The first cohort of apprentices has been welcomed to the inaugural programme delivered by Catch at the beacon Humber Bank training facility.
Having operated as a facilitator of skills development and competency testing for more than 15 years, direct school-leaver provision has now been added by the industry-backed member organisation.
James McIntosh, chief operating officer and director of skills at Catch, has led the move to respond to what he has described as unprecedented demand. The move was first unveiled in November last year as work with employers ahead of recruitment, began.
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He said: “It is fantastic for us. For me, personally, it has been over two years in the making, having started project planning in the summer of 2020, so to have our first cohort live, here at Catch, is fantastic achievement for us as a business and as a team.
“We have 67 new learners on site, which, with three national contracts and some companies transferring apprentices, takes us to a total on the roll of 125. We are a new provider with a very large number!”
The new strand at the Stallingborough site, developed in phases since its opening in 2006, has seen the on-site team significantly grown too, with academic requirements sitting alongside industrial strategy and capability work.
Mr McIntosh said: “We have recruited 15 new full time roles, so effectively we have built a new business, and these roles are in co-ordination, commercial, delivery, assessment and management. It is a full suite of people brought in to run the programme.”
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The students all have sponsored placements, with apprenticeships covering science manufacturing technicians, electrical instrumentation and mechanical technicians.
“Our initial forecast in the plan was for 40, so to surpass that vision is pleasing, so too the demand from employers, which I believe is unprecedented,” Mr McIntosh said.
“We are at full capacity in every group, we don’t have the space to put any more learners in.
“It shows there is demand from employers to bridge the skill gap and recruit apprentices in such big numbers. It shows the jobs are there, we just need to train the right people with the right skills.”
The Kiln Lane location is also home to the National Centre for Process and Manufacturing and Maersk's offshore wind training, while third party apprenticeship delivery partner Heta has revealed plans for its own £4.8 million standalone engineering training centre on neighbouring land. Revealed earlier this year, the summer 2023 intake was eyed for opening.
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