TTS Talent: Caroline Delaney, Heavy Vehicle Technician Apprentice
Caroline Delaney is a TTS Heavy Vehicle Technician Apprentice working at Donnelly Group. She is currently completing level 2 in preparation for moving to the next level in September. Caroline was recognised for her obvious talent early on in her apprentice career when she was put forward to represent her employer in the 2019 Export & Freight Apprentice of the Year competition.
Tell us about your background and your route to becoming an apprentice.
I started in Mechanical Engineering at Bangor SERC and got my level 3 and used that to go into Aerospace Engineering at Queens, but I did my first year and didn’t really enjoy it. It was all in a classroom; there was no hands on. I enjoyed what I was learning but just not the course. I’ve always been a very hands-on person; I used to work a lot with horses and am used to being outside doing that sort of thing, and I’ve always enjoyed cars. My dad used to have a fleet of lorries and I used to go and watch him doing the mechanics so that’s what I decided to do.
Would you recommend it to other females?
I definitely would. The only thing I would say is if you are a ‘girly-girl’ that worries about your nails it won’t be for you. But certainly, if you don’t mind getting a wee bit dirty then it’s something I would really recommend.
From day one everyone has treated me as one of them. There’s been no differences at all. There’s a bit of joking about my height because I’m only 4’8” but it’s all just banter!
How do you find being an apprentice with TTS?
It’s brilliant; TTS is really, really good, even compared to when I was at Bangor SERC. Because you’re not in the classroom every single day of the week and it’s broken up with the practical side, that makes a really big difference. I don’t think there’s a huge amount of places that have the facilities that TTS has to do the practical side of things.
How have you found the move to online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown?
It was really, really simple. Michael has been a great help with explaining everything and making sure if there was anything we needed or anything we didn’t understand he was more than happy to help us. One of the good things about the online learning was that I could work at my own pace so I maybe went a bit quicker than we’d do in class. Not that we go slowly but for my own mental state during lockdown I was able to go a bit quicker, which suited me. But definitely I do miss the socialising aspect of it; it’s much nicer having that than just sitting looking at a computer screen.
Given the possible redundancy situation for some apprentices due to COVID-19 cutbacks, what would you say to employers about the value of apprentices?
At the minute it’s very easy to say “cut the apprentices” because they maybe haven’t been there as long as everyone else, but what happens when it comes back around that you need apprentices? Instead of getting rid of the apprentices that you’ve already started to train up and are getting good now, keep them on and let them get better because they are going to be more productive for the company than if you have to start from scratch later on.
TTS on Front Line of Apprentice Training During COVID-19 Pandemic
TTS apprentices have moved to online learning during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Under normal circumstances, TTS provides training for around 200 employed apprentices. Training is a combination of tutor training at TTS’s purpose-built, modern facility at Nutts Corner Business Park and ‘on-the-job’ training in the workplace. With the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent ‘lockdown’, the TTS training facility was closed, and many apprentices were furloughed by their employers.
Within just two weeks, TTS had moved to online training platforms, including Google Classrooms, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, as well as the Electude online learning platform that TTS apprentices were already familiar with. Much of the training has been supported by each technical trainer carrying out live theory-based learning using interactive presentations and discussion. These new learning methods had to be approved by Department for Economy (DfE) and the accreditation body, the Institute for the Motor Industry (IMI). DfE has taken a keen interest in the systems TTS is now using for continued delivery.
Apprenticeship qualifications at TTS are awarded by the IMI and apprentices work towards a progress percentage against their IMI e-portfolio. Using the online learning in conjunction with their normal ‘write-ups’, and to the credit of the dedication of the apprentices and their trainers, most apprentices have been able to progress at a rate almost on par with normal circumstances.
The main challenge in progressing has been on the employer side of things. Around 80-85% of TTS apprentices were put on furlough, with the exception of some of the heavy vehicle employers that worked through lockdown to service/repair vehicles delivering food for example. Apprentices not on furlough have been able to further boost their portfolio percentage by submitting work-based evidence. TTS trainers have been unable to visit apprentices in the workplace to carry out work-based observations.
TTS’s Training Director, Stephen Wilkinson, is pleased with feedback from apprentices:
“The adaption to home-based learning has broadly been received well by apprentices, who have been accepting of the government-imposed restrictions. Responses to our surveys and ongoing communications show that our apprentices would much prefer face-to-face training but are mostly satisfied or very satisfied with the online training to date. Plus, we have been open to adapting our methods as we’ve learnt what works best and what our apprentices prefer. For example, we added the use of zoom for virtual classes following initial feedback once we got protocols in place to protect the learners. However, apprenticeships generally appeal to those that prefer to learn ‘hands-on’, so it is no surprise that our apprentices and trainers alike are keen to get back to practical learning methods as soon as possible”.
TTS’s goal throughout has been to keep existing apprentices engaged and on track to graduate when they are due to, something that has so far been successful. With the exception of one apprentice, who decided on a change of career path, all TTS apprentices remain engaged in their development programme, evidenced by their e-portfolio scores. Although some apprentices are starting back to work, others are, unfortunately still under threat with some having been informed by employers that they are on 90 days’ notice at risk of redundancy. TTS is confident that employers will see the value in keeping apprentices employed though, given the inexpensiveness of apprentices relative to their productivity. The IMI carried out an extensive study which showed apprentices typically generate a return on investment of between 150% and 300% and typically generate profit within 18-24 months.
As well as ongoing training, TTS’s Careers Development Officer, Robert Deignan, has continued his pastoral check-ins with each apprentice. As well as recruiting apprentices, Robert’s role involves ensuring that all apprentices are developing well and integrating successfully into his/her workplace, and to provide regular feedback on progress
Robert had this to say: “In the forefront of our minds there was the issue of isolation and how this could impact on one of our most vulnerable groups of our society - our young people! I’ve endeavoured to keep connected with apprentices, outside of their daily contact with trainers, to safeguard their mental well-being too. Although it’s difficult to know what individuals have going on at home, I’ve been working with young people for over 20 years so I’d like to think I would pick up on the signs if any of our apprentices were distressed”.
Indeed, at least two TTS apprentices have been supplementing their development by volunteering to help those most vulnerable in our communities. One is volunteering at his local grocery store in Cullybackey, preparing grocery orders for those that are isolating. The other is helping to prepare orders at an arable farm in Comber.
DfE have now announced that apprentices can be brought into TTS for assessments which cannot be done remotely, for example, practical tasks in workshops and PC-based end-of-unit tests. TTS is now completing robust risk assessments to satisfy DfE that safe arrangements are in place and deep-cleaning is underway. Although TTS already operates with maximum class sizes of ten (and an average of eight) to facilitate learning (compared with 16 in the Training for Success scheme), it is thought that social ‘bubbles’ of four in the classroom and four in the workshop, may be the way forward. The priority will be apprentices due to complete Level 3 and qualify at the end of August 2020 and those due to complete Level 2 and progress to Level 3 in September 2020.
Why Employing an Apprentice Could be Just Right for Your Business
Your business, and especially your workshop, needs enthusiastic capable Technicians - not easy to find these days, but Transport Training Services believes it has the answer. The motor and transport industry training centre can help employers to recruit and train enthusiastic young apprentices. TTS receives applications from a variety of young people looking to start a career in the motor industry, and at this time of year, around half of applicants are getting ready for GCSEs or A-Levels and have already made up their mind to leave school and enter the world of work. Other applicants have already left school and have some experience in routine jobs, but are keen to begin a new challenge in an industry they’ve always had a keen interest in and would love the chance to become a skilled technician or advisor.
At any given time, TTS has over 200 employed apprentices in training and the organisation partners with around 60 employers to provide a 3-year programme for technicians and a 2 year programme for Parts and Service Advisors. The TTS block delivery training system is an effective way of strengthening workshop teams with training that makes apprentices useful and productive quickly, and at the end of the apprenticeship be a qualified and skilled member of the team. Apprentices attend the modern purpose-built TTS training centre for one-week blocks every eight weeks where they receive a blend of classroom theory and practical workshop tasks, working towards IMI Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications.
September 2020 will likely see changes in the government-funded vocational programmes meaning that 16-18 year-old trainees will no longer be available for long-term unpaid ‘work experience’ within businesses. That’s another good reason to consider investing in your future by actually employing a capable young person who’s keen to learn and make a good addition to your team as an apprentice.
Here’s the experience of Samuel Harron, from Bangor, a 1st year apprentice at Belfast Audi:
“I left school in June 2019 after completing A-levels, but I didn’t particularly want to go on to higher education. I had been racing go-karts since I was 8 and was always interested in cars. I applied for TTS, and after passing their pre-entry aptitude test, Robert Deignan signposted me towards vacancies in the Agnew Group. I’m now more than half way through my 1st year as an apprentice technician in Belfast Audi and I’m loving every minute of it.”
Samuel’s workshop supervisor, Jim Madden, is also delighted with Samuel’s impact in the business:
“Samuel has excelled in his first few months. His passion for cars has driven him to put in the effort required to perform at the highest level. In this time he has studied with TTS and online with Audi UK which has given him an understanding of what is required to be successful in his apprenticeship. Through this studying and working alongside his mentor Ben McKeating, he has used our systems and processes of work including the workshop manual and state of the art workshop diagnostic equipment.
