Recruitment Drive for Sessional Trainers at TTS
TTS, a social enterprise which builds skills in people working in the automotive, logistics and transport sectors, is strengthening its team of trainers by widening its bank of sessional trainers.
What we need are career professionals who already have qualifications and experience in their field and would like to take a step further with flexible opportunities to share this experience with others through training, mentoring and support.
Our training program includes leadership, management and compliance programs for the logistics, taxi and transport industries; foundation and ongoing professional training for the automotive industries as well as on the road skills and license preparation for freight and passenger transport drivers. We also deliver safety training and accreditation for the movement of dangerous goods and management of automotive workshops.
Quality provision is critical to us. We are ISO 9001 accredited and a recognised centre for the following bodies:
- The Institute of Export & International Trade
- Institute of the Motor Industry
- Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport
- The Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training
- National Tyre Distributors’ Association
- Scottish Qualifications Authority
- Apprenticeships NI
- Open College Network
- Institute of Road Transport Engineers
What We Need
We are looking to identify a pool of experienced sessional trainers who have proven experience in their fields and who, with induction and training, will help TTS to build and develop our delivery in the next stage of our growth.
This bank of trainers will be drawn upon to support innovation, to improve our diversity of delivery, to meet times of key demand and to expand our reach. Our strategy and growth is showing us we need to grow our team and we want to bring on board a wider spread of people and skills to support our training and development services ahead.
Training delivery might be with people to gain skills qualifications and apprenticeships:
- Automotive - light and heavy vehicles, parts & service, bodywork and paint, fast fit, workshop safety, F-Gas, electric vehicle and more
- Logistics and transport - Driver CPC, Export and Brexit readiness, Transport Manager Qualification, ADR, DGSA, Taxi Periodic Training and licence categories C, C+E, D and D1
These self-employed roles will be for day, evening and weekend provision at our modern specialist training centre at Nutts Corner or at a customer’s premises across Ireland. It may be for short term or longer-term delivery as the need arises.
What You Need To Do
For an informal conversation on the opportunity please give Stephen Wilkinson, Training Director a call to get more information. To apply we will need you to send us your cv and a cover letter and make sure we have your name, address and phone number. Please include:
- Your current role and your relevant experience
- Your relevant professional training
- Any training and development qualifications and/or experience
- The particular area you are interested in delivering training with us and why your experience can support your training in that area
- The names and phone number of two referees
Applicants may need later to have an Access NI check done and we will ask to see copies of qualification certificates before you may start.
We will wish to meet with you and we will provide and induction through which we both can work out how (or if) you might deliver training for us.
Application Deadline and Delivery
We are open to applications on a rolling basis but we will shortlist and follow up on applications on or around the first day of each month.
These are preferred by email to HR@transporttraining.org
Or by mail to:
HR
Transport Training Services
Nutts Corner Business Park
15 Dundrod Road
Crumlin
BT29 4SS
Details of Employer Incentives for Apprenticeships
We posted information on 4th September about the various employer incentives announced by the Department for the Economy.
Today, we are able to post links to the details you have been asking for. These links give clarity about who is entitled to claim the employer incentives, how they are administered and how to apply
- If you have returned an apprentice from furlough or are planning to do so, please follow this link...
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/coronavirus-apprenticeship-return-retain-and-result-scheme
- If you have recently taken on a new apprentice or are planning to do so, please follow this link...
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/coronavirus-recruitment-new-apprenticeships
If you would like to discuss any of the above information, please contact our Training Director, Stephen Wilkinson, on 028 9590 1062 or our Careers Development Officer, Robert Deignan, on 028 9082 5653
New Apprentice Retention Scheme Launched by DfE for Employers
The news initially broke on 4th September via various local news outlets (e.g. BBC).
This is extremely positive news which could see employers being paid up to £3,700 for each apprentice that they train and retain.
We have pursued further information on the scheme from DfE and can now confirm the following:
Q: If an employer takes on an apprentice from 31st August will they qualify for the £3,000 incentive or will it only come into effect from today?
A: Employers will be eligible for all apprentices (AppsNI and HLA) that they recruited from the 1st April 2020
Q: If an employer has already paid off their apprentices, can they avail of the £3,700 if they reemploy those they have already let go?
