Volvo CE apprentices set off on learning journey

Next generation of apprentice engineers to commence college studies later this month

THE latest generation of Volvo Construction Equipment apprentice engineers will begin college later this month, marking the next stage of their learning journey that began with the company in June.

Volvo CE invited their seven new apprentice engineers to a formal induction week in June at their head office in Duxford. Their journey commenced with the apprentices and their parents finding out more about the company from managing director Nick Allen, followed by a motivational talk from customer support director Paul Kersley, a former apprentice engineer himself, to help prepare them for what they can expect as they embark on their learning journey.

This was followed by an official signing ceremony to demonstrate a commitment from Volvo CE, the apprentices and their parents, to support and encourage them throughout the programme and future employment with the company. After the ceremony, the parents departed and the apprentices started their induction programme.

The apprentices’ first week was spent at Duxford and included health and safety training, product familiarization and a visit to a customer quarry, to kick-start their learning and quickly develop an appreciation of potential risks, product applications and the importance of uptime to customers.

Each evening, the apprentices were joined for dinner by one of the executive management team and a Volvo CE employee to start to build relationships and further the apprentices’ learning experience about Volvo’s culture, values and each other.

The second week of the induction programme was spent at an Outward Bound Trust centre in the Lake District where the apprentices were able to develop team-building skills and test themselves physically and mentally during hiking, abseiling, canoeing and camping activities.

The third week saw the start of their local Customer Support Centre induction, which continued for the following three months.

The apprentices start their first four weeks at college on Monday 31October. The Volvo CE apprenticeship lasts four years and includes a combination of training at the National Construction College, work-based learning at the local Customer Support Centre and Volvo-specific training at the Technical Training Centre in Duxford.

Volvo CE’s competence development manager, Louise Stevens, commented: ‘I am extremely excited to welcome the 2016 cohort of future engineers at the start of their career. We are a strong innovative brand and, as a consequence, our customers have high expectations of us to fulfil their uptime requirements and resolve issues correctly first time. To meet this need we have to employ and develop apprentices into highly skilled engineers.

‘To continue our success we must ensure our programme not only provides the apprentice with the standard generic qualification, but that we exceed it. We facilitate this by providing specific Volvo product training at our Duxford Training Centre following the generic training at college. We believe a timely link between these learning activities helps to support and strengthen the learning experience back in the workplace.

‘In addition to this, we build time into the programme in various departments and locations to raise an awareness of the overall business. Year 4 of the programme is the improver year during which the apprentice has to utilize all of the skills acquired to service and repair customers’ equipment and start to gain trust and build relationships with these customers. Our apprentices are an extremely important part of our business and we want them to enjoy the experience.’