EEF has announced the creation of 32 new jobs at its technology training centre in Aston.
The new roles offer a great opportunity for seasoned industrialists to make the leap into teaching and are part of a further £5m investment into the centre, which is to expand into a second site and increase the number of apprentices it trains from 250 to more than 400 a year when fully operational.
This latest round of funding takes EEF’s total investment at the Birmingham-based apprentice training centre to £11m. The new jobs are across a range of areas including technical skills, teaching, administration and back office support.
EEF is actively recruiting for these positions and isn’t only looking for experienced teaching and training staff. It is also interested in hiring people with valuable skills and experience from industry, or from technical roles in the armed forces, who are looking to change career. They will be supported while gaining their teaching qualifications.
Recruitment is taking place now ahead of the second site opening its doors later this year. The new facility will house a wide range of areas devoted to developing technological skills, including robotics, electronics and rapid prototyping. It will boast an industry standard CAD (computer aided design) suite, an automated factory and an industry standard tool room.
The move will keep the centre at the forefront of new manufacturing and engineering technologies, ensuring that apprentices continue to learn both traditional and the most cutting-edge techniques. This will fully equip them for a sustainable and exciting career in modern industry.
The new centre will also host EEF’s soon-to-be-launched Leadership Institute and Manufacturing Academy, which will play a key role in ensuring UK manufacturing stays at the forefront of Industry 4.0 (the 4th industrial revolution).
The technology training centre was officially opened in April 2014, by local MP Khalid Mahmood. In November last year it unveiled additional investment of £2 million into providing nine additional new training sections containing £700,000 of high-tech equipment. It currently works in partnership with over 80 employers.
Caroline Gumble, chief operating officer at EEF, says: “This further significant investment and the creation of over 30 new jobs underlines our commitment to UK manufacturing.
“It is about ensuring manufacturers and engineers learn the valuable skills that future industry will need. This will keep them, and our sector, one step ahead as UK manufacturers compete in an increasingly global and technologically advanced field.
“It’s also an exciting opportunity for people working in industry – or indeed in a technical role in the armed forces – to change career, gain a teaching qualification and help to shape and train new apprentices. Their skills and experience are extremely valuable and will help us to continue to provide our apprentices with a winning formula of practical, hands-on ‘know how’, combined with technical skills and academic knowledge.”