Students benefit from pre-apprenticeship programme at College

The Centre for Engineering, at Colchester Institute, has given 22 students a chance to study on the Pre-Apprenticeship programme at the College’s Engineering Training Centre this academic year.

The level 1 students, who complete the course in January 2012, will learn general manufacturing tasks as part of their qualification. This will in turn give them the skills to go on to employment and study for an Apprenticeship, or for further qualifications at the College.

Mitch Hudson, 26, has taken advantage of this short Pre-Apprenticeship course. Mitch was made redundant in the summer and knew that in order to get a new job he would need to go back to college and re-train. He says: ‘‘Being made redundant gave me the opportunity to sit down and think about my future. I’m into problem solving and thought a career in engineering would be ideal. This programme will give me several options when I finish in January, for example an Apprenticeship or maybe further study in the Centre for Engineering.’’

Iain Jacobs, Work Based Learning Manager for Engineering at the College, says: ‘‘We have forged many links with manufacturing companies in Essex and the surrounding area and so a lot of these students will go on to work with them. Essex County Council will give the employers a wage subsidy to fund their new apprentices for 12 months. We take on students from 16 years of age. However, there is no upper age limit, so, it’s perfect for school leavers or those like Mitch who’ve been in the work place for a few years but have been made redundant.’’

The students benefit from studying at The Engineering Training Centre at Colchester, in Stanway, which offers specialist engineering facilities to both its learners and employers.

For more information on this or another one of our courses please come to an Autumn Open Event. Details can be found online at www.colchester.ac.uk/open-events