With this knowledge Samuel, under close supervision, can now complete service work and has carried out some repairs. With further training and support from ourselves and TTS he will continue to progress into diagnosing and repair in the future. We look forward to working closely with TTS in the coming years and helping to coach and mentor Samuel to achieve his potential and reach the highest levels within the workshop at Belfast Audi.”
Heavy Vehicle applicant, Jay Cardwell, from Belfast is getting ready for GCSEs at Belfast Boys Model school: “I applied to TTS after they attended a Careers Fair in my school. I recently passed the TTS aptitude tests, they were challenging and made me realise that I need to work hard at school to achieve GCSE passes in English and Maths. Robert at TTS has helped me with my CV and has arranged an interview for an apprenticeship in a franchised truck dealer in Mallusk”.
There just might be an ideal Apprentice candidate for your business so please call with Robert, have a look at our Centre at Nutts Corner and check out the possibilities.
You can contact Robert Deignan, Careers Development Officer at robertd@transporttraining.org or by telephone on 028 90825653.
Ford Technicians and Apprentices Successfully Complete 5 Days of Specialist Ford Training at TTS
TTS recently organised and hosted Ford specialist training at its training centre in Nutts Corner. The 5-day programme was primarily aimed at current TTS apprentices as well as recently qualified apprentices and technicians in the trade working with the Ford brand. The modules covered were Basic Electrics and Electronics; Steering, Suspension and Brakes; and Service Quality.
TTS would like to place on record its thanks to specialist Ford trainer Colin Crick who expertly delivered the programme and at the same time ensured that TTS trainer John Walsh is now equipped to deliver Ford modules at TTS in the future. Participation in the course awards credits on the FordLearn system and therefore provides a cost effective solution to accreditation for apprentices and technicians.
Picture caption – Pictured with Ford specialist technical trainer Colin Crick (left) and TTS technical trainer John Walsh (right) are Darren Anderson, Lee Krelle, David Brown, Jamie Houston, Marc Patton, Caolan Jack and Christopher Laverty
The TTS Apprentice 100 - Meeting the Increasing Demand for a Skilled Workforce
Transport Training Services (TTS) has launched its 2019 apprenticeship recruitment campaign and is aiming to exceed last year’s figure by recruiting 100 new apprentices. The apprenticeships will start on or before September 2019 and will supply the industry with talented young people in a variety of apprentice job roles – light and heavy vehicle technicians, body repair and vehicle refinish technicians, motorcycle repair technicians, tyre technicians as well as aftersales and parts advisors. TTS will also be further developing its driving goods vehicles apprenticeship, as well as offering a new traffic office apprenticeship for those who wish to embark on a career in traffic planning and logistics.
“These are exciting times for TTS as we aim to build upon last year’s record recruitment of over 85 new apprentices who entered the motor vehicle and transport sectors in September 2018”, says CEO Martin Hutchinson. “These recruits have quickly become productive in their new job roles. This can only be good news for employers who are faced with skills shortages in a number of areas.”
According to a skills shortage report published by the Freight Transport Association in November last year, over half of all large good vehicle drivers in the UK are age 45+ (56%) and the report estimates that there is a shortfall of large good vehicle drivers of 35,000. The shortage of technicians is more difficult to quantify but there is significant anecdotal evidence from local employers that this is a huge issue. The most recent Employer Skills Survey (2017) published by the Department for Education, which interviewed 87,430 employers across the UK (3,973 of which were in NI) highlights that around two in every five vacancies for roles classed as “Skilled Trades” were “proving hard to fill for skills related reasons”. Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians came second on the list of specific job roles that account for the largest proportion of all Skilled Trades skill-shortage vacancies, giving a strong indication of the challenges employers face.
TTS offers both employers and young people an efficient and robust assessment and job matching service so that ‘job-ready’ applicants can be quickly matched to ‘live’ vacancies. Robert Deignan, Careers Development Officer at TTS, is actively building partnerships with schools and promoting motor vehicle careers at jobs fairs and other community outreach events. This activity has stimulated a significant number of apprentice applications from school leavers and young people interested in kick-starting their career. Each applicant is assessed at TTS using a range of bespoke diagnostic tests. Suitable prospects are then connected directly to employers for further assessment, work trials and final interviews. As Robert explains, “The diagnostic assessment tool is a good indicator of an applicant’s ability in literacy, numeracy, mechanical aptitude and cognitive reasoning. Individual assessment ensures that only suitable prospects are put forward to employers for consideration.”
