In February 2012 Bentley Motors submitted evidence to a government committee on the future of apprenticeships. The luxury car manufacturer was already seen as one of the best, having been named the North West Apprenticeship Employer of the Year at the 2010 National Training Awards.
But some of the answers given in that evidence convey a frustration with the way apprenticeships were administered. “We believe that the overall quality of apprenticeships is good but that there is always room for improvement,” the submission read. “In particular, we would like to see the frameworks for apprenticeship programmes reviewed and improved so they are more flexible for business requirements. A modular system where apprentices could ‘pick and mix’ their training would help meet our business needs better.”
In the end Bentley didn’t wait for the government to act on their recommendations. It oversaw a complete overhaul of its training programme that led to 139 new trainees starting in 2015, the biggest intake in the company’s history.
Tom Russell, Bentley Motors senior development officer – Future Talent, explains some of the motivations behind the changes.
“The old scheme produced excellent apprentices. But not having that central focus, and continuing to rely on individual managers as sponsors, would have likely led to a dilution in quality in the future. In order to maintain the high quality, alongside the rise in numbers, it was felt a new approach was required.”
The biggest change was the unveiling of a dedicated training facility at South Cheshire College in September 2014. This contained workshops that mirrored those on the Bentley shopfloor, so that even in the first year the apprentices got a feel for Bentley’s working processes.
In any business, desire for change is fuelled by more than burning altruism. In Bentley’s case the catalyst was the company producing an SUV for the first time. The Bentayga model first started to roll off the commercial production line in November 2015 and there will be up to 4,000 produced annually.
This production pressure led to Bentley focusing on the skills it so urgently needs. Subsequently, apart from a first year programme in which apprentices spend up to 80% of their time in classrooms at South Cheshire College, they are largely deployed around the factory to learn the skills that will keep the production lines moving.
Russell explains: “With the Bentayga coming out we were really looking at what we’d need in the future. So to help to fill skills gaps, apprentices are fully prepared for a role in a wide range of areas within a certain department – be this trim, woodshop, assembly and engine, paintshop or in the maintenance teams.”
On the surface, the course doesn’t look hugely different to what was in place before. It is made up of advanced apprenticeships in production and technical skills, as well as higher apprenticeships in junior engineering and higher commercial skills. All four involve completing NVQ Level 2 and 3 qualifications with a technical course in a related subject. As with most modern programmes, it is split into 30% classroom learning and 70% on the shopfloor.
In the new model, the majority of the classroom learning is completed by the end of the first year so that by year two the apprentices are immersed completely in the experience of the production line. The course can last three or four years, depending on the bespoke timing plan worked out with every apprentice.
From student to master
The company needs trainers who know the products inside out to produce apprentices adept enough to work on Bentley’s new and old models as soon as possible. With this in mind, the manufacturer introduced the role of master trainer. Master trainers are all recruited internally, taken off the production line and re-skilled as full-time trainers. There are five at the Crewe plant and they are personally responsible for between 10 and 20 apprentices at any given time.
“Basically we’re responsible for the apprentices in specific areas; for me it’s the wood shop,” explains master trainer, Paul Fisher. “Overall it’s a dual-educational system. We do some teaching in college and then we migrate them more into the workplace as we get through the programme. It’s a three-year programme and in the last year they’ll be in the factory five days a week. So for this role you’ve got to have your foot in both camps”.
One of the most significant features of the master trainers is that several of them were once Bentley apprentices themselves. Eventually the plan is for every single one to be from a former apprenticeship intake; in theory making the programme self-sustaining. Russell believes that even at this early stage they’re not far off reaching that goal.
“The gold-plated solution is that an apprentice now is a master trainer in 20 years’ time. That’s the ultimate judgement, I guess,” he says.
Manufacturer, help thyself
This works well for Bentley, but realistically it’s not an approach many firms can hope to emulate. Very few can afford to take full-time workers off the production line and pay them as full-time trainers.
Everyone needs to keep skills pipelines flowing and production lines moving if they’re to have a future in the industry. But worryingly, a November 2015 report by the Automotive Council report placed the UK 14 out of the top EU nations for students graduating from engineering, manufacturing and construction courses. And with 100,000 skilled workers leaving after the 2008 financial crash, with few returning, the skills gap is as pronounced as in any other industry.
The government trying to help. In 2013 the coalition announced an investment of £500m, matched by the industry itself, in the Automotive Propulsion Centre. Government claims the project will lead to 7,600 new apprenticeships and secure 30,000 jobs over five years, giving the industry some much-needed pulling power for STEM students.
But some, like Made in the Midlands president Christopher Greenough, believe British manufactures have become too reliant on the government and must start helping themselves.
He says: “First of all, we need industry to continue to innovate, grow, create jobs and continue this desire to invest in generating staff, now and in the future. This will create the demand and hopefully position industry as a viable career.” Greenough adds. “Next we need our schools and colleges to talk about manufacturing as a fantastic opportunity and spend time getting to know what 21st century engineering actually looks like.”
Some say it is up to those like Bentley, who are winning the battle, to pull others along with them. Pleasingly, Russell agrees and the company is taking steps to help the wider industry.
“When you’ve got a good programme where there’s obvious takeaways and cross-overs that other people can benefit from, it’s massively important that you talk about it,” he says. “There are some good forums, and, on a slightly higher level, national working groups that meet every couple of months – they do a lot of good. When we can take the best parts of the various programmes to help each other it’s vital that we do.”
With the wider automotive industry struggling to attract the talent it needs, it’s good to see the marquee brands willing to help others. Whether you believe the government is doing enough or not, ultimately employers in the sector need to help themselves to fill skills gaps. Speaking to Tom Russell and Bentley, you get the sense they are doing just that.
