 months

Engineering Technicians are predominantly involved in highly skilled and complex work. Typical industries include Aerospace, Aviation, Automotive, Maritime Defence and wider Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering. 

Prior to enrolment, we will work with the you to understand the role and the correct pathway will be agreed and optional units selected.

An apprentice completing this standard will be able to:

  • Apply safe systems of working.
  • Make a technical contribution to either the design, development, quality assurance, manufacture, installation, commissioning, decommissioning, operation or maintenance of products, equipment, systems, processes or services.
  • Apply proven techniques and procedures to solve engineering/manufacturing problems.
  • Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills in communicating both technical and nontechnical information.
  • Have a commitment to continued professional development.

 

Level 3: Maintenance & Operations Engineering Technician

Duration: 36 months

Maintenance & Operations Engineering Technicians (MOET) can follow a number of pathways within the standard that enhances the delivery specific to the role. These pathways include Electrical, Mechanical, Control and Instrumentation, Wind Turbine, Process Control, and Plant Operations.

Prior to enrolment, we will work with the you to understand the role and the correct pathway will be agreed and optional units selected.

An apprentice completing this standard will be able to:

  • Inspect and maintain appropriate plant and equipment to meet operational requirements.
  • Comply with industry health, safety and environmental working practices and regulations.
  • Maintenance and operational practices, processes and procedures covering a range of plant and equipment.
  • Locate, and rectify faults on plant and equipment.
  • Read, understand and interpret information and work in compliance with technical specifications and supporting documentation.
  • Assess and test the performance and condition of plant and equipment.
  • Communicate, handover and confirm that the appropriate engineering process has been completed to specification.

 

Level 4: Engineering Manufacturing Technician

Duration: 42 months

This occupation is found in large and small engineering and manufacturing organisations providing products and services throughout a wide range of sectors. The person will support organisations to develop, produce or test new/existing products, processes, or procedures to efficiently and effectively meet a customer specification in terms of quality, cost and delivery. Make decisions, solve problems and produce and/or update technical documentation, reports or specifications. Inform others, either internally or externally as to what needs to be done and how a product must be designed, manufactured, tested, modified, maintained, stored, transported, commissioned or decommissioned.

This apprenticeship standard includes an HNC.

An apprentice completing this standard will be able to:

  • Use problem solving tools/techniques such as practical problem solving (PPS), root cause analysis (RCA) and process failure mode effects analysis (PFMEA).
  • Use effective communication techniques including listening, questioning and support of others.
  • Have the ability to be able to use the benefits and applications of lean methods and tools used in manufacturing and engineering (such as Kaizen, Six Sigma and 8 wastes).
  • Apply the principles of quality control and quality assurance in a manufacturing and engineering environment.
  • Knowledge of team integration techniques, including conflict resolution and managing difficult conversations.
  • Read and extract relevant engineering and manufacturing related data and information (such as workplans/project plans ,schedules,  drawings, specifications, production data, quality reports, costing data, statistical information) drawing accurate conclusions and making informed decisions.
  • Use project management tools, such as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT), stakeholder matrices, risk mapping, radar chart and summary risk profiles
  • Analyse and interpret data and information in order to generate manufacturing engineering documentation such as Parts Per Million (PPM) quality adherence, cost analysis and test data.
  • Communicate using the appropriate method for the audience such as, formal and informal presentations, written reports, verbal, electronic, social media and incorporating relevant and appropriate data and/or metrics.
  • Use the approved process and quality compliance procedure to create or amend engineering and/or manufacturing documentation.
  • Apply documentation control processes and procedures such as format, location, access, authorisation.
  • Use financial planning, recording and review processes and documentation such as departmental budgets, estimating, cost control, cost forecasting, and investment appraisal
  • Use computer based software system/packages such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), Data Analytics and Databases.

 

Level 4: Process Leader

Duration: 36 months

Process Leaders are found in organisations with high volume manufacturing or advanced manufacturing processes in which large volumes of products are made in assembly, moulding, metal processing, chemical processing, pharmaceutical, textiles, food and drink, or similar processes.

They are also found in organisations with engineering operations or low volume manufacturing processes in which lower volumes of products are made in a bespoke or workshop type environment. The core knowledge, skills and behaviours of this apprenticeship will be developed and demonstrated in a specific manufacturing context and are broadly transferable to other manufacturing sectors.

An apprentice completing this standard will be able to:

  • Work autonomously as part of a wider production team to undertake and direct production activities, plant operations, maintenance and performance against KPIs. Provide technical/specialist input and direction to own team and to others.
  • Manage resources effectively to ensure the efficient running of their department in line with organisational procedures and budgets. 
  • Use KPIs as the basis of the continuous improvement cycle for quality, cost and volume, using lean, operational excellence and production improvement techniques. 
  • Undertake and manage quality resolutions as well as volume problem resolution. 
  • Manage health, safety and environment within their area of responsibility, ensuring staff are compliant with all requirements and driving improvements. 
  • Use project management tools to plan, organise and manage resources, monitor progress, identify risks and mitigation. 
  • Develop, build and motivate team members as manage performance and industrial relations to achieve production, quality and cost targets. 
  • Provide clear direction and leadership to own team and others, giving open and honest feedback. 
  • Build and maintain strong relationships across different disciplines, to ensure that the activities of functions such as HR, Purchasing, Planning, Finance focus on core production KPIs. 
  • Lead the communication of corporate vision and strategy to own team. Use data/information to create compelling presentations and drive management decisions.