TTS has well-established business partnerships with the main employers in the transport and motor sectors in Northern Ireland. Current partners on the ApprenticeshipsNI* programme include a variety of franchise brands such as BMW, Mercedes, Ford, VW, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Renault, Kia, Hyundai and Fiat. TTS train apprentices for Charles Hurst Group, The Agnew Group, Donnelly Group and TrustFord, and at the heavy vehicle end of the industry TTS partner employers include Dennison Commercials (Volvo), Road Trucks (Scania), TBF Thompson (DAF), NI Trucks (Iveco) and Diamond Trucks (Renault). TTS also helps recruit and train motivated, job-ready young people who are keen to begin their journey in the industry for smaller independent employers and family businesses throughout Northern Ireland.
Dominic Kelly, Training Manager for Charles Hurst Group had this to say:
“Last year TTS helped us to recruit six aftersales advisor apprentices and four technician apprentices for our franchise dealerships in Belfast and Newtownabbey. The aftersales role is new and is our way of providing an exciting career path for young people entering the motor industry”.
Isobel Allison, Group HR Manager for NI Trucks added:
“We have worked closely with TTS in apprenticeship recruitment and training for a number of years. TTS provide initial filtering and testing of applicants for our depots in Mallusk and Portadown and this ensures that we get the right young people into the company. TTS technical trainers also visit our workplace on a regular basis to assess apprentice competence on the job”.
The Ballymena-based Wrights Group enjoys a close working relationship with TTS for the delivery of its vehicle body and paint apprenticeship, a partnership that has been fostered over a number of years with proven results. John Lynham, Wrights Group Academy Manager, is highly impressed with TTS’s service level:
“As a global business we instinctively know that TTS will deliver highly skilled individuals at the end of the training programme who consistently add value and quality to our paint and finish process. TTS assist with all stages of the apprenticeship journey from recruitment right through to graduation, and they have exceptional facilities that enable our apprentices to learn, grow and develop – without doubt, all of the learners’ needs are catered for. Their “block training” approach rather than day release is perfect for the learner and the business. We are delighted to have TTS as our training partner, and we are always impressed by every member of the TTS team with which we have contact”.
From its purpose-built, modern facility at Nutts Corner Business Park, TTS currently provides training on a ‘block release’ basis for more than 200 employed apprentices. Each apprentice attends the training centre one week every two months for a blend of workshop practical tasks, classroom theory and e-learning. After three years they are fully qualified in their chosen vocational area with Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) Level 3 technical qualifications. Moreover, they are fully productive and ready to make an even greater contribution towards meeting the needs of the business. Due to the recent growth in demand, TTS is currently recruiting an additional technical trainer and investing over £100,000 in modern equipment for training.
TTS has a strong pastoral element to its programmes to ensure young people are progressing well in their development and integrating well into their place of employment.
David Fullerton, Apprentice at AIR Commercial Services in Ballymena commented:
“I could have gone on to university after completing my A-Levels, but I decided on an apprenticeship and I’m really glad I chose this path. I’ll be completing a Level 3 apprenticeship in heavy vehicle repair this summer and I’m looking forward to a successful career in the industry”.
Matthew Mount, Apprentice at Wrights Accident Repair Centre in Dromore agreed:
“I joined TTS in 2016 and have just completed my apprenticeship in car body repair at Wrights Accident Repair Centre in Dromore. I’ve really enjoyed the experience and have now got IMI Level 2 and 3 qualifications through TTS which will serve me well in my future career. I have secured full-time employment at Wrights and I’ll be happy to stay in the job for many years to come”.
TTS is interested in hearing from young people aged 16-25 who are keen to embark on a career in the motor or transport industries and take advantage of the opportunities being provided by employers throughout Northern Ireland. Equally the business is keen to speak to local employers who would be interested in helping young people to ‘join the TTS 100’ in 2019.
*ApprenticeshipsNI is funded by the Department for the Economy (DFE) and the European Social Fund (ESF) and is available to young people between the ages of 18 and 25.
Contacts
Reader enquiries: Martin Hutchinson, CEO, TTS or Robert Deignan, Careers Development Officer, TTS Tel: 028 9082 5653 or email: robertd@transport-training.co.uk
Editorial enquiries: Laura Reeve Tel: 07813 019 475 or email: laura.reeve@genieinsights.com
Notes for Editors
Transport Training Services
Transport Training Services (TTS) is a social enterprise which focuses solely on apprenticeships and career development training specifically for the retail motor trade and transport industry in Northern Ireland. TTS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Transport Training Board for Northern Ireland. Backed by over 25 years’ experience TTS is a leading, recognised transport training service provider.
https://www.transport-training.com/