Apprenticeships in Electro-Mechanical Engineering
Mid Kent Electrical (MKE), like many members of the AEMT, are finding that the top 10% of their staff will be reaching retirement age within the next 5 years, a worrying statistic given that the majority of repair knowledge is locked up inside their heads with no other way of transferring the knowledge other than through one-to-one communication. Having recognised this problem, MKE have increased their intake of malleable young minds in the form of 11 young apprentices ranging from ages 16 to 21 with the aim of getting them fully trained up and ready to take over the roles of the retiring generation.
Andrew Savage, Managing Director of MKE, has always encouraged apprenticeships and entwined them into the ethos of MKE. So how has MKE managed to find the right apprentices for their company? Simon Cattell, Mechanical Manager of MKE, explains that by working with the local community and schools, they're introducing children from 13 years old to the industry through school outings to their factory floors. Other exciting events such as having an opportunity to meet the fastest land speed vehicle, the Bloodhound, are fantastic ways of making the engineering industry look exciting to the children.
Before enrolling an apprentice though, MKE have to be certain that the individual is certainly interested in the industry, which at 16 could be anything from a whim to full blown obsession! Mr. Cattell looks for teenagers that have already done paid and/or voluntary work, whether it's industry specific or not. A lot of the generation-y are frustratingly disillusioned into the x-factor syndrome of getting immediate results; finding an individual who understands they have to work hard for results and work his way up the ladder means they have a much better chance of fitting in with the culture of the workshop.
Of their most recent hires, MKE have taken on a 21 year old, who has always had a passion for engineering and at 21 it was his last opportunity to get on an apprenticeship scheme; a 16 year old who has only ever wanted to be a machinist, and 2 other 18 year olds who have also studied the fundamentals of engineering. MKE recognised their passions in engineering and will mentor them to become one of their next specialist repair engineers.
Apprenticeships are widely recognised now as a great way of starting your career, and as with MKE, you can expect to have all your course costs covered, and you can take the training as far as you want. If ambitious there are opportunities to rise all the way to the top, but if your passion is for hands-on engineering, then that is equally recognised and rewarded. After 4 years of training these particular 4 apprentices will follow 7 others to become full term employees of MKE with good careers ahead of them already, and at a young age.
MKE apprentices will have already attained a BTEC level 1 in engineering, and have a proven record of voluntary or paid work experience. Through the AEMT apprentice scheme individuals will complete their NVQ to level 3, their BTEC to Level 3 and this caters for the potential progression to higher qualifications such as ONCs and HNDs. Visit the AEMT Apprenticeships Webpage to learn more about the scheme.