A: Yes, If the Apprentice was furloughed, then let go and re-employed the employer will be eligible for this scheme – date of “re-employment” will impact upon total eligibility
Q: When will the incentive be paid?
A: Full details will be published online this week however:
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Recruitment Incentive – Employer becomes eligible to apply for £2k after 90 days employment, with remaining £1k payable if retained for 200 days
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Furlough Retention – Assuming employed / returned from Furlough before the 1st Nov, the employer can apply for the £500 return incentive, once one full month of employment has been completed (for early returners this would be the month of Nov 2020), from 1st December 2020. They can then apply for a further (up to) £2k of retain incentive in April 2021, for the period the apprentice is retained beyond the return month. The maximum retain period available is 4 months, £500 incentive per month, from 1st Dec 20 – 31st Mar 21. The returned furloughed apprentices become eligible to apply for final £1,200 once apprenticeship has been successfully completed
Q: How will it be paid? Through HMRC reduced deductions, directly from DfE or through the training contractor?
A: Directly from DfE – application process currently under development. We will publish full details as soon as possible
Q: Will the incentive simply top up the existing employer incentives already built into ApprenticeshipsNI?
A: They are separate however employer will remain eligible for any existing DfE incentives and the UK Gov Coronavirus Job Retention Bonus
This is very welcome news indeed and the funds are much needed to help sustain apprenticeships and the economy. TTS will endeavour to keep you updated as more information becomes available.
If you are interested in recruiting an automotive or transport industry apprentice, please contact our dedicated Careers Development Officer, Robert Deignan on 07736958355 or via email on robertd@transporttraining.org
Apprentices Must Remain a Priority for Employers, says new CEO of TTS
TTS's new CEO, Peter O'Reilly, is urging employers to take a long-term view when considering staffing requirements regarding apprentices over the coming weeks and months.
Recent history shows that young people are disproportionately impacted by unemployment during recession. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash, almost a third of those unemployed in Northern Ireland were between 18 and 24 - the only age group to see an unemployment rate in double digits.
For young people already part-way through an apprenticeship, the prospect of losing their employment due to redundancy is a matter of grave concern. If these apprentices were to be laid off, not only would they lose their employment, they would be at risk of losing their apprenticeship place as well. For those young people due to leave education hoping to start an apprenticeship in September, the situation is even more grim.
Whilst TTS fully appreciates the difficult decisions companies are faced with, it is urging employers to take a long-term view when considering staffing requirements regarding apprentices over the coming weeks and months.
Given the inexpensiveness of apprentices relative to their productivity, they offer employers good value when money is tight. In fact, Institute for the Motor Industry (IMI) carried out an extensive two-year study, co-funded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, which showed apprentices typically generate a return on investment of between 150% and 300% and typically generate profit within 18-24 months. ‘Growing your own’ technicians through apprenticeships also reduces long-term recruitment and training costs.
Peter O’Reilly, the new CEO of TTS is urging employers to take a long-term view when considering staffing requirements over the coming weeks. He firmly believes that young people are key to securing the future workforce. He explained: “We know the potentially devastating effect that not investing in apprentice training can have. There is a knock-on effect later down the line, something the sectors that we work with are experiencing now. During the last recession, many employers chose not to invest in apprentices and that’s partly how today’s skills gaps have come about. It is our hope that employers will bear this in mind when considering their existing and future apprentice needs”.
Encouragingly, the Chancellor has now announced financial support to promote the take up of apprenticeships, but presently these measures do not apply to Northern Ireland. TTS will be pursuing local Government in the coming weeks to advocate for young people and employers in Northern Ireland on this issue.
TTS remains committed to getting more motivated young people into apprenticeship roles to support employers in the motor trade and transport/logistics industries and already has a pipeline of promising candidates assessed and ready to work and learn.
Being an independent training provider, TTS is not restricted to a September start for apprentices and can have late starters, unlike the government owned further education institutions, so apprentice numbers could increase later in the year, should the economy recover more quickly than expected.
TTS supplies talented young people in a variety of apprentice job roles within the automotive and transport/logistics sector, including: light and heavy vehicle technician, body repair and vehicle refinish technician, tyre technician, service and parts advisor, goods vehicle driving and traffic office apprenticeships (for those wishing to embark on a career in traffic planning in logistics).
To find out more about recruiting an apprentice, please contact Robert Deignan or complete the contact form at the bottom of the page here.
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.
Northern Ireland Autobody Repair Skills Competition
William Copeland won 3rd place at the Northern Ireland Autobody repair skills competition 2020. The 19 year old has been at TTS since September 2018 and works at Wrights accident and repair in Dromore. Congratulations William from all of us at TTS.
Association Warns Local Authorities of Likely Spike in Illegal Tyre Disposal
The UK’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) is warning that recent steep increases in the cost of old tyre disposal may lead to a significant rise in the illegal dumping of old tyres on private land and in fly-tipping generally.
A recent significant reduction in often questionable waste tyre exports to the Indian sub-continent has resulted in a return to more legitimate recycling and recovery outcomes of the kind we all want to see. Responsible recycling outcomes of the kind we should all be encouraging do, however, come at a modest cost which can also attract criminal elements who simply charge, collect, then dump said TRA Secretary-General, Peter Taylor. He continued “recycling gate prices for old tyres have risen significantly in the past few months and this fact may well provide new opportunities for the unscrupulous. We must all be on our guard”.
Cash-strapped Local Authorities and others who have to deal with tyre disposal and clean-up need to be more aware of this heightened risk and only engage with recognised professional tyre collectors and reprocessors such as our own Responsible Recycler Scheme members, in this way they will be fully facing up to their legal duty of care in these current volatile market conditions.
IMI Accredited Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Upskill Training Available at TTS
Transport Training Services is responding to industry demand by offering training on electric/hybrid vehicles for fully qualified technicians needing to upskill and qualify to work on electric/hybrid vehicles.
Driven by targets set by government to enable adoption of zero emission cars and vans, there is a very real need to increase technician competence and in turn, consumer confidence that electric and hybrid vehicles can be maintained properly and safely. Recognising this early on, TTS set out to address the issue within Northern Ireland and now has trainers suitably qualified to deliver Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) TechSafe™ courses.
As Northern Ireland’s premier motor industry training specialist, TTS has acquired three hybrid vehicles, including a brand new, top of the range Toyota RAV4, plus an additional new plug-in hybrid to ensure that learners are training on the most up-to-date vehicle specifications.
TTS can offer a range of electric/hybrid courses but for now is focusing primarily on the Level 3 Award in Electric/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement qualification (ref 603/1468/0), since this is the most relevant and in-demand requirement currently. This is a two-day course for experienced mechanics/technicians, which enables successful candidates to work safely around EV/hybrid vehicles and includes vehicles that may have damage to their high voltage system.
This training reduces the risk of accidents with these high voltages and the qualification helps employers meet their ‘duty of care’ under the Electricity at Work Regulations, to prevent danger when carrying out work on electrical systems.
Participants will be issued with internationally recognised certification upon completion of an EV course delivered at TTS’s Nutts Corner training facility, and their details will be held on the IMI Professional Register so that motorists can check if technicians at their chosen garage are able to work on their vehicle safely.
So far, feedback from industry and from course participants has been extremely positive, with post-training questionnaires, which cover TTS facilities, course content and trainer knowledge, rating all aspects highly. One trainee commented: “I found the assessor’s information relevant to my field and I’m very happy with the information I’m leaving with”, while others commended the trainers with comments such as “helpful”, “knowledgeable” and even “witty”, and for making them “feel comfortable”.
TTS is also committed to integrating EV/hybrid training into its technical apprenticeships for those already enrolled on its technician apprenticeship programmes.
The Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has given its endorsement to the IMI TechSafe™ standards for people working on electrified vehicles.
Martin Hutchinson, CEO of TTS added: “We continually strive to deliver practical training to Northern Ireland’s motor industry technical personnel so they can stay relevant in an industry that is making rapid technological changes. Giving technicians the necessary skills to safely work on high voltage vehicles is just one area that we are currently focusing on”.
The next Level 3, two-day course at TTS, Nutts Corner is 28 and 29 January 2020 and is being offered for the introductory cost of just £299+VAT (including registration and certification fee) for a limited time only. Courses are limited to 10 delegates to ensure sufficient practical work opportunities.
TTS on Target for the 2019 TTS100 Apprentice Recruitment
Transport Training Services has welcomed its first 2019/20 intake of apprentices to its purpose-built training centre at Nutts Corner.
Around 70 apprentices have already been recruited and placed with a range car and commercial vehicle employers across Northern Ireland. Approximately two-thirds of these are light vehicle technician apprentices, with the remainder in heavy vehicle technician, aftersales, body repair and paint, and driving apprenticeship roles. The commercial vehicle driver apprentices start at any time of year.
Included in this year’s intake are three female apprentices – two technician apprentices and one in an aftersales advisor apprenticeship.
All TTS apprentices will start sometime between the beginning of September and the end of October, depending on the course and employer, but all have attended TTS in early September for induction, course registration and preparation for employment.
With the weekly ‘block’ pattern of training that TTS delivers it is possible for apprentices to start at any time of year. Most will start in the autumn but TTS will endeavour to facilitate the needs of employers and young people throughout the year.
As well as heavy and light vehicle technician, body repair and paint, parts and service advisor and commercial vehicle/passenger transport driving apprenticeships, TTS is launching a tyre technician apprenticeship, in collaboration with the National Tyre Distributors Association, and a Traffic Office apprenticeship with the Road Haulage Association.
Because of the success of this year’s recruitment campaign, technical training provision at TTS has been expanded with the employment of an additional trainer, John Walsh. This brings the total number of TTS trainers to six full time and seven associates.
TTS’s 2019/20 apprentice employers are split almost 50:50 between the main car and truck dealerships and independent companies across Northern Ireland. These employers have recognised the importance of bringing new talent into the motor and transport industries via apprenticeships to support business growth or simply to survive. With businesses all competing for the same diminishing pool of qualified technicians, drivers and aftersales staff in both sectors, well-recruited apprentices offer long term sustainability in the labour market.
Martin Hutchinson, CEO of TTS explained, “At TTS we firmly believe the only viable solution to today’s labour market challenges is to bring new blood into the motor and transport sectors via apprenticeships. Industry has a responsibility to secure its own future workforce by training our young people and return on investment studies show that employers reap the benefits quickly”.
Growing and developing your own talent can improve how you work, raise your productivity and increase your profits. Verified research by the Institute of the Motor Industry found that apprentices typically generate a return on investment of between 150 and 300% and can generate profit within 18-24 months, often earlier. Figures produced by another study showed that the average apprenticeship improves business productivity by £214 per week, with the apprentice national minimum wage starting at just £3.90. Additionally, growing the workforce using apprentices reduces long term recruitment and training costs.
If none of the above are good enough reasons to recruit an apprentice, giving a young person a good start in life is a socially responsible and rewarding thing to do. We all had to start somewhere!
TTS apprentices are vetted through a robust assessment programme to ascertain their suitability and are put through basic skills training, so employers are assured of recruits that are eager to learn, adaptable and well prepared for the workplace. Apprentices and employers both benefit from TTS’s Career Development Officer, Robert Deignan, who is the link between both parties, supporting each with every part of the apprenticeship, from recruitment through to training and qualification.
As well as training apprentices to industry standards, TTS can also incorporate brand-specific modules for employers that require tailored training content and work closely with Peugeot/Citroen, Ford, Toyota/Lexus, Kia, Hyundai and in the truck sector DAF, Renault, Iveco and Scania.
Unlike some other apprenticeship providers, TTS apprentices work for their employer five days per week all year round, with the exception of attendance at TTS approximately one week every two months for training. TTS prefers this ‘block release’ model to a weekly day release, because employers can more easily plan workload around the apprentice being away for training.
For apprentices under 25 years old, the cost of the apprenticeship training is fully funded by the Department for the Economy.
Employers considering an apprentice are encouraged to contact Robert Deignan at TTS as soon as possible to ensure recruitment is completed in time for the remaining 2019 intake.