Increasingly, the engineering sector across the board has been suffering from a shortage of skilled engineers and technicians coming into the industry. This has been exascerbated by the well- documented ageing workforce problem in the engineering sector. Larger companies, such as Bentley, BMW Mini, Jaguar Land Rover, and many others are able to attract a large number of high quality applicants due to the attraction of their brand and success of their product and manufacturing facilities. Many suppliers to these well known brands find it harder to attract candidates for their vacancies and apprenticeships.

For any organistaion wishing to recruit, the time commitment, processes and HR support – and therefore investment – can also present a challenge. It can take months to find the right candidate – if they are found at all, which can leave businesses unable to build their current and future workforces.

As a result

• Large numbers of high quality candidates are not able to access the relatively small number of places on OEM’s programmes. Having raised their interest in a career in engineering it is a great waste not to be able to introduce them to the many exciting opportunities that exist in the wider engineering sector.
• Engineering businesses – large and small – may be put off the idea of recruiting apprenticeships as they have not historically been able to access easily support for their recruitment with such a large number of high quality candidates.

Our Solution

The Automotive Apprenticeship Matching Service was established by the Automotive Industrial Partnership (IAP) http://www.automotiveip.co.uk to help develop a skilled workforce for the future.

The aim is to redirect high quality talent from over-subscribed automotive apprenticeship programmes to other companies within the sector that have similar opportunities.

By actively working with both employers and candidates, our mission is to ensure that talent is harnessed and retained within the automotive and engineering industry. We do this through our dedicated team; working with businesses to help guide them through the wide range of high quality programmes and providers as well as supporting their specific recruitment needs.

Any company wishing to take on an apprentice agrees as a minimum to employ and pay the apprentice for the duration of the apprenticeship in a role relevant to the apprenticeship framework and landing role. In most cases engineering apprenticeships will last from 3 to 5 years. During this time – and hopefully for many years afterwards – these apprentices will be undertaking important roles to support the business.

Apprenticeships Partner Providers – The selected colleges or training providers that we work with will deliver the apprenticeship once we have confirmed the vacancy and supported the appropriate recruitment process for the employer.

There are a number of different ways to deliver apprenticeships that work for engineering employers. Reviewing the options and agreeing the ideal model is part of the service offered by the Automotive Apprenticeship Matching Service. Our service doesn’t stop there. Providing guidance over the course of the apprenticeship, we are able to help ensure that apprentice and employer alike get the most from the apprenticeship.

Candidates – the potential apprentices. This is where we excel, using our highly successful, proven platform and our expertise in in apprentice recruitment to identify and help recruit the right person for each vacancy.

The Process

We are a social enterprise and must be able to demonstrate positive social impact as a result of our work. Here are the benefits we aim to achieve,

• Increase skills and future talent for UK engineering
• Reducing supply chain recruitment costs and HR resource demands
• Greater cross-industry collaboration and stronger links with supply chain
• Retain talent within the automotive & engineering sector
• Maximise career opportunities for young people
• Streamline and improve candidates’ experiences
• Create a self-sustaining system with potential to benefit wider skills priority areas