In recent years, the UK Government has been campaigning for young people to consider apprenticeships to propel their career prospects. Apprenticeship schemes are fast becoming a favourable alternative to study-based education among many organisations, particularly as the nation enters its biggest labour shortage since 1997 according to Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).
Surveys commissioned by the British Chamber of Commerce have also indicated that 70% of firms have struggled to recruit since June as the UK entered its roadmap out of Coronavirus restrictions.
Unsurprisingly, the manufacturing and engineering industry is proving to be one of the hardest hit, in part due to a skills shortage that had been rumbling on for many years. However, following the effects of the pandemic on the British economy, it is now becoming more apparent than ever as the country looks to the future.
Although the skills gap has proven to be problematic for a while, apprenticeship uptake over the last decade has dwindled. According to a report by Engineering UK, a lack of awareness of the engineering sector is ever-present among younger people, with 47% of 11- to 19-year-olds saying they knew little to almost nothing about what engineers do. This, coupled with the younger generation often doubting their ability to exceed in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects can lead to apprenticeship opportunities being a challenge to get off the ground.
Addressing such skills gaps is something that Bowers Group has been pro-actively working towards for many years. Believing that apprenticeships help form the foundation of its metrology business, the group has invested heavily in the scheme, with five apprentices currently being supported as they work towards qualifications in manufacturing and engineering.
Training and Recruitment Manager at Bowers Group, John Crabtree, said:
“Apprenticeships are key to our industry. They offer the younger generation the opportunity to learn whilst gaining real-world experiences, but they also help our business bridge the skills gap for the future. Five years in the life of a business may seem a long time, but a lot of boots can come and go during that period, and those boots need filling. A niche business like Bowers cannot always rely on the job market for this, so it is essential to train apprentices to step into those boots.
"Technical Engineering Apprentice, Aman Athwal, was eager to learn practical engineering skills, but found apprenticeships with this focus to be extremely limited, before securing an opportunity at Bowers Group. “I chose an apprenticeship in engineering as the skills are highly transferrable,” Aman said. “The employees at Bowers have a wealth of experience and have been incredibly supportive. I would like to work towards an engineering degree with the company and hope to help push it further forward as a world-leading manufacturer of metrological equipment.
"Aman’s ambition and commitment to learning has helped drive his success over the years, and working within a supportive environment has helped solidify his foundations for a fulfilling career. Bowers Group has encouraged my academic progress towards completing my Level 4 HNC. I am grateful for the experience and hope to stay well into the future, possibly moving into sales or design, or shop floor technical. I am eager to learn more about the business and understand more about how a successful, efficient and employee-orientated company is run.”
Bowers Group is also helping its apprentices take strides into the manufacturing sector, offering practical experience with an array of machinery and precision tools. The investment in Bowers’ manufacturing operations has allowed students to become well equipped with a working experience of utilising industry-leading equipment, something that will prove to be highly valuable moving forward.
Richard Riddex, who began his manufacturing apprenticeship in 2018, said of his opportunity:
“I chose an apprenticeship for the on-the-job experience that offered pay whilst learning. Bowers Group is a large, international company that gave me job security. My colleagues have been supportive of my learning, and my mistakes. It has been an experience I will never forget.”
Targeting a career in Engineering, Lewis Pridden, a Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing student, said: “My family has always been in engineering and this apprenticeship offered me the chance to get paid whilst learning and developing my skills. Bowers Group has a good reputation and uses CNC machines, which I was most interested in. I have been fully supported throughout my time at the company and have learned to operate a range of CNC machines and manual grinding machines.”
Ewan Whitehead joined Bowers Group in 2020, aiming to become a fully qualified CNC machinist explained: “I have enjoyed the training and transferring those skills into the workplace. Bowers Group has a good reputation and offers a great path into an engineering career. I like how friendly and supportive my colleagues have been since my first day and gaining experience on all types of machines.”
Jacob Scargill, an apprentice since 2019, also studying towards a Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing, has found the support of Bowers Group to be both helpful and supportive, saying: “I chose an apprenticeship to try and better myself every day with new challenges, Bowers does that for me. I chose this industry for a skilled job that should last a lifetime. The tour of the factory and insight into the business is what attracted me to the company. Colleagues are always ready to help out and the experience working on high-end CNC machinery has given me the confidence to set and run both CNC and manual machines.”
With apprenticeship uptake slowly starting to rise, Bowers Group has significant hopes for the future and is looking forward to supporting many more taking that first into the engineering and manufacturing sector.