Institution news
At the ceremony on 19 September 2014, the whole company, along with families of the apprentices and guests, were all proud of the three young engineers who were recognised for completing their apprenticeships.
Tim Kitchener, Ben Maynard and Richard Pearson were the first group of apprentices from Carl Zeiss Microscopy Ltd to graduate since their Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme was recognised by the Institution.
The scheme is run in conjunction with West Anglia Training Association in Huntingdon. The young engineers have excelled through their apprenticeships and will undoubtedly play important roles in the future of the company.
ZEISS, in common with many high-tech companies at present, are keen to secure a sufficient supply of highly qualified engineers. So the company is using its apprenticeship scheme to grow and develop the engineers that they will need in the future.
Lara Mallett, the Institution’s Business Development Manager for the Eastern Region, attended the event, along with Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge.
Lara reflected: “ZEISS and the individuals have worked hard to make these apprenticeships as successful as possible and it is exciting to share the celebration as the first engineers complete the course. The Institution is proud to work with a company such as ZEISS which is leading the world in technology, and needs a skilled workforce to continue to flourish.”
Julian Huppert MP is himself a physicist and is very supportive of local industry. He is very aware of the engineering skills shortage in the Cambridge area and is therefore keen to promote the value of the apprentice route. He commented: “Impressive work from the three now ex-apprentices!”
Dan Aldridge, a recent Fellow of the Institution, has been instrumental in setting up the apprenticeship scheme at ZEISS. He says: “It has been my privilege to mentor the apprentices through this scheme and to see them mature from school leavers into professional engineers, and the company's leaders of the future.”
“The apprenticeship scheme provides a wide blend of in-company development and academic progression, which is now an integral part of the company's succession planning and knowledge capture. Having the scheme formally accredited by the IMechE was a significant achievement, and has put us in a stronger position for recruitment and in providing CPD for our young engineers.”
To find out more about the Institution's Company Based Registration (CBR) scheme, contact Lara Mallett, the Institution’s Business Development Manager for the Eastern Region at:
l_mallett@imeche.org.