Explains divisional manager for automation systems Roger Payne: “There is no denying that there is a skills gap in the current 35-45 age bracket when it comes to engineering and electronics, however there was much done from the mid-90s onwards to re-engage people with a bias towards technical subjects – and there are currently some good government backed apprenticeship and vocational learning opportunities out there. So, it wasn’t the lack of technical knowledge in the younger generation that drove the need for the DLTA to be set-up in the first place, it was a combination of sales acumen and technical ability that we needed.
“We decided to go it alone because we realised that being a good sales engineer or application engineer requires a special mix of talents, education and experience - and no one single course at colleges or universities seemed to offer that combination of learning in their syllabuses. So, we set about starting a training academy and called it the DLTA with an obvious play on the company brand logo.”
The first intake was the class of 2015 and now after three years of intake, the firm has learned a lot as a company, as an employer, and as a training provider.
Says Payne: “This includes some unexpected bonuses, for example we hadn’t predicted how much each year group (the initial course lasts for two years) would talk to each other as a team, support each other and share experiences between themselves. We have inadvertently started an alumni group forming a legacy of positive improvement within the business and our personnel.
“Our experienced employees who have become mentors initially saw the task as a burden, then they realised their understudies were very capable and quickly became a valued resource. When targets were introduced in the second year, healthy competition started which proved motivational. The main reward for the managers, mentors and trainers however is genuine pride in the achievement of the people they have brought on.”
Payne explains that the intake criteria are orientated around graduates but we are not prescriptive and age was defiantly not a barrier.
“We have received successful candidates straight from education, after a year out, from industry and the military, so it’s a broad mix. The common thread between our recruits is motivation and a great raw skill-set. I say that because we have helped with accommodation, travel, even extended driving lessons to enable the right candidates to participate.”
The intake requirements for each year of the DLTA are advertised by Mitsubishi Electric and by training partner BMS. There is a formal and an informal aspect to the application process and all potential candidates are advised to get involved and talk to the teams involved as a first step.
