TIP looks to the future with more apprentices
PRESS RELEASE : 13th October 2021
As part of its ongoing staff development programme, TIP Trailer Services is expanding its current UK apprenticeship scheme with a further intake of seven new students in 2021. At the present time, TIP has ten apprentices involved in its training and development programme, covering TIP Trailer Services, TIP Tanker Services and Williams Tanker Services, with each student undergoing a comprehensive 4-year apprenticeship.
The existing TIP apprenticeship scheme now has apprentices at its locations ranging from Glasgow right through to Southampton on the south coast. The scheme is part of a global training project within TIP, with similar programmes being rolled out across Europe from this year.
“It’s a proven fact that the UK commercial vehicle industry has an ageing workforce, and we need to attract a great number of younger people into the industry in general. We believe that our long-term investment in apprentices is part of a structured approach to help introduce more younger people into our business going forward,” said Mike Furnival, managing director, TIP Trailer Services UK&I.
Mike continues, “As a company, TIP has operated an apprenticeship scheme for many years and today we still have many former apprentices working full time in the business. However, since our original scheme a few years ago, we have enhanced the format of the programme by incorporating a far more structured framework, including competitive salary scales, as well as ongoing incentives throughout the four-year term.”
The enhanced scheme will now also be adopted by Grayrentals and TIP’s tanker businesses’, including Williams Tanker Services. It is managed by the company’s training department, and owes its success to all the TIP mentors, workshop managers and regional fleet engineers who spend time developing the apprentices and sharing their knowledge and experience with them.
The scheme involves a Level 3 Diploma in ‘Heavy Vehicle Service & Maintenance’ and Levels 1,2,3 NVQ in ‘Fabrication and Welding’.
Years one, two and three are predominantly college-based with blocks of on-site training, whilst year four provides more ‘hands-on’ workshop training. Within the third year of the programme, the scheme covers both IRTEC and tail lift training for all students in order to widen their trailer knowledge and understanding.
“The TIP apprenticeship scheme involves massive personal investment by each student over a four-year period. However, they benefit from an industry specific apprenticeship programme that is dedicated to trailers and ancillary equipment, through a balanced content of both practical workshop-based and theoretical classroom-based training,” said Mike Furnival.
Further Information
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David Nash, Quad Public Relations
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