Meet the Team – Andrew Charlesworth

Andrew joined our team as Business Development Manager in late 2021, having focused on the national delivery of degree apprenticeships in his previous role with a blended learning specialist. He is already working closely with our existing and prospective employer partners to help them to future-proof their workforces.

We talked to him about what he’s enjoying most about his new position, why the focus on future skills is so essential for British advanced manufacturing, and what makes apprenticeships such a great development option for both employers and learners.

 

What is your role at MTC Apprenticeships?

I’m the Business Development Manager for the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC) in Coventry. I’m working closely with our Regional Manager, Colin Bancroft, in supporting larger employers to use their apprenticeship levy, and helping smaller employers to access the available funding incentives in order to secure new engineering apprentices within their workforces. I’ll be focusing both on new business development, as well as looking after our existing key employer partners with their apprentice intakes.

 

What do you enjoy most about your role / working at MTC Apprenticeships?

One of the reasons I do what I do is because I enjoy interacting and working with lots of different people. I’m very lucky that I’ve already met and am working with some fantastic colleagues and customers, and whilst doing that of course I’m also increasing my expertise and learning from their vast experience to develop my own career. It’s a great team to be part of.

 

Why is MTC Apprenticeships so important for local businesses?

The manufacturing sector is facing a number of key issues, and has been for the past five to ten years. It’s not just COVID, although the pandemic is clearly having additional impact, but statistics show that Britain’s absorptive capacity is lower than other manufacturing nations. We need to fill the skills gaps that we’re currently experiencing to enable Britain to compete on a global level, through learning and development solutions, including apprenticeships. We need to upskill and reskill the current manufacturing workforce, as well as creating the next generation of advanced manufacturers, to secure the sector’s future capability. Employers are struggling to fill STEM related vacancies, and we can help.

 

How is MTC Apprenticeships different from other training centres / providers?

We work very closely with our parent company, the MTC, to support manufacturing and engineering businesses of all sizes to access the exciting research and development that’s going on in the advanced manufacturing technologies that are so important for local business to continue their growth. We’re continually instilling the same approach in our apprenticeship programmes to create a future-proof workforce, ensuring that our learners are exposed to the new ways of working that will help their employers to accelerate innovation within the industrial setting.

 

In your opinion, what are the benefits of choosing an apprenticeship?

For employers, the introduction of the apprenticeship levy funding allows larger employers to utilise various funding incentives to develop their workforce. It’s a great opportunity for businesses to directly address skills shortages that are affecting them in the workplace.

For apprentices, we live in an increasingly technical world, where traditional ways of getting into the workplace are necessarily applicable. Apprenticeships are a traditional way of getting valued work experience and qualifications but with a twist: with our apprenticeship programme, learners also get an opportunity to develop the manufacturing skills of tomorrow.

 

Why should someone choose to study with MTC Apprenticeships?

Our training centres are fantastic places to study. You’ll have an opportunity to meet and work with some brilliant tutors, mentors and peers. The programme will support you to develop yourself professionally, academically and personally, and at the same time you’ll gain the accreditations and qualifications that employers want, and you’ll earn while you learn!