Work placements engineer business success

Published: 11th October 2018

By Geoff Ford MBE, chairman of Ford Engineering

The power of providing a young person with a quality work placement is something that cannot be underestimated. They not only help young people climb onto the first rung of the career ladder but those companies that offer these opportunities put themselves in a better position to hire people with the skills that will keep their business ahead of the competition.

That’s why I’m urging more engineering employers to provide these opportunities for young people. They can do this by getting involved in the Ford Engineering Academy, our six-month programme, which we run in partnership with Gateshead College to equip young people with the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to start an apprenticeship in this sector.

As part of the academy, a young person gets a unique opportunity to work in a company for four weeks, gaining valuable experience of a real-life engineering environment.

Ultimately, our programme gives companies a chance to vet prospective employees and hire the brightest young talent who impress during the placement, if they have a vacancy available.

I understand that some organisations may be concerned that a young, inexperienced student could be a drain on resources. However, in my experience, that’s just not the case. It’s a great opportunity for your existing team to act as mentors and an ideal chance to spot fresh talent for when you’re ready to recruit. Indeed, some of the people who we’ve had on placement have become valued members of our team – proof enough that this approach works.

For more information on how your organisation can get involved, please join me at our next Ford Engineering Academy event on Tuesday 16th October, 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

http://www.gateshead.ac.uk/events/ford-engineering-employers-event/ – Full details can be found here