Update from Richard Ventre, North West Regional Chair – Laker Vent Engineering Ltd
Thank you for visiting the North West regional page for the ECITB.
Despite the continued economic downturn in 2012 the North West region trained over 1,600 learners from Apprenticeships to Management and Professional training, and numerous courses through the Regional Discretionary grant including Confined Space Training, 17th Edition Wiring Regulations, COMPEX to name a few.
The North West region covers a vast area from Chester to Carlise, from Whitehaven to Manchester and training of an Engineering Construction nature takes place in many of the areas covered by the region.
A forum for the regions clients takes place 3 times a year, minutes from the last forum are displayed on this page of the website and the date of the next North West regional forum for clients is on Thursday 14th February 2013 at 10am for a 10.30am start at the Wrightington Hotel, Wigan. Please confirm your attendance by email to Steph Riley, stephanieriley@ecitb.org.uk. (please see below for a full list of the 2013 North West Regional Forums)
If you would like further information on the products and services that the ECITB have to offer please contact a member of the team.
Please can I also take this opportunity to thank clients for their continued support and commitment to the training of people within the Engineering Construction industry.
Richard
North West Regional Forum Dates 2013
Thursday 14th February 2013 at the Wrightington Hotel, Wigan, 10am coffee, 10.30am start.
Thursday 13th June 2013 at the Wrightington Hotel, Wigan, 10am coffee, 10.30am start.
Thursday 10th October 2013 at the Wrightington Hotel, Wigan, 10am coffee, 10.30am start.
Careers Events
The team will be attending a number of careers events across the region in 2013, please see below for a continued updated list.
Wednesday 16th January 2013 - Beyond 16 Convention, Whitehaven
Thursday 17th January 2013 - Beyond 16 Convention, Workington
Saturday 19th Janaury 2013 - GEN II, Energus, Cumbria
Wednesday 23rd January 2013 - WOW (World at Work) day, St Benedicts High School, Cumbria
Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th March 2013 - Skills North West, Skills City, Manchester
NORTH WEST NEWS
Maritime and Engineering College North West (MECNW) celebrates award-winning apprentices
Birkenhead based Maritime and Engineering College North West (MECNW) crowned the winners of its 2012 apprenticeship awards.
The ceremony included special guests Mike Hill, Production Manager with Cammell Laird and a former apprentice of MECNW; Brad Crumbleholme, Senior Engineering Operations Manager with Peel Ports and Martin Eatough, Head of Apprenticeship Programmes at the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).
Calvin Deer, a Pipefitting apprentice with Laker Vent Engineering was crowned ECITB overall apprentice of the year. Kieran Bowden also of Laker Vent Engineering was runner up apprentice of the year. Both Calvin and Kieran were presented with their awards from Martin Eatough.
Jim Teasdale, chief executive of MECNW, which is part of Mersey Maritime Group, said the apprentices represent the bright future of maritime and engineering.
“I would like to congratulate all of the apprentices who were shortlisted for awards,” he said. “Without exception these young people are demonstrating excellence in the skills that are so critical to our sector moving forward. Over the next 10 years the 28,000 strong maritime workforce on Merseyside is set to double. In order to seize the opportunities on offer, the sector needs a massive injection of young talent. Our aim is to work with employers to give them exactly the skills they need to grow and win work. Kirsten and all of our award-winning apprentices represent the future of a growing industry. We are proud of the part that our college and tutors play in helping nurture their success.”
North West ECITB Apprentices Outward Bound
Teambuilding and cementing friendships was on the agenda for a team of North West ECITB apprentices who attended an outward-bound course part funded by the ECITB North West region. A mixture of ECITB apprentices from in-scope employers, apprentices from out of scope employers and Peel Ports apprentices attended the training course, with around 38 apprentices in total taking part.
The course was for the 2012 cohort of engineering apprentices being trained at Maritime Engineering College North West (MECNW) in Birkenhead.
Andy Motherwell, ECITB, North West Account Manager was on hand to help with supervising the apprentices and taking part in some of the challenges. “We have funded Outward Bound type training before in the North West Region and based on feedback, they are viewed as valuable exercises in helping foster teamwork and friendships amongst the apprentices,” commented the Account Manager.
The Outward Bound-type training was organised through the Anderton Centre near Chorley, Lancashire. The centre provided specialist instructors; all wet weather clothing, safety equipment and accommodation, as well as excellent hospitality/catering during the three-day course run from its centre near Rivington Reservoir.
“ We were also grateful to MECNW who provided two fantastic instructors in the form of Mike Brown and Kevin Cairns to help run the outward bound course,” said Andy.
On the first day of training all the apprentices were issued with wet weather gear, walking boots and rucksacks to help prepare them for the challenges that lay ahead. They were then given a briefing on the rules and conduct expected of them during the course.
The apprentices were broken down in to groups of six or seven and started the day’s activities, which were aimed at team building and communication skills. The tasks included the use of planks and milk crates to get across a muddy minefield; using ladders and teamwork to get oil drums across an obstacle course and over a wall; and stacking milk crates 20+ high, with two members of their teams perched on top. An evening de-briefing session followed the evening meal with a challenge set to design an ‘Egg Protection System’ which allowed an egg to be dropped about five metres without breaking.
On Day Two, in pouring down horizontal rain, the teams put on their wet weather gear and started the days challenges including: orienteering to an old quarry; mountain biking up and down the local countryside; abseiling down a ten metre rock-face; climbing up a wet slippery rock face; and building a raft to float on the reservoir, followed by paddling it around the reservoir to retrieve hidden items on the shore. The apprentices then had to jump in the water to test out their wetsuits!
“The England versus Poland match was cancelled due to a water-logged pitch,” said the ECITB Account Manager, “but it still wasn’t as wet as Rivington that day!”
On Day Three there were more exercises using the Anderton Centre’s array of group challenges including archery and a low ropes challenge that was done as individuals, then as a team and then against the clock. “The challenge generated a real buzz of enthusiasm amongst the apprentices and really got them operating as a team to achieve the goal,” said Andy.
Each group was then asked to put together a presentation on what they felt they had learned from attending the course and what things they had enjoyed doing and what benefits they felt from working with the other apprentices from MECNW.
“In terms of achieving its objectives of getting apprentices to work together, getting to know each other, face difficult challenges but overcome them, to know the value of teamwork and how individuals can and often have to work together to achieve a task - I think it achieved all the above and was really enjoyable too!” said the Account Manager at the end of the three day course.
“In terms of value for money the Anderton Centre was excellent: with good facilities; dedicated instructors; a wide variety of challenges; provision of all weather gear; strict Health & Safety with a disciplined regime; but a friendly hospitable feel from all members of staff. “
North West Office
Suite 25, Blackburn Enterprise Centre
Furthergate
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB1 3HQ
01254 505080
Contacts
- Robert Kember
- Regional Account Manager
- 07977463304
- RobertKember@ecitb.org.uk
- Andrew Motherwell
- Account Manager
- 07970 782574
- AndrewMotherwell@ecitb.org.uk
- Stephanie Riley
- Regional Administrator
- 01254 505080
- StephanieRiley@ecitb.org.uk