July 2019

If you’ve been keeping a close eye on us over the last couple of months you may have noticed that we have a new member of our team. Josh Robinson, a former sixth form student of the ENL UTC, has joined us as a Business and Marketing Apprentice, as part of an exciting 18 month apprenticeship opportunity.

Josh, who joined the year 10 cohort in 2016, originally had an interest in welding and found that he couldn’t miss out on the unique opportunity to study for an engineering qualification, alongside of gaining his GCSE’s, in an environment that has been built with the purpose of progressing young individuals into industry.

“What I enjoyed most about the school as a student, was that we got to go out and interact with local companies whilst developing our projects in the schools workshops and on specialist computer software.”

Initially a shy individual, Josh grew in confidence and over the course of the three years that he studied with us, became a recognised character amongst both staff members and industry partners. From this Josh, helped to represent the ENL UTC as a Student Ambassador at a multitude of different events from the 2018 Christmas Lights Switch On to talking on BBC Radio Humberside and meeting with local MP’s to assisting with open events!

The dedication and passion that Josh has shown towards the school has now led to an 18 month apprenticeship with Ongo and training provider CERT, where he will complete a Level 3 Diploma in Digital Marketing, alongside of his day-to-day duties for the Business Engagement Lead and Marketing Officer.

“I am really looking forward to developing my skills further with the ENL UTC and getting more involved in tailoring new and exciting projects for our students. My career path may have changed from being a welder but I want to be part of showcasing this industry to more young people, to help them discover their passion.”

To view some of the excellent projects Josh has been involved with in the past, see below.

Recently CBI, the UK’s leading business organisation, released a report about getting young people ‘work ready’ and how our education system has never been more important in preparing them for the modern world.

Did you know that…

“Almost one in four young people (aged 17-23) do not feel adequately prepared by their education for the world of work.”

With almost half of all employees feeling that young individuals who enter the workplace are not well-equipped for industry, it is no wonder that there is a UK skills shortage with a pronounced STEM skills crisis. According to the Engineering UK’s 2017 State of Engineering report, “Demand for graduates for engineering roles outstrips supply: we conclude from the report, a shortfall of at least 20,000 annually (And likely higher, depending on assumptions).”

So what does work ready really mean? The CBI report describes it as “a rounded education that includes character, skills and knowledge.” These three vital skills encompasses an individual’s ability to flourish in any situation, deal with setbacks, show compassion, deal with own strengths and areas for improvement, to work well in teams, showcase leadership skills, problem-solve and to communicate efficiently. All of these and more, can be achieved through a rigorous, rich and challenging curriculum that provides the individual with the essential knowledge they need to exceed in their chosen field whilst having an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

“There is a strong role for business in helping schools to embed this, providing those real work scenarios through meaningful work experience or business people going into schools and colleges to talk about how a subject relates to the real world.”

For the Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire, preparing students for the working world is what we focus on every single day. So, it’s business as usual. By providing a specialist STEM education for 13-19 year olds, our aim is to deliver well-rounded students into the engineering and technology industries through an exciting, employer-shaped curriculum led by expert staff. Why? To ensure that our students gain the relevant qualifications, skills, experience and confidence needed to access tomorrow’s career opportunities.

Through our unique links and involvement with industry partners from around the region, our students are able to explore, evaluate and justify the best solutions to real-world engineering problems whilst gaining support and advice from a variety of different employers; from further education and industry experts to careers guidance. By connecting education directly to industry, young individuals are able to gain so much more than the traditional GCSE and A Level qualifications to ensure that it’s not just a curriculum. It’s a career.

“Business knows education is about more than just qualifications. They also value character and wider skills and want young people to develop a range of skills and experiences beyond academic or technical learning.”

It is true that many young individuals are unaware of the incredible and exciting career routes that are available but at the ENL UTC, we ensure that our students are introduced to many STEM careers to broaden their mind-sets and future goals. See the image below to view just 40 STEM-based roles available.

Since opening in September 2015, we have helped to secure excellent destinations for our students, including high level engineering apprenticeships, university placements and full-time job roles; a trend that saw 100% of our 2018 summer leavers secure a successful destination!

Through our incredible careers programme that underpins everything we do here at the ENL UTC, destinations will always be our number one focus. With students developing skills that employers have explicitly requested, it is no surprise that our students go on to some great destinations and are truly ‘work ready’.

To view the full CBI report, please follow the button below.