An update from Matthew Bastock

Summer is always a busy time for MTC Apprenticeships, our autumn cohort has settled into life at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre and we’re in the swing of looking for the next batch of young minds to mould.

Our 2018 intake of 84 first-year apprentices join our second years to bring our learner total to more than 120. 40 per cent more than 12 months ago, and a fantastic step forwards for our Apprenticeship Programme.

We have also welcomed the highest number of female learners since the programme began in 2014, with 11 female apprentices enrolled from September; a positive sign and testament to the work of the MTC Apprenticeships team in boosting engagement through recruitment events and school and college visits.

But we’re not stopping there. Earlier this year we set a target to more than treble our apprentice intake over the next two years, with the aim of training 300 apprentices every year by 2020.

As part of this, we are expanding our Employer Partner initiative, which provides placement opportunities for MTC apprentices during their second and third year of study.

The MTC is offering manufacturers the chance to use their Apprenticeship Levy to fund engineering apprentices who will get training in product design and development, including the latest emerging manufacturing technologies.

As an Employer Partner of the MTC, your organisation will directly benefit from the industry-leading training, comprehensive study programme and access to state-of-the art facilities that every one of our learners receives on our Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Programme.

Whether you are a levy-paying or non-levy paying organisation, we will work with you to select the best candidate to meet your requirements and provide you with someone who already has industry-relevant skills and experience, so that they can have a positive impact on your business from the start.

Please get in touch with the MTC Apprenticeships team if you’d like to discuss joining our Employer Partner scheme on 02476 701 554 or email employers@the-mtc.org.