Providing relevant workplace skills – for new entrants to the workplace and employers.

Engineering and manufacturing companies are diverse in the types of skills they require to operate successfully and in order to meet the demands of today and the future innovation and productivity challenges. The breadth of roles encompasses a significantly wide range of roles and disciplines, including design, production, engineering, logistics, sales, marketing, new product development, finance and HR.

For those old enough to remember sandwich courses and sponsorship as a route for students to enter the workplace and study at the same time, this often provided not just a welcome income stream but also the well-earned experience of being even more career and work-ready post your formal study.

CeeD Academy

It could be that a nod to the past could create a reboot for going forward and often with a twist. The CeeD-Academy may be just this reboot.

Not in itself innovative, as the core premise is to provide students studying for relevant undergraduate courses to gain that experience and earn at the same time. 

The idea started with some CeeD members looking at what they could do, or indeed what they already do, with the ‘internship approach’ in their own organisations and sharing this thinking. There was overwhelming agreement that the idea certainly fills a current gap in the formal education streams. There was comfort to know that some of the organisations (mainly the larger ones) are already undertaking variations of this. The smaller companies were very keen to learn more and to have the ability to participate in a process/programme that helped smooth the way to engage and to also share ideas on an ongoing basis.

If we combine both of the virtues of academic-led learning and the practical apprenticeship models - then the idea of the CeeD-Academy makes perfect sense. This could be through a relationship with a company that fits their career destination during the whole 12-month cycle – during term time in a working week, a block time of summer vacation or other semester breaks.

The Student Benefit

The CeeD Academy approach will not only provide engineering and manufacturing students with the opportunity to earn up to £10K whilst studying - a strong consideration for the student – but also the topped-up benefit of developing CV experience to allow them to enter the job market after graduating has to be doubly appealing. It could even lead to the take-up of employment after graduating with the company where this opportunity was first realised. 

It is not just the technical skills enhancement that stands the student in good stead but also the familiarity with the workplace they step into, the cultural fit, the ability to contribute faster to the business and to feel that in a more tangible way.

Company Benefit

Such an approach is also appealing for the company. It will help provide not just a relevant and useful employee contribution quickly into the business but also build that talent attractor factor in a meaningful way, making the investment and return factor so much better.

Any sector or industry which embraces a broad type of routes into work and then the progression and development through a new employee’s working life or career makes such companies an attractive career choice. 

Star Refrigeration, leaders in industrial refrigeration, is already putting the CeeD Academy approach in place by awarding its first internship. 

Dave Pearson, CeeD Chair and Group Sustainable Development Director at Star Refrigeration said,

“We are delighted to see CeeD continue to inspire the business community in Scotland in collaborative and innovative ways. Star Refrigeration have awarded our first Academy internship to begin in December 2023. The role will see the student help design and manage our programme in Sustainable Development Goals - a massive undertaking but we are confident we can guide the enthusiasm and expertise that already exists in our undergraduate communities around Scotland”. 

Joe Pacitti, CeeD Managing Director, added,

“The CeeD Academy concept can only be a ‘win-win’ in a sector which is openly shouting about the need for relevant talent to increase output and productivity. It may also help make engineering and manufacturing a more attractive career choice.

“Often it is the younger generation teams in companies that are tasked with bringing in new technology or working practices and systems. The learning between the ‘Academy’ individual and the existing workforce is two-way, as it should be, with a more energised workplace, a strong feeling of community and higher levels of well-being.

"In addition, CeeD is able to offer our members additional co-ordination support which could bring even more advantages with a rotation programme being discussed for Academy interns between CeeD member companies. We feel this is a fantastic addition to this programme and we hope everyone gets behind it."

Get Involved

For business, we see this concept as providing benefit and so we are looking to reach out to more companies to gain more input and comment, to help further shape this idea. 

Please contact us at: CeedAcademy@ceed-scotland.com