Rolls-Royce plc
Name: Rolls-Royce Plc
Address: Derby, DE24 8BJ
Apprenticeship Award: Macro Employer
Sector: Engineering
“The business benefits for our approach are clear,” says Chris Keane, Team Leader – UK Apprentice Development at Rolls-Royce, “We need adaptable, multi-skilled and committed employees in order to remain competitive in the challenging markets in which we operate.”
As well as playing a leading role in the world of aerospace engineering, Rolls-Royce has long been a major player in Apprenticeships and has been training people to design and manufacture its highly complex products for more than 100 years.
The commitment runs deep; above and beyond teaching the ‘hard’ skills of engineering apprentices are developed in a fully-rounded way. Rolls-Royce’s reputation for excellence in all it does means its Apprenticeships are, and have always been, highly sought after.
Thanks to its substantial intake of young apprentices, apprentices and advanced apprentices, which runs into the hundreds, Rolls-Royce is preparing for its future need for a pipeline of talent and skills. More than 30 per cent of senior managers started as apprentices with the business. Compared to a national average in engineering of 65 per cent, Rolls-Royce retains 98 per cent of its apprentices.
Rolls-Royce Learning Delivery Manager Neil Fowkes said: “Our apprentices bring a flow of new talent into our organisation and fresh ideas into our workforce. Such investment in skills is critical in our sector.”
Steve Logan, Vice Principal of Derby College, said: “It is hard to overstate the outstanding commitment to Apprenticeship training demonstrated by Rolls-Royce. Their long-term investment and commitment to high-quality Apprenticeship programmes has ensured they have remained world leaders. In doing so, they have contributed tremendously to the economic prosperity and reputation of the region.”
Whether it is encouraging more women to embark on a career in engineering, or challenging its apprentices to bring fresh ideas to increase profitability, Rolls-Royce constantly seeks the business benefits of a pro-active and forward-looking approach to recruitment and training.
Last Updated: 10/03/2010