Kigass director Joanne Wardman-Smith, a fourth-generation member of the family that founded the Warwickshire-based firm, says preserving and growing vital skills will safeguard the nation’s manufacturing industry.
Kigass, which boasts 100 years of engineering excellence serving Formula One as well as some of the UK’s best-known names such as the Ministry of Defence and Rolls Royce, is putting its money where its mouth is by investing in the young engineers of tomorrow in partnership with Warwickshire College, the largest apprenticeship training provider in Coventry and Warwickshire.
She said: “Kigass has some of the country’s most skilled and experienced engineers helping to secure the future of the business by working with passionate apprentices. Without that generational flow of talent and ability, Britain is going to struggle to service the country’s manufacturing needs.
“We need to retain the quality and value in companies like Kigass if we don’t want to be forced to outsource. We are going to lose that capability if we don’t support and maintain the workforce by balancing traditional skills and the pace of change of new technology.”
According to the government’s own research, 86% of employers said apprentices helped to develop relevant skills for the organisation and fill the skills gap, while the Centre for Economics and Business Research calculated that, on average, an apprentice generated an annual return of £1,670 in 2013 to 2014.
Meanwhile, 74% of employers say that apprentices improved product or service quality, and 78% say that they improved productivity. Many noted that apprentices become highly skilled even before they finish their training. George Houguez, Work Based Learning Manager at Warwickshire College and a former apprentice himself is responsible for Kigass’ two senior apprentices.
He believes that without the flow of talent and ability the next generation will struggle to service the country’s manufacturing needs. He applauded the quality and value of skills retained in Kigass commenting that they serve as an excellent example of how industry can support their workforce and skill levels. He recognises however, that businesses cannot do this on their own.
He said: “If we are going to maintain the necessary skill levels in the UK it is vital that both businesses and the FE sector across the UK receive government support and the necessary infrastructure and resource to provide the next generation of engineers and experts with the skills they need to drive progress.”
Apprentice Jake Robbins says he decided to make a career out of making things at a young age and grabbed the opportunity with Kigass and the college after his father spotted a newspaper advert.
Jake, 22, said: “Engineering is just not something that would have been on my radar at school but it’s something I’m enjoying learning about. Being an apprentice has opened my eyes to the opportunities presented by engineering – and I think others to have the same chance.”
Joanne Wardman-Smith adds: “Jake and his fellow Warwickshire College apprentices are essential to the preservation and growth of the UK’s technical legacy, but there needs to be more done at the government level to support and encourage the adoption of apprenticeships.
“For decades successive governments have been responsible for a decline in investment. Ministers need to incentivise further education to attract trainers, work in partnership with the private sector, reduce burdens on apprentices, and lower barriers to entry.”
