James Clark reports on a successful first 12 months of the BITA Academy – and explains how it is already building for the future.
One of BITA’s key priorities during 2012 has been the BITA Academy, our quality training initiative designed to proactively recruit high-quality apprentices to meet the industry’s current and future requirements.
Lift trucks are heavily dependent on regular, high-quality servicing and inspection, accentuating the need for a steady intake of new engineers to replace retiring employees. It was this long-standing need which lay behind our decision to establish the Academy in partnership with City of Bristol College, an acclaimed UK training provider.
The BITA Academy welcomed its first students in January this year, offering both a three-year Higher Apprenticeship qualification and an Advanced Level Apprenticeship qualification achieved during a fourth year of study. Due to the way we can tailor fourth-year course content, there is equal scope for students to progress through an academic degree course if required. This flexibility is precisely what both the industry and its future leaders require and explains why companies like Barloworld and Jungheinrich were key supporters from the outset.
From a standing start the academy has now recruited 59 apprentices in Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4. Thanks to the ‘pure FLT’ course content (addressing both internal combustion and electric power sources), graduates will be fully equipped to work with the complete range of products on the market. Since opening, companies such as Atlet, Still, BJB, Crown and Briggs Equipment (which acquired Barloworld Handling UK to create the UK’s largest MHE service infrastructure of over 600 engineers) have come on board, demonstrating an excellent level of support.
In order to attract fresh talent to the academy, we’ve made significant investment in promotions to schools. In March we attended the Big Bang Fair at the NEC in Birmingham, giving young visitors a virtual insight into the materials handling industry by testing their skills on a Briggs 3D warehouse simulator. We’ve also become the main sponsor of The Apprenticeship Guide – a printed and online resource designed to give school pupils as much information as possible about apprenticeships.
At the same time City of Bristol College is investing heavily in modernising and improving the Parkway site where the BITA Academy is located. The end result will be a new Advanced Engineering Centre that unites the three departments of Engineering, Transport and Aeronautics in a true technology campus, substantially enhancing the learning environment for students. Construction is currently in progress and the entire site will be complete by September 2013.
At BITA we couldn’t be happier with the Academy’s first year in operation. Many exciting developments still lie ahead – not least the graduates commencing successful careers in our industry and hopefully progressing to higher level appointments within their organisations. Apprenticeships in our industry are now running at a higher level and we’re delighted to say the BITA Academy is now part of that success story.
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