TTE recruits record number of apprentices

The TTE Technical Training Group has this month welcomed a record number of young people on to its apprenticeship programmes, with around 200 students, mainly from the Tees Valley area

The TTE Technical Training Group has this month welcomed a record number of young people on to its apprenticeship programmes.

Around 200 students, mainly from the Tees Valley area, have taken their first steps on the career ladder by joining one of eight apprenticeship programmes run by the TTE Technical Training Group - the UK's largest employer-led technical training provider.

One of the most successful programmes has been the Tees Valley Production Technician Studentship, which has attracted 30 apprentices, aged 16 to 18, following a comprehensive recruitment campaign in schools, colleges and in the regional media.

This is a two-year course, followed by a further two years with the student's sponsor company, and the apprentices receive around GBP50 a week from their first year.

Keith Lilley, the TTE educational links co-ordinator for 14 to 19-year-olds, said: "This is a particularly satisfying result.

In the pilot year we recruited just 12 students, to attract 30 young people this time around is significant in that it means we are finally reaching the quality of young people that we originally identified for this exclusive programme".

Also pleasing is that included in this group of academic high achievers are four young women - another record figure.

"We are trying everything we can to attract more females into engineering; it's a continuing agenda of ours and we have women trainers and managers here who act as good role models to encourage more girls to consider a career in this field," said Keith.

He added that female apprentices performed very well on the programmes.

"They tend to be conscientious and very well focused.

They realise they are coming into a predominantly male environment and I think because of that they tend to apply themselves really well".

There are also two young women on the Student Engineering Programme, which pulled in the largest amount of students - 120 who are aged between 16 and 17.

The newly developed Corus Manufacturing Technician Programme has welcomed 24 apprentices and the same number have started the ECITB National Apprenticeship Scheme for Engineering Construction, which takes residential students from outside the region.

Twenty young people have joined the sector skills council OPITO programme and five locals were recruited to the Young Scientist Programme.

All of the courses are based at the TTE Centre of Vocational Excellence at Edison House in South Bank, Middlesbrough, which is run in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland College.

The centre provides young people with vital skills and qualifications to prepare them for careers in industry, offering a mix of practical training and academic education.

"This is a fantastic facility and a great working environment," said Keith: "There has been a skills shortage for a long time and because of this apprenticeship schemes are becoming more popular again with companies interested in recruiting to regenerate the skilled workforce.

A company can select a student from a TTE programme and take a look at his or her record to see how well the student has performed and this way it's a pretty safe bet they will get the right person for the job.

Last year's students did particularly well, achieving excellent results, and we are confident this year's bumper intake will enjoy similar success, even better".

Keith Leslie, TTE Apprenticeship Training Director said: "The recruitment figures are very encouraging and demonstrate the growing awareness of the apprenticeship route among young people.

The figures are also testament to the work of our recruitment teams whose developing relationships with schools, colleges and parents are strengthening the viability of apprenticeships as an effective and worthwhile learning option, with strong subsequent career opportunities.".

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