Apprentice loan scheme at Westley Engineering
1 min read
Contract pressings, pressed tools and CNC specialist Westley Engineering reckons it has devised a new take on apprenticeships by 'loaning' out their young people to like-minded firms to round off their training.
Located in a state-of-the-art factory in Aston, Birmingham, the company has already joined forces with Reddich-based Peterson Spring and fellow Midlands Assembly Network (MAN) members Barkley Plastics and Brandauer to kick-start the project and is looking to invite more businesses to take part.
The concept involves the apprentice – working towards the national qualification – being given the opportunity to spend time (usually a month) at one of the other manufacturers, thus providing greater experience in more disciplines of engineering and a more diverse understanding of how different companies and industries work.
Westley says benefits to the employer include better motivated young people, wider skills and the potential sharing of best practice training and manufacturing principles between the quartet currently involved.
Gerry Dunne, managing director at Westley, said firms were often quick to moan about education letting them down and irrelevant training schemes.
"We preferred to take a more pro-active approach and do something about it ourselves. The national Apprenticeship Scheme is a great starting point, but we felt we could enhance it further by working in partnership with firms who share similar values to ourselves, but could offer different work placements.
"It's simply a case of Apprentice exchange. They continue to do their college work and learn on-the-job with the employer and this grounding is improved by doing placements at companies that can teach them new skills and techniques."
Westley Engineering already has two toolmaking apprentices – Rhys Griffiths and George Hanson – participating in on-site training at the EEF and will shortly be gaining injection moulding experience at Barkley Plastics.
Heading in the other direction will be apprentices Daniel Trimble, Dave Timmons and Thomas Taylor.
Pictured from left are: Rhys Griffiths, Gerry Dunne (both Westley Engineering), Matt Powell, Thomas Taylor (both Barkley Plastics) and George Hanson (Westley Engineering).
