Ford Engineering Academy Level 1

Ford Engineering, one of the most successful engineering businesses in our region, has teamed up with Gateshead College to set up the Ford Engineering Academy.

Designed to help you to build the skills, knowledge and confidence employers are looking for, the academy will put you in the best possible position to go onto successfully secure an engineering or manufacturing apprenticeship or your first job in the industry.

Key benefits

• Training programme designed by one of the most successful engineering companies in our region
• Practical skills training based on what employers want
• High quality work experience placement
• Embedded English and maths skills
• Help to find you an apprenticeship
• Brilliant progression opportunities

About the academy

Pioneered by the late Geoff Ford MBE, the academy was set up to give young people the skills, knowledge and experience they need to start a successful engineering career or find an apprenticeship. As Chairman of Ford Engineering, a multi million pound business that supplies precision-machined components to the global aerospace market, Geoff recognised a need to provide good quality, foundation training that focused on developing both the skills and attitudes that employers are looking for and was passionate about helping the sector to develop a skilled workforce of the future.

This year long training programme has been designed for those without any formal qualifications but with the aspiration and ambition to work in the engineering or manufacturