Newsdesk
Whale Tankers’ apprenticeship scheme goes from strength to strength
Whale Tankers is investing in the next generation of engineers as part of the company’s long-standing apprenticeship scheme, where young people are able to learn through a combination of hands-on training and academic study.
One particular success story from the Whale scheme is that of Jake Fletcher, who studied for his degree on a part-time basis following his apprenticeship scheme at Whale. Starting his journey with the company eight years ago, Jake went on to successfully complete HNC and HND qualifications. He gained valuable hands-on experience spending four years working on the shop floor, before working within the technical department and moving on to production design, where he currently works.
Jake has since gone on to obtain a first class BEng in mechanical engineering from BCU and is now striving for even greater achievements, currently studying for his masters. The master’s degree course which Jake is currently undertaking is due to take two years to complete at BCU. He has also received his Incorporated Engineer Certification from the IMechE.
“The apprenticeship scheme at Whale is fantastic because it covers a range of disciplines and you get the chance to work within a variety of departments across the business, such as production and sales” said Jake.
“I first looked at other companies for apprenticeships, but after finding out about the scheme at Whale, the exciting variety of work on offer and the combination of hands-on training and academic study, I decided this was the right scheme for me.”
Jake’s Godfather was a toolmaker, installing into him a passion for technical, hands-on working from a very young age. Like many people starting out, Jake also found the idea of being able to study while earning a living as part of an apprenticeship scheme highly appealing.
“My ambition is to be a chartered engineer because I love working on projects and the scheme at Whale has put me on the right path to ensure I can make this a reality. I’m not saying it’s easy as sometimes I’ve spent around 35-40 hours per week working on my degree part-time, and if I have a large assignment I often spend an additional 12 hours working on it during weekends”, said Jake.
On the other hand, many of Jake’s contemporaries took a different route by going straight to university and some are now experiencing problems getting employment because they do not have a high enough level of practical working experience.
Jake Fletcher
Mark Warmington, Managing Director for Whale Tankers and himself a former apprentice, commented: “At Whale we believe that we have a responsibility to bring on the next generation of skilled engineers. The development of young people is not only important for us, but also for the wider manufacturing industry moving forward into the future.
“This approach brings many benefits, such as being able to develop our own people so that not only do they gain engineering skills and expertise, but they also learn about other important areas of business. As part of the structured training programme at Whale, all apprentices spend time working in different departments so as they develop over time, they begin to appreciate and understand all of the elements that make up a successful global business like ours.
“The apprenticeship scheme here at Whale has been running for many years now and has been highly successful. Despite the recession several years ago, we have continued to invest heavily in the programme and strongly believe it is not only important for the young people involved, but also vital to the development and growth of talent for our company’s future.”
The Whale apprenticeship scheme has been operating for more than 17 years with 37 men and women successfully completing the programme within this time and a total of 14 former apprentices are still employed at Whale. The scheme is helping many young people to achieve their goals, with a large number of apprentices going on to have very successful careers within Whale and now enjoying the many benefits of undertaking an apprenticeship with the company.
Run in conjunction with IMECHE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers), Whale apprentices attend Warwickshire College to receive their formal training. The qualifications they study for include EAL Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma in Fabrication and Welding Engineering, City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Engineering, Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths, English and ICT. Apprentices are also taught related topics such as Employment Responsibilities and Rights and Personal Learning and Thinking Skills.
Potential candidates for the Whale Advanced Apprenticeship in Engineering scheme are required to possess five GCSEs or equivalent grade C and above including English, maths and a core science subject. Stage one of the application process involves an initial assessment with an interview and site visit, with stage two including a one day assessment with basic testing.
78 drain TRADER | April 2017 |
www.draintraderltd.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
