Birmingham-based engineering services company adi Group has celebrated the graduation of 12 students from its Pre-Apprentice Programme, highlighting the role employer-led initiatives can play in tackling engineering skills shortages and improving routes into technical careers.
The latest cohort completed the two-year programme, delivered in partnership with King Edward VI King’s Norton School for Boys, with every student achieving either a merit or distinction. The graduation ceremony took place at adi Group’s headquarters in Kings Norton on 8 July, bringing together students, families, apprentices and senior leaders to mark the milestone.
The achievement comes against a backdrop of growing concern over the UK’s engineering skills pipeline. According to Skills England, more than a quarter of job vacancies are difficult to fill because of skills shortages, particularly across engineering, digital and construction. At the same time, youth unemployment has risen to 16.2%, while almost one million young people are currently not in education, employment or training.
Now in its tenth year, adi Group’s Pre-Apprentice Programme is designed to provide 14 to 16-year-olds with practical engineering experience through workshop-based learning and exposure to real workplace environments. The initiative aims to build technical skills, confidence and awareness of career opportunities before students reach traditional apprenticeship age.
The graduation also comes as apprenticeships and technical education continue to receive increased political attention, with growing calls for stronger employer involvement in developing future skills and improving access to vocational careers.
James Sopwith, Group Strategic Account Director at adi Group and lead for the Pre-Apprentice Programme, said early engagement is critical to addressing long-term workforce challenges.
“If we want to build a resilient engineering workforce for the years ahead, young people need meaningful exposure to the sector much earlier in their journey.
“There are still outdated ideas about what engineering looks like, but today’s industry offers a wide range of career routes, modern working environments and opportunities for people with many different strengths.
“Hands-on engineering experience is one of the most powerful ways to change those perceptions. When young people spend time in a real workshop environment, speak to people already working in the sector and understand the routes available to them, it can make engineering feel far more realistic and accessible as a future career.”
As part of its wider early careers strategy, adi Group also delivers engineering-focused school assemblies and mock interview sessions to help students develop employability skills and gain a better understanding of engineering careers.
Richard Hodgetts, Science and Technology Faculty Lead at King Edward VI King’s Norton School for Boys, said the programme had delivered its strongest results to date.
“This is the strongest set of results we’ve had for this qualification, and we’re incredibly proud of what the students have achieved.
“adi’s support has made a real difference – not just in the skills the lads have developed, but in the confidence and direction they’ve gained from being in a live engineering environment.
“We’re grateful for the time, expertise and investment the team has put into our students. It’s given them a genuine first step towards a future in engineering.”
The Pre-Apprentice Programme forms part of adi Group’s wider apprenticeship and early careers pathway, which the company says has helped employees progress from entry-level positions into senior leadership roles, including managing director appointments within the business.
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