Engineering solutions company, adi Group, has selected its latest round of students for its pioneering pre-apprenticeship scheme for 14-16 year olds, taking the total number of students on the scheme to 24.

Launched in September 2016, the adi Group pre-apprenticeship programme is the first of its kind in the UK, providing 14-16-year olds in the local area with practical training in a real-world environment.

Twelve Year 10 pupils from North Bromsgrove High School are set to join the scheme this September, spending half a day per week in a live workshop at adi’s headquarters in Birmingham as part of their EAL Level 1 Engineering and Manufacturing qualification.

Having completed an application, the students were then short-listed before being interviewed for the 12 places. The successful candidates will learn the practical, hands-on skills needed to carve a career in either mechanical or electrical engineering. These skills are taught by the Group’s highly-qualified engineers and include welding, basic wiring, health and safety and reading technical drawings.

The Group established the scheme with the aim of introducing young people to the world of engineering at an early age, to give them a head start towards a hands-on career. Earlier this year, adi Group made the pre-apprenticeship model available free of charge for any employer or school that wishes to replicate an existing scheme, in a bid to combat the widening skills gap.

Alan Lusty, chief executive at adi Group, commented: “I myself started out as an engineering apprentice, so I have experienced first-hand the benefits of such schemes. The UK is known for its world-class engineering, and we as a company are committed to inspiring the next generation of hands-on engineers in order to help address the skills gap.

“Recent figures from the Industry Apprentice Council (IAC) highlighting the lack of apprenticeships have raised an important issue, and one that both employers and educators need to tackle head on in order to bring about positive change.”

For those interested in adopting the pre-apprenticeship model within their own business, an information pack – Inspiring the Workforce of Tomorrow – is available to download for free.