Bridging a skills gap in the process sector

The TTE Technical Training Group has joined forces with five Tees Valley companies to strike a blow against the skills shortage in the chemical and process industries in the area

The TTE Technical Training Group has joined forces with five Tees Valley companies to strike a blow against the skills shortage in the Chemical and Process industries.

TTE devised a special fast-track training programme in response to the growing skills gaps in the sectors, which has led to nine Apprentices receiving sponsorship from local employers to complete their training.

The sponsoring companies are: Conoco Philips; Artenius; Terra; Dow (Wilton); Sembcorp.

It has been reported that, by 2014, the process sector will be facing a skills deficit of 20,000 workers in the North East.

This new programme was introduced in January 2007 to help ease the looming crisis facing the industry and it is hoped it will become a regular part of the TTE portfolio of Apprenticeship programmes, if suitable sponsorship for students can be secured from employers.

The students spent just under a year gaining important practical engineering skills together with respected NVQ Level 2 qualifications and a technical certificate at the TTE Centre of Vocational Excellence in South Bank, Middlesbrough.

During the programme, TTE invited employers to interview the students with the aim of securing sponsorship for the Apprentices.

Trainees then spend two years on-site gaining invaluable practical experience as part of their sponsoring employers workforce.

Their progress is also assessed by TTE trainers and their work onsite goes towards achieving NVQ Level 3 and the completion of the Advanced Apprenticeship framework.

Keith Leslie, Apprenticeship Business Director at the TTE Technical Training Group, said: "It is unusual for TTE to introduce an unsponsored fast-track programme.

However, the skills gap in the North East chemical and process industries is a very real problem and, with the support of employers, programmes like this can start to have an impact on the shortage.

"We have been encouraged by the response from the employers who have provided sponsorship for this first group of students.

They have identified Advanced Apprenticeships as a route to investing in their future workforces and I hope that others follow their lead to allow TTE to increase the number of students taking part in future programmes.

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