Car and engine-maker Rolls-Royce received a visit from the Prince of Wales to its site in Derby on Friday.
Prince Charles met employees and saw examples of the group’s technology as toured the facilities. He also spent time with some of the 600 apprentices that Rolls-Royce trains in the UK, speaking with some of the first intake onto the scheme who have now completed their training and secured jobs with a supplier to Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce has said that this number will significantly increase in the years ahead as it trains more apprentices for the supply chain and local engineering companies.
Colin Smith, director of engineering and technology at Rolls-Royce said: “As a Global business we invest in research, facilities and training for the long term, so I am pleased that Prince Charles has shown such an interest in our apprenticeship programmes. Engineering is a rewarding career and apprenticeships provide young people with the foundation they need to excel.”
Clare Cordon, Rolls-Royce higher apprentice, commented: “It was great to meet Prince Charles today and speak to him about my job. We get the chance to work with amazing technology at Rolls-Royce and I was proud to show Prince Charles some of the work that we do.”
On his tour of the facility, Prince Charles was given an introduction to the advanced aero engine technology developed by Rolls-Royce and saw the newest Rolls-Royce engine to go into production, the Trent 1000, which powers the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The company’s annual underlying revenues were £11.3bn in 2011, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £62.2 billion at 31 December 2011, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
Rolls-Royce recruited nearly 300 apprentices in 2011 with over 200 of these in the UK. It plans to train 50 apprentices for supply chain companies by mid 2012.
