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.
Significant Investment at TTS to Drive Learning Forward
Due to the increasing levels of training being delivered by Transport Training Services at Nutts Corner, significant investment has been made on a number of fronts – namely access and parking facilities, new heavy vehicle equipment and a new computer suite.
Work undertaken by FP McCann over the past few weeks, will significantly improve site access and enhance safety. A new parking layout has also added much needed additional car parking space. This work is part of a wider traffic management scheme within Nutts Corner Business Park.
A brand new computer suite with 20 PCs has also been installed at TTS to meet the needs of the increasing use of online testing, e-Portfolio and e-Learning. The new facility has been possible with financial assistance via the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council GROW programme.
Having previously invested in individual ‘Electude’ e-learning resources, the new IT suite will enable apprentices and learners to access modern e-learning resources on brand new computers. Electude is the world’s leading provider of automotive e-learning solutions.
“By giving apprentices access to their individual e-learning ‘portal’ on any internet device at any time, the resource allows them to develop knowledge at their own pace as well as indicating to TTS the learners who have the keenest interest in furthering their career,” says Stephen Wilkinson, TTS Training Director.
The new computer suite has been up and running since the beginning of June and is providing huge benefits to young learners and other course participants.
A third recent investment is equipment to further improve on-site heavy vehicle training provision. Six Somers pillar lifts have been acquired and more diagnostic equipment is on the way, including a top of the range Bosch KTS capable of being used with trucks and motorcycles as well as light vehicles.
“We’ve created a dedicated HV workshop and installing the latest equipment is helping us deliver the best practical skills for our HV apprentices,” said Michael Hutchinson, Technical Trainer and HV specialist.
TTS are aiming to further extend and enhance their heavy vehicle training provision to address current and future skills shortages in the industry, most notably in the area of driver and technicians.
Last but not least, a new commercial vehicle driving simulator is due at TTS in the near future. Martin Hutchinson, CEO commented:
“We’re looking forward to commissioning this surprisingly expensive installation. However, it’ll be worth it as the objective is to deliver more efficient and safer commercial driver training, especially for young people on the TTS Commercial Driver training apprenticeship. It’s unfair to send relatively inexperienced young people out on the road in an 18 tonne truck at an early stage of training, therefore the simulator will help them get familiar with controlling a large vehicle to the required standard before going onto the public highway.”
These changes are just part of many ongoing improvements at TTS to serve the local automotive and transport industries, and as always, employers are welcome to visit the facilities and speak to the team.
TTS Launches Schools Initiatives to Help Link School Studies to the Real World of Work!
Transport Training Services (TTS) has recently launched two new and exciting schools initiatives which it believes will stimulate a greater level of interest in careers in the motor and transport sector. The initiatives are primarily designed to demonstrate how Maths and Business Studies are relevant to job roles within the industry. Working with local schools and careers teachers, the “Maths in Action” and “Apprentice Challenge” initiatives develop links with Year 11-14 pupils in schools and promote career paths in the industry by getting the students involved in real ‘hands-on’ motor vehicle projects linked to the school curriculum.
The Maths in Action programme, launched in 2017, demonstrates the relevance of Mathematics to working in a local motor business through a variety of stimulating practical activities. The activities take place in TTS vehicle workshops at its purpose-built facility in Nutts Corner. A group of up to 12 students (ideally working towards the achievement of GCSEs i.e. Year 11 or 12) and 2 teachers can be accommodated during a 3 hour visit to TTS. The workshop activities include wheel balancing, wheel alignment, paint mixing, and paint spraying. Not only can the student get involved in these activities themselves, but the relevance of the tasks to various mathematical principles – geometry (angles, radius, circumference, speed) algebra (formulas and ratios) - is fully explained. A number of schools including Ulidia College, Edmund Rice College and De La Salle College have already enjoyed the Maths in Action experience at TTS and this has led to new applications for apprenticeship roles within the industry.
The second initiative, the Apprentice Challenge, involves a group of pupils (ideally Year 13) buying a vehicle at an auction and preparing it for resale to make a profit to be reinvested in school resources or donated to a local charitable cause. The programme lasts for 6-8 weeks and takes the students on an exciting journey whilst at the same time teaches them a lot about the skills needed to run a business – allocation of job roles, budget setting, product identification, auction bidding, purchasing, vehicle preparation and enhancement, and reselling. The first school to participate in this challenge has been Ballyclare Secondary School. Having been allocated a budget by the school, a team of 8 pupils from Year 13 undertook to source, purchase and resell a vehicle to raise funds for reinvestment in the school’s 6th form centre. The students visited Belfast City Auction in Carryduff and successfully acquired a Ford Fiesta at a competitive price. However there was no valid MOT certificate with the vehicle so the priority was then to service and fully prepare for MOT. This was done by the students themselves at TTS under the supervision of TTS technical training staff. Having shopped around to get the most competitively priced parts, a ‘service kit’ was then purchased at a local supplier. Shortly afterwards the service and MOT prep work was carried out by the students and staff at TTS. After a full valet using AutoGlym products the car was resold at auction for a healthy profit and these funds were reinvested in the school 6th form centre for the students to enjoy!!
TTS believe that such initiatives can build positive relationships with local schools whilst at the same time promote the various career paths within the motor vehicle industry. School leavers are often unaware of the breadth and variety of job roles within the industry and the rewarding careers that can be embarked upon through the ApprenticeshipsNI programme.
TTS offers a wide range of apprenticeship programmes. For local motor businesses we offer 3-year apprenticeship programmes Light Vehicle Repair, Heavy Vehicle Repair, Auto Electrical Repair, Motorcycle Repair, Fast Fit, Body Repair, Vehicle Refinishing, MET, Parts Advisor, Service Advisor, and Traffic Office. 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 16 and 25. For further information on the schools initiatives and apprenticeship programmes at TTS you can contact Robert Deignan on 028 9082 5653 or robertd@transport-training.co.uk.