* * * * * * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH The Daily Telegraph THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010 * * * | V APPRENTICESHIPS|CAREERSIN ENGINEERING Gain industry experience and earn as you learn With university tuition fees set to rise, entering the engineering sector as an apprentice is becoming an increasingly attractive option, discovers Dan Roberts


Look to Germany, and apprenticeships are one of the key pillars of an outstanding education system. In fact, it’s difficult to get on the career ladder there if you don’t have an apprenticeship under your belt. Whether your ambition is to become a doctor’s assistant, a banker or a stained-glass worker — or to enter any of 324 recognised trades — you will need to have completed a period of training as an apprentice. Here in the UK, apprenticeships have traditionally been reserved for “craftsmen” and those in trades such as plumbing and joinery. But that is changing, particularly as university degrees become more expensive. From 2012, universities in England will be able to charge students fees of up to £9,000 a year, making a degree a costly investment compared to an apprenticeship, which is free. In fact, all employed apprentices must receive a wage of at least £95 per week, and many employers pay far more as their recruits’ skills develop. Research has found that their net pay averages £170 per week. Engineering apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly popular — and competitive — way to enter the profession. Options in the field include general engineering, engineering construction and engineering technology. And for those who want to broaden their horizons still further, there are advanced apprenticeship schemes. One example is the three-year Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme for engineers and technicians set up by Network Rail, which opens for applications in January 2011. Philip Whiteman, chief executive of Semta (the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies), is an enthusiastic supporter of vocational training. “Putting the right training in place will help the businesses in our sectors improve bottom-line profitability, and we know that investing in skills has helped many businesses survive the recent recession,” he says. Apprenticeships are not only open to


younger people. Chancellor George Osborne recently promised to “double” the number of apprenticeships available to people over 19, creating an extra 75,000 places for adults every year from 2014-15.


Although software engineers are in great demand, their numbers are in decline, a problem that is being addressed by Semta, which recently announced the development of a new National Occupational Standard for software engineers up to NVQ Level 3. The training framework is to be adopted by BAE Systems as part of its software apprentice training programme. Nigel Whitehead, the company’s group managing director of programmes and support, is proud that BAE Systems’ apprenticeship scheme recently won an “outstanding” report from Ofsted. He explains why apprentices are so prized. “We actually recruit more apprentices in a year than we do graduates,” he says. “Yet we create the most complex machines manufactured anywhere in the world.


Who’s looking for what?


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Apprentices in action: clockwise from above, track work for


Network Rail; at BAE Combat Systems; at MAN in Germany


That may sound like a contradiction in terms but the apprenticeship model is unbeatable at instilling the combination of skill and commitment one needs to produce cutting-edge technology.”


As well as the sophisticated technical


knowledge required by BAE’s engineers, Whitehead argues that more fundamental attributes, such as getting to work on time, accepting constructive criticism and working well in a team, are also vital. These qualities are instilled in the company’s apprentices from their first day of training. A former apprentice himself, Whitehead


believes that the current economic climate will encourage many would-be graduates to follow in his footsteps. “The economics for individuals have changed dramatically in the last few years. And people who are studying at university face a huge financial challenge compared with apprentices at the same stage of their lives,” he says. He points to Rachael Hoyle, chosen as UK Advanced Apprentice of the Year in 2008.


After her initial three-year apprenticeship with BAE, Hoyle is currently completing a mechanical engineering degree at Manchester Metropolitan University. The company has sponsored her degree so, unlike many of her fellow students, she has no debt, already owns a car and enjoys a good standard of living. “In practice, more people will need to follow this route given the economic challenges we are facing today,” says Whitehead. “We need to help schools, careers advisors and parents understand the benefits of apprenticeships.” These benefits have long been recognised in Germany, where companies such as MAN, a mechanical engineering specialist, recruit hundreds of young apprentices every year. “MAN offers several schemes for vocational training — our apprentices can choose from more than 30 different professions,” says Jörg Schwitalla, MAN’s chief human resources officer. “This year alone, 700 young people started their practical training with us. After completing it they will have


acquired a sound knowledge of their profession and the company.” In addition to the internal training, every apprentice in Germany also undertakes studies at a vocational college, to ensure that the apprenticeships are comparable, independently of the company that employs them. Most MAN apprentices arrive straight from school before going on to complete three-and-a-half years of training at a plant, a dedicated training centre or at a customer service location in Germany or abroad. Around 20 per cent combine dual- qualification training with university study. Schwitalla is convinced that this system benefits not only the budding engineers, but also his company and the country as a whole. “Germany is one of the biggest industrial export nations in the world, and this is not by chance,” he says. “Companies and politicians are well aware of the importance of training young, talented people to ensure the competitiveness of our country in the international marketplace.”


» NUCLEAR TRAINEE ANDREW BENN, 20


“I joined BAE Systems after sixth-form college, when I was 18. I have A-levels in maths, information and communications technologies, accounting and general studies but I decided against university and became a business trainee instead. I am now studying for an engineering degree and am on a Higher Apprenticeship scheme, run by Semta. As part of that I will complete a Level 4 management-level NVQ and a work placement tailored around the NVQ topics. “I am based in Barrow, Cumbria, but because BAE Systems is a worldwide company, the opportunities are endless. I hope to carry on my education and develop the relevant competencies in the workplace to allow me to become a chartered engineer. “Business trainees start on a salary of £15,000 a year, with six-monthly pay rises of up to £900 based on performance. When I finish my degree I will have six years’ industry experience, and, unlike many other graduates, zero debt. I would advise anyone to grab this type of opportunity with both hands.”


MECHANIC MARCEL TRAPPE, 20


» INDUSTRIAL


“I joined MAN in Munich, Germany, at the age of 17, immediately after high school. My job involves maintenance, tool-making and the production of axles. The apprenticeship scheme has really helped me, because first I was taught the basic engineering skills, then I was moved to a specialist team. I now earn around €10,000 a year. “The teaching was excellent and gave me far-reaching knowledge of many different topics, especially manufacturing the high-quality products we make, which are used throughout the world. I think my apprenticeship has provided me with a solid start for a successful future in business, both because of the excellent education I have received and the practical engineering skills I have learned.


“One day I hope to lead a ‘fraction’ — a team of about 30 workers overseen by a conductor, who is a technical specialist. For example, our fraction specialises in producing axles. MAN is an extremely successful company and there are plenty of opportunities for promotion, so I am very optimistic about my future.”


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COMPANY AMEC


Advance Resource Managers (ARM) BAE Systems Boeing UK


Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) Cummins Ltd


Engineering Council (EngC) G.P. Zachariades Overseas Ltd GE Aviation Engine Services General Dynamics


The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) JC Bamford Excavators (JCB) Jacobs


Jaguar Land Rover


Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Mercury Engineering Messier-Dowty Network Rail


P&H MinePro Services Canada Royal Navy and Royal Marines RSA


Sharp Laboratories of Europe TARGETjobs


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