The Apprentice - You're hired!
Boosting the uptake of engineering apprenticeships seems to be the core motivation behind one long-standing school challenge in North Lincolnshire. In this case though, there’s absolutely no sign of Sir Alan Sugar.
It’s now ten years since the Year 9 Engineering Challenge was created for North Lincolnshire schools. Suggestions for the annual event germinate each year from the same place: a focus group made up of 12 local stakeholders – including representatives from one of the biggest local employers, the area’s local authority office, and the North Lincolnshire Education Business Partnership.
‘The real purpose is to encourage year 9s to think seriously about taking on an engineering apprenticeship when they leave school,’ say Stuart Bontoft, Systems QA and Environmental Engineer with local employers, Corus. ‘We all need to encourage young people,’ he adds. ‘In fact, this kind of activity is vital to industries in areas like ours.’
As an engineering company, Stuart explains that attracting young people is hugely important to the future of their industry. This fact became particularly clear during a ten-year gap when Corus didn’t offer apprenticeships to local youngsters. ‘People started retiring, and knowledge was leaving rather than developing,’ he says.
The company restarted their apprenticeship programme in 2004. And, since working with young people through outreach activities, local interest in engineering and the company has increased. So much so, the business now takes on over a hundred apprentices every year.
Real-life experience
Currently, 11 out of 13 North Lincolnshire schools put teams forward for the Year 9 Engineering challenge, which takes place at a further education college each March. Teams must be mixed gender – three boys and three girls – and each gets to work with an industry-experienced engineer to develop a solution to a real-life engineering problem.
On 19 March 2008, the scenario was about toxic waste found near a river. With the Environmental Agency stressing that this waste had to be made safe, those taking part had to show creativity around transportation: designing hoppers, lifting the material through heights and different angles, and building chutes and conveyor systems.
‘The challenges are always inspired by situations that could come up in real life,’ says Stuart. ‘It means there’s some weight behind what’s being done. It’s similar to our view about student work placements. They get stuck into the proper work, and this gives them a real idea what it’s all about.’
Challenging an image
Though Corus counts as the largest workforce for miles around, Stuart says most young people he speaks to don’t know what the company does. Equally, they have no idea what jobs like fitting and welding involve on a day-to-day basis. ‘Careers advice for school children is not always that strong. Many young people think that engineering is a dirty job. They are surprised when I arrive at their school in a shirt and tie.’
Stuart is pleased that he gets to meet pupils as early as primary school now. ‘We found out that year 10 was too late really,’ he says. ‘We need to speak to year 5s and 6s, actually. We can then follow them up later. The payback is finding out that someone’s interest has remained over the years.’
Going back to apprenticeships though, Stuart reiterates their importance. ‘We were all time-served apprentices at one stage. So we like to encourage people to get into engineering this way rather than through university and debt. It doesn’t cost apprentices a penny, as they are released on full pay to get their degree. On the graduate programme you’re guaranteed a job too.’
Stuart and the North Lincolnshire focus group are hoping to encourage other industries to get involved in their activities. Those who have already shown their support include British Petroleum (BP), the Territorial Army (TA) and the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows team. The group also works closely with Jive, a national partnership led by the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology.
