In-Comm Training, which operates three Technical Academies in Aldridge, Telford and Shrewsbury, has seen a massive surge in the number of companies investing in vocational learning and currently has 201 vacancies available - the most at any time in its 40-year history.
This means there are lots of ready-made career opportunities for students receiving their A-level and GCSE grades, but unfortunately the news is getting lost or a lack of informed career advice is resulting in young people taking the ‘perceived easier option’ and opting for a course that later blocks them from obtaining their desired apprenticeship.
In order to help reverse this trend, the company has launched a dedicated hotline (01922 457686, option 3) to guide young pupils/students and their families through the different choices and how vocational learning can now lead all the way to a degree without the £100,000 debt associated with going to university.
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen such an appetite to invest in apprenticeships in the West Midlands, with nearly 80 different companies, across 20 sectors, currently working with us to find their workforce of the future,” explained Gareth Jones, Managing Director of In-Comm Training.
“This is great news on one hand, as it means we have over 200 immediate vacancies across 20 different apprentice pathways, including in Product Design, Mechatronics, Electrotechnical, Toolmaking, Machining, Quality, Production, Engineering Technician, Health, Safety & Environmental, Business Admin and Logistics.
“Thanks to our unrivalled employer-led network, we have already filled 300+ positions, yet industry is desperate for more talent in order to grow sustainably.”
He continued: “Worryingly, we have started to see the pipeline of candidates dry up and we’re putting this down to young people looking to take the simple route after Covid-19 and a lack of informed career advice on the different options out there.
“What this means is that students are choosing to take up full-time classroom-based technical qualifications that can later block them from obtaining their desired apprenticeship due to complex funding rules, leaving them with some knowledge but no real experience or competency.
“In reality, hundreds of pupils/students are missing out on the chance to get world class technical training and hands-on work experience that guarantees jobs and rewarding careers. Our helpline will hopefully help give people the complete picture.”
Established in 1982, In-Comm Training is one of the UK’s leading training providers, supporting more than 250 companies and training thousands of individuals every year.
The business will staff its dedicated helpline with four experts during working hours, with enquiries out of this time being responded to via email or social media.
Gareth concluded: “Getting your results is a very exciting, but also a nervous time for young people and families.
“We want to try to take away some of their concerns and the confusion that exists around different career paths, providing unbiased advice and providing exposure to the opportunities available within engineering and manufacturing. This will help people make educated career choices.
“Gaining your A-levels is a great starting position for starting a higher-level apprenticeship and, with 201 places currently available, there’s no better time to consider vocational learning.”
| Case Study:
Britney Biju (pictured) is one budding engineer that has her sights set on an astronomical career after deciding to go down the apprenticeship route. The former pupil of St Francis of Assisi Catholic Technology College is completing her Engineering Apprenticeship with Collins Aerospace at In-Comm Training’s Telford academy and has big ambitions for the future – including achieving a Master’s Degree and, longer-term, being involved in making components for space exploration. She is currently 12 months into a four-year course that will equip her with the fundamental engineering skills and the technical competencies required to make an immediate impact for her employer, which is one of the world’s leading suppliers to the aerospace and defence sectors. “I think a lot of young people don’t realise how big the opportunity is with an apprenticeship,” explained Britney. “We have had it drummed into us that if we don’t get the grades, we go down the vocational learning route, where if we do well it’s straight to university. This didn’t really suit what I wanted to do and when I found out I could still progress to a degree through an apprenticeship I jumped at the opportunity. “I’m getting world-class technical training and applying it to real-time manufacturing scenarios, that type of experience you simply can’t get in the classroom. By the end of the four years, I’ll also know exactly what the working environment is like and how to deal with ‘actual’ pressures and deadlines.” She concluded: “This should make the transition from learning into a full-time job much easier. I’d definitely recommend apprenticeships to anyone and I certainly would encourage more girls to get involved in engineering and manufacturing.” |
