New apprentices at Adi Group receive practical training in a real-world environment.
Although A-levels remain the traditional route taken for post-16 education, there are alternatives that students can consider. In fact, research from NotGoingToUni has suggested that people tend to be happier in their jobs after completing an apprenticeship instead of a degree.
Furthermore, choosing to do an apprenticeship straight out of school provides students with an income whilst they learn, and the opportunity to avoid student debt which now reaches more than £44,000 on average, a clear indication that engineering is indeed a viable and sustainable profession.
Adi Group aims to spread this message and encourage more young people to enter the engineering sector and help plug the UK skills gap.
Alan Lusty, chief executive of Adi Group, commented: “The job market for engineers has received a lot of attention lately, whether it be the skills shortage or questions about the future of STEM professions, but the truth is that engineering continues to be a viable and in-demand line of work. Those in engineering can expect good salaries and job opportunities well into the future and a hands-on, practical apprenticeship is the ideal way to break into the field.
“Engineering is a career that offers immense gratification along with concrete economic benefits. Engineers are the driving force behind innovation and few jobs have such a direct role in defining and sustaining the way we live. It’s a highly skilled, highly rewarding career and yet there’s still a sense that engineering is one of the less prestigious professions out there.”
Ex-apprentice and now full-time member of staff, Nyron Howell, added: “I was grateful to be given the opportunity to work for the company as I enjoyed my placement and that they believed in me. My placement benefited me as I now realise that I have more capabilities to push myself into more fields of work.”
Stepping-stone opportunities like Adi’s apprenticeship schemes are paramount to ensuring there are no gaps in the future workforce, by introducing young people to the world of engineering at an early age.
Last year, Adi Group launched the UK’s first pre-apprenticeship scheme, providing 14-16-year olds in the local area with practical training in a real-world environment. One year on, and the Group demonstrates the scheme’s success by selecting students for its 2017 intake, taking the total number on the scheme to 24.