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.