PEOPLE PANEL: Lets Talk Apprenticeships

Engineering & Manufacturing Network has at its core the desire to support apprenticeship strategies, working with businesses and educators, even helping create engineering degree apprenticeships with the local universities.

One of the biggest issues we face is that of retained skills within a business which creates sustainability and builds a robust workforce with less focus on individuals as skilled operators become mentors and build ‘mini – me’s’ in their apprentices.

Look at your key areas and identify where skills are lacking or where you have a ticking clock before your skilled operator leaves and plug the gap now. It takes years to become that indispensable person so start training more of them now, whether that be administration, technical, or semi / multi-skilled – if you look at a person and worry about the day they leave, start training their replacement.

Join EMN as we host a discussion with member Claire Kennedy of EDM Zone to discuss the business model they have successfully built around apprenticeship recruitment. Paul Wilson the founder and Managing Director at EDM Zone was once an apprentice himself, a leader in his field of EDM precision engineering, he strongly values and still works to the core disciplines that he was taught under his apprenticeship and strives through mentoring, training, and developing all apprentices and employees to ensure the whole of the business work to these values.

Gateshead College will be joining us to discuss how apprenticeships have evolved and what benefits they can bring to a business not only for new and younger employees but also for existing and skilled employees.

Please join us on your lunch break and listen to how apprenticeships could help your business.