Apprentices:

  • Number Engaged
  • Framework undertaken
  • Gender
  • Ethnicity
  • Disability

 

 

Aspire have met with over 55+  Advanced Manufacturing Employers across the local authority since the programme commenced in July 2015, 15 have become host employers and are all in and around the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone and range from large international companies 53% to 47% of which are SMES

 

  1.  GTEM
    1. Plant 2
    2. Plant 3
  3. Continental
  4. Penn Pharma
  5. M&J Europe
  6. Base Handling
  7. JC Moulding
  8. Cruz Engineering
  9. Eurocaps
  10. Sears Seating
  11. Monier Redland
  12. Sogefi Filtration
  13. Brecon Designs
  14. TCK Electrical
  15. Dynamic Extraction
  16. Express Contract Drying

 

The host companies  are not only supporting Aspire Apprentices but also working with the team  and the Employment Liaison Officer to develop and upskill existing employees.

 

To date the Aspire Shared Apprenticeship programme have 50 apprentices on programme, all employed by BGCBC and placed within their host manufacturing companies. Their learning pathways vary from :

 

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Applied Science
  • IT
  • Enhanced Engineering Programme (EEPS)
  • Business Administration & Finance
  • Quality Engineering

Most of the apprentices are following a Level 3 programme and will continue on to the Level 4 -Higher Apprenticeship Programme.

 

 

The programme has 2 female apprentices who were recruited in September 2017 and are following engineering and science pathways respective to the host company needs.

 

Of the 50 apprentices currently on programme, the following information applies:

 

·         96% are Male

·         4% Female ( would have been 6%, one returned to college FT)

·         100% are of White ethnicity

·         2% have a disability.

 

 

Origin of Apprentices

 

 

 

 

Whilst there has been a decrease in the number of recruits from Blaenau Gwent, the graphs from the first 2 cohorts demonstrate that the programme is engaging with a number of young people over 8 local authorities. Much of the recruitment has been done through word of mouth this year through our cohort 1 apprentices whilst in college therefore widening the scope of origin.

 

The programme has exceeded expectation in terms of raising the profile and the parity of esteem between further education and work based learning within companies and young people across Blaenau Gwent, the school engagement activity in the local authority has increased year on year and schools are requesting the team to take part in assembly’s and inspiration events to highlight local opportunities.

There have been 3 recruitment phases:

  • September 2015
  • September 2016
  • September 2017

 

Over this period of time there have been 61 young people recruited into full time apprenticeship positions.

There have been 11 leavers:

Cohort 1:

 

  1. Completed BTEC and Full time employment with alternative employer
  2. Dismissal
  3. Changed career pathway from Engineering – Media
  4. Full Time employment with host employer

 

Cohort 2:

 

  1. Progression onto full time Higher Education
  2. Full time job with current host employer, couldn’t manage academic pathway
  3. Left EEPS programme, did not want to follow engineering pathway
  4. Full time manual labour job with water board

 

Cohort 3

 

  1. Employment and apprenticeship with TATA steel
  2. Return to full time Education
  3. Employment within a different sector.

 

Most of the leavers have left with positive outcomes and have progressed into higher education or jobs; this is through the support of the Aspire Mentors.

The recruitment of cohort 4 is planned to commence from early March 2018, the team will take part in many events locally and alongside our college providers for national apprenticeship week, in addition – this year is the Year of Engineering and also on March 8th ‘Little Miss Inventor’ day – so will be raising the profile of Engineering in schools.

There will be an aim to recruit additional 20-25 apprentices to start in September 2018 within Blaenau Gwent

Aspire Merthyr:

Of the 6 apprentices currently on programme, the following information applies:

 

·         5 are Male

·         1 is female

·         100% are of White ethnicity

·         0 has a disability.

·         2 are Welsh Speakers

·         1 is a Polish Speaker

 

.An additional 6 are due to commence within March 2018