Siemens as a leading engineering employer in the UK has a longstanding and highly successful apprenticeship scheme. Siemens currently has over 100 apprentices, and this year is creating around 90 more across its three main businesses of Energy, Industry and Healthcare in the UK. Particularly, exciting is the opening of 36 new apprenticeships for wind power service technicians, a development, which reflects Siemens’ focus on meeting the growing need for skills in renewables and other areas of the low carbon economy. Overall, the scheme this year represents a very healthy picture of ongoing growth, which mirrors the company’s positive recruitment drive and investment in skills and training in the UK.
Commenting on the value of the apprenticeship route, Juergen Maier, managing director of Siemens Industry, and executive champion of the skills and training agenda within Siemens in the UK, said: “The UK is facing one of the biggest economic challenges ever and needs to revive its manufacturing and rebuild its core engineering skills base as well as respond to the green engineering skills agenda. Apprenticeships are an important way in which we can bridge this gap and develop a highly skilled workforce. This requires a joined-up approach between government, education and business. The National Apprenticeship Week is a great way to raise awareness and promote the benefits to business and employees alike.”
Since 2008 Siemens has run its own apprenticeship scheme from locations across the UK and works in conjunction with many local colleges and training partners, including: Tyne Metropolitan College in the north east, Tameside College and the Greater Manchester Skills Centre in the north west, Lincoln in the east of England, Milton Keynes College in the south east, Highbury College on the south coast, and Carnegie College in Scotland, for the wind power technician apprenticeship scheme launched in September 2010.
Siemens runs the Advanced Apprenticeship scheme in Engineering, which is a three to four year course, consisting of a NVQ Level 2 & 3 as well as technical certificate (typically a BTEC National Certificate). Some of Siemens apprentices also following the modern apprenticeship route which takes around 2 years and consists of a NVQ Level 2 and a technical certificate.
Following their rotational training, which consists of several 9-12 month placements and on-the-job training, apprentices have the opportunity for employment within one of Siemens many service or manufacturing businesses, such as power engineering, renewables, transportation, drives and controls and healthcare.
Apprenticeships are one part of a much wider picture of investment in skills and training made by Siemens in the UK. Since 2008, Siemens has invested around £8m in its dedicated Energy Services Training Centre in Newcastle, which incorporates a wind power training school to train the next generation of technicians for high growth renewables sectors.
Siemens is also heavily involved in STEM (science, engineering, technology and mathematics) training and runs many initiatives with schools and colleges around the country to help promote engineering as a career. Siemens is proud to be a sponsor again of the Big Bang Schools Science Fair, ExCel in second week of March.
Notes to editors:
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 168 years ago and now employs around 16,000 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.1 billion. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
For more information, contact:
Rachel Odams
PR Manager
Siemens plc
Tel. +44 (0)1276 690782
Mob: +44 (0)7808 824209
Rachel.odams@siemens.com
