Apprentices progress in multiskill scheme

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jan 17, 2006

The Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education has held a presentation evening to celebrate the groundbreaking achievements of trainee apprentices.

The Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education has held a presentation evening to celebrate the groundbreaking achievements of trainee apprentices who have recently completed the first stage of a unique apprenticeship scheme.

The apprentices are all employed by City Facilities, which delivers a range of support services to the Asda Stores (Supermarkets) across the UK.

City Facilities originally came up with the concept of recruiting a group of apprentices who could be trained in a broad range of engineering skill areas, including refrigeration, electrical, and mechanical.

The idea was that a workforce with a more flexible approach to the service needs of their clients would be crucial.

Working in partnership with the Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, a unique multiskill scheme was developed in line with the technical requirements of managing large retail facilities.

Flexibility was a key component of the apprenticeship scheme, which allows the company to alter the focus of skills development if and when demands from the client change.

This ensures that City Facilities can remain competitive and highly flexible.

The trainees were carefully selected by City Facilities and were recruited across the UK just over 12 months ago with input from the Grimsby Institute, which designed the recruitment, selection and testing of candidates.

Study was organised into flexible block patterns with trainees staying at the Institute's purpose built accommodation in Grimsby.

Marc Pinder, Head of Maintenance for Asda Store Services, presented the awards and congratulated both the trainees and the teaching staff on achieving an outstanding result of a 100% pass rate.

Prof Arthur Whitehead, Director of the Humber Engineering Training Centre at the Grimsby Institute, thanked everyone in the training partnership for their hard work, support and commitment, adding that this unique scheme had been completed with teamwork, communication and co-operation at its very best.