Dudley College of Technology

Award-winning Lander Automotive continues apprenticeship drive

Dudley College of Technology — 14/01/2021

Working in collaboration with Dudley College of Technology, Lander Automotive provides an award-winning apprenticeship programme, giving those with a passion for manufacturing the formal training and hands-on experience necessary to kick-start a fantastic career in the industry.

The company, which is a major first-tier supplier of fluid and air transport pipes, tubular fabrications and interior trim assemblies to the global automotive industry, is committed to investing in skills at every level.

Headquartered in Birmingham, Lander develops most of its workforce’s skills in-house with its apprenticeships scheme at the heart of its desire to develop and educate the next generation of engineers and designers. Since July 2016, the company has recruited 99 apprentices, they’re now looking to recruit another 100 over the next 18 months: an equivalent increase in the number of on-site apprentices of 100%.

The apprenticeship programme has resulted in them being crowned SME Employer of the Year at the Government’s National Apprenticeship Awards in 2017, Large Employer of the Year in the West Midlands at the Government’s National Apprenticeship Awards in 2019 and being placed 14th in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer list, 2020.

Anita Davenport-Brooks, People, Culture & Compliance Manager, Lander Automotive, recognises the significant contribution apprentices make to the business: “The value of apprentices is fantastic – they are the future of the industry. Many stay with us after their apprenticeship has finished, and those who leave have gained qualifications and experience to give their career a great start.”

Hiring an apprentice is an effective way to grow talent and develop a skilled, motivated and qualified workforce. It enables:

Enhanced productivity: apprenticeships contribute an estimated gross productivity gain of £2.4 billion to the UK economy (CEBR). On a weekly basis, a typical apprenticeship completer is understood to raise business productivity by £214 per week (NTfW) with the highest productivity increases being seen in the engineering and manufacturing sector (£414 a week)
Improved staff retention: employing an apprentice provides your company with the internal skillsets required for the future reducing the need to recruit externally

Dudley College of Technology is one of the country's largest apprenticeship providers. With achievement rates well above national averages, it places employers at the heart of its education offering.

Iain Cole, Senior Employer Engagement Manager - Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, Dudley College: “Through our strong, long-standing partnership with Lander Automotive we’re able to continually deliver fantastic apprentices into the manufacturing sector through our bespoke programme.”

This is just one of many instances where the College has supported businesses in developing their higher-level skills requirements. The success of this programme has led to further innovation within the College - it’s new Engineering & Manufacturing Academy will help to identify young, talented engineers and help to bridge the skills gap for employers across the region. Moreover, its engineering provision has been strengthened with the opening of Dudley Advance I and II and the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology, opening in September 2021, will provide companies with access to a highly-skilled workforce across critical transformational sectors for the regional economy as well as state-of-the-art skills training facilities.

Made Futures was created to encourage people to get jobs in manufacturing, in support of those who have lost their jobs over the course of the 2020 pandemic. There's still time to sign up and be part of the exhibition by filling in the form here.

The Apprenticeship Levy begins in May - are you ready?

Dudley College of Technology — 02/02/2017

Are you a UK employer with an annual pay bill over £3m? If so, you must pay the new Apprenticeship Levy that begins in May 2017. We can guide you through the complexities of the changes and help you to plan your Apprenticeship programme ahead of the changes. Apprenticeship levy

If you do not pay the levy (i.e. you have a payroll of less than £3m), the Government have introduced a new ruling from 1^st April 2017. The ruling will mean that your business will have to contribute 10% of the full value of Apprenticeship funding for each apprentice you train. If you act now and take on an Apprentice before April 2017, the Apprentices training will be fully funded. Non-levy paying employers - Act now to save 10%

For more information, get in touch with the Apprenticeship Team on the details below where we will be happy to help.

Tel No: 01384 363314 or email Apprenticeships@dudleycol.ac.uk

Members discover how Dudley College support the future of manufacturing

Dudley College of Technology — 02/12/2016

The latest Made in the Midlands breakfast morning was hosted by Dudley College, who aim to help young people find a job, train for a career, prepare for university by helping them to develop the right skills and knowledge to prepare them.

The breakfast morning was hosted in the pristine Dudley Advance I: Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing facility. There is 2,800m squared feet of specialist teaching space spread across four floors. The building contains facilities for the study of engineering and manufacturing including mechatronics, electrical engineering and engineering science.

Following his visit to Dudley College in April 2015, Professor Brian Cox stated: What you have here are absolutely world class facilities for training students. Thats what you actually see here I think the lesson that you learn is that we need more of these places, a lot more actually.

Employer Engagement Manager, Georgina Barnard stated: I think it's been very successful it's great to see so many engineering and manufacturing companies from the area come to visit Dudley College today and look at the facilities at Advance I which is our engineering and manufacturing centre.

The event attracted 50 representatives of the Midlands manufacturing sector who were intrigued to discover how the College work alongside businesses. The Employer Innovation and Enterprise Zone provides real-world project or work placement elements to employers. The area allows direct access for local employers and strengthens the relationships between the providers and receivers of skills training.

Another excellent event & fantastic to see engineering getting the level of focus in FE @madeinthemids @JonLee_Recruit @EEF_Insights https://t.co/qg9tNjEH8N
— David Woakes (@Woaksiesnr) December 2, 2016

Additionally, Barnard encouraged manufacturers to host a breakfast event in the future, as she said: I think you should welcome hosting one with both hands as it is a great opportunity to showcase what you are about to lots of different businesses in one morning. The College are very keen to continue these types of events. We run events throughout the year for employees which helps to get the exposure for the college in the local area.

The CAD facilities are used to train students are 2D Autocad, Autodesk Inventor for 3D modelling and Feature CAM to convert 3D models for post processing to the CNC machines. This approach to integrated learning was driven by local employer input in the design and resourcing of the building.

Their higher skills learning is fully supported by a fully equipped engineering science laboratory offering specialist teaching in high level programmes such as HNC and HND. Barnard concluded: These events are very important and it was nice to see so many people today sharing ideas and setting up meetings. We have certainly scheduled meetings with some Made in the Midlands members.

Please visit our events page to ensure that you dont miss any of our upcoming Breakfast networking events. Our next events will be hosted by Salop Powder Coating and Hayley Group. If you are interested in hosting a Breakfast event of your own, please contact our Group Events Manager Iwona at: iwona@firstorchard.com