Goodwin International
Goodwin are creating a new purpose built training school that will be the centre of excellence for 125 engineering Apprentices over the next 5 years
The skills challenge
Goodwin International Ltd. is part of Goodwin PLC’s UK group of companies, a major employer in the UK, with locations around the world. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, the Group has been a supplier of machined castings since 1883 and employs over 500 engineers across several sites in the UK, most of whom are highly qualified and require training to a very high standard. The Group’s success is dependent upon continued engineering excellence and the ability to train sufficient engineers to satisfy future job requirements and growth.
There is a significant skills shortage of high quality engineers in the UK. The business needs to grow the next generation of highly technical engineers to allow its UK operations to thrive. Training delivered through mainstream provision is slow, expensive and not delivering the right business results. This gap in provision needs to be addressed to ensure that the business remains competitive and engineering activity in the UK remains viable. A radical new approach is needed to raise the skill level of the individual worker to the standard that Goodwin requires for the future.
The solution
Supported by investment from the Employer Ownership of Skills pilot (EOP), alongside investment from the Regional Growth Fund, Goodwin will create a new purpose built training school that will be the centre of excellence for 125 engineering Apprentices over the next 5 years. 75 Apprentices will be directly supported by the EOP in the first two years. The business is developing its own advanced Apprenticeship programme with the intention that Apprentices will be employed by the business on a long term basis.
The Apprenticeship programme will:
- Be supported by the development of a new purpose built training facility which will be the centre for training 25 engineering Apprentices each year for a period of at least 5 years
- Facilitate vocational training at Goodwin International and its six UK sister companies based around Stoke-on-Trent
- Provide accelerated career development opportunities and long term sustainable employment for the region
- Include 368 hours each year of specialist training delivered by industry experts
- Facilitate a mentoring programme at each stage of the process
- Provide guaranteed employment at the end of the programme
Impact
This project will provide increased opportunities for young people to participate in a training experience that will see them fast tracked to an Advanced Apprenticeship level and provide them with real long term employment with Goodwin. 125 new Apprentices will be fast tracked to a status comparable to Advanced Apprenticeship level within four years and 50 existing employees will be advanced to Higher Apprenticeship equivalent in the same time period. The EOP will support 75 Apprentices within the first two years of the programme.
The training programme will enable 80% of the Apprentices to achieve level 4 within a four year period, a much shorter time scale than has been historically achieved. Young engineers will be qualified quicker and have the right skills to make a significant impact within the Goodwin group, both in the UK and worldwide.
The training and development of young people, giving them the technical skills to progress to senior careers, benefits not only the individual and the company but makes UK engineering more profitable, competitive and hence benefits the UK economy as a whole.
Investment
Employer investment: £2,927,266
Employer Ownership Pilot Funding: £1,738,590
Total: £4,665,856
