The UK’s biggest forklift truck manufacturer, Linde Material Handling will enlarge its forklift truck technician apprentice scheme this year with an intake of 18 new recruits.

Linde’s National scheme developed in partnership with the FLTA (Forklift Truck Association) and managed by specialist training and recruitment agency REMIT, offers young people the opportunity to work towards Key Skills qualification and technical certification as a fork truck engineer, with the opportunity to gain NVQ Level 3 (SVQ in Scotland) in forklift truck maintenance – the highest qualification recognised by the industry for a qualified technician. In addition, the opportunity exists for the apprentices to go onto gain NVQ Level 4 in management studies.

The programme is based on the Motor Industry (IMI) light vehicle programme with additional forklift truck specific training provided at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, Nuneaton. All apprentices are either based at a Linde site or in a customer’s depot, where they are trained on the Linde product by experienced Linde engineers. In addition the apprentices attend day release at a local college where they further develop their skills in engineering, numeracy, communications and information technology.

Technical training manager at Linde, Rob Evans, explains: “As a leader in our field it’s important that we do all we can to ensure that more young people are given the opportunity to build a meaningful career and in doing so gain a professional qualification. New blood is essential to the ongoing health of our industry. Apprenticeship schemes are ideal in helping us recruit hardworking, loyal and enthusiastic young people to be trained the ‘Linde’ way and become leaders in their profession. With recent youth unemployment figures reaching 1.02 million in the UK, it’s through apprenticeships schemes like ours that we are helping young people earn while they learn.”

Colin Parker from Hatfield started an apprenticeship with Linde East last year. He said: “At just 18, I already feel like I am on a fast track to a career that I’ve always wanted. I was over the moon when I was given the apprenticeship and the past eight months have been great, I’ve met so many people and have learnt so much from them. Seeing people who were once in the same position as me go on to do so well in the company has given me a real push to work as hard as I can. I am looking forward to qualifying as a service engineer in 2014 and continuing to learn more about the industry over the next two years.”

For more information on the scheme or if you wish to be considered for a place in this years intake, please contact Rebecca Richards or Sian Taylor on 02920 786054 or rrichards@golleyslater.co.uk / staylor@golleyslater.co.uk

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