Michael Orlik and his sons Anthony and Phillip backed the funding, providing £25,000 to the Training Manufacturing Group’s charitable fund – in honour of their wife and mother Susan.
Susan Orlik was an advocate for providing young people with an education and a good employment starting point. Thanks to this funding, apprenticeships provider, In-Comm Training, can increase the reach of its programme.
Expanding Access to Vocational Learning
The company has now been able to enlist five additional schools to participate in a mix of STEM workshops, apprenticeship taster days, pre-apprenticeship courses and F1 in Schools programme.
“My wife Susan had a fantastic career in education and always shared a desire to give young people - who have often faced challenges early in their lives - a chance to have the best possible career they could,” said Michael Orlik.
Making a Positive Impact on Young People
“This is what inspired my sons and I to explore the possibility of backing the STEM Engagement Fund in her memory, after she sadly passed away from cancer in 2022. The world can be a difficult place for 14 to 16-year-olds in the Black Country and Birmingham, and if we can make a positive difference, in some small way, then that would be the best possible legacy for Susan.”
He said: “We wanted to focus on apprenticeships and, in particular engineering and manufacturing. The region used to be such a global force of industry and, if we are going to compete internationally again, we need young talent coming through, yet many school pupils never consider a career in this field.
Providing New Career Opportunities for the Future
“The larger STEM Engagement Fund will hopefully change that. We’ll give them a taste of what skills you need, what the career path looks like and then there will be more in-depth practical days and the chance to talk to current apprenticeships…’warts and all’. The idea is that we get at least 30 more apprentices signed up every year.”
Each of the core five schools will experience £4000 worth of support, starting with either an F1 in Schools programme or a full STEM workshop involving a minimum of 120 pupils.
Supporting Local Communities and Creating Future Leaders
Leanne Mee, STEM Engagement Lead at In-Comm Training, said: “The Orlik family have opened a possible career in engineering and manufacturing to another 2000 young people with their generosity.
“It will make such a difference to pupils across the Black Country and Birmingham and will no doubt create some of the industrial leaders of the future.”
She said: “The scheme, which was facilitated by former Metsec plc MD Steve Tilsley, is working well, with the additional funding helping In-Comm reach even more young people, giving them access to a world-class technical academy and more than 30 tutors who have significant experience and skills in this sector.
“The first workshop was an F1 in Schools Launch Day that took place at Joseph Leckie Academy on January 28th. It was a great start and an insight into what we are hoping to achieve.”
