Honda (UK)’s bespoke apprentice and management training facility in Colnbrook – the Honda Institute – yesterday hosted a number of teachers and careers advisors from across the South of England, as part of Honda’s commitment to the ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative. The programme was established at the Manufacturing Summit in January, by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, and is strongly supported by the UK Automotive Council.
The Open Day at the Honda Institute was held to give educators and advisors a better understanding of the wide variety of career paths offered by the automotive industry, which accounts for around 700,000 jobs in the UK alone.
The event was supported by Honda’s own apprentices as well as graduates who spoke about their jobs and the reasons why they decided on their particular career path. The apprentices in attendance were John Couldridge (21) and Alex Knight (19) who are both WorldSkills London 2011 finalists – John being awarded the final place on Team UK earlier this week – and who represent the best young technicians that the UK has to offer.
Honda (UK)’s Government Affairs and Environment Manager, Kate Saxton said: “Today was an excellent chance for Honda (UK)’s associates to demonstrate what a vibrant and inspiring place the automotive industry is to work in. Honda offers a very diverse range of career opportunities and it supports and encourages anyone who wishes to take their career in a different direction – our own Vice-President of Honda Motor Europe Ltd, Ken Keir, started his working life as an apprentice and worked his way up to where he is today.”
Business Secretary Vince Cable said of the See Inside Manufacturing programme: “It is an important step in giving teachers and careers advisers the opportunity to see, first-hand, the essential role that industry plays across the UK to help us achieve the sort of sustainable and balanced economic growth that the country needs.
“The Government is investing in more apprenticeships than ever before. Together with industry we must inspire more young people to see manufacturing and engineering as a viable and exciting career choice.
“We also need to ensure that UK manufacturing can take on its competitors head on and make the next decade one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial periods in our history.”
Honda (UK) recruits an average of 100 apprentices every year to supply its dealer network with highly skilled and trained technicians. In addition, it offers a wide range of tailored training programmes to all its associates throughout their careers and regularly recruits a number of graduates and engineers for its head office in Langley and its manufacturing site and R&D in Swindon.
Click through to find out more about the ‘See Inside Manufacturing‘ initative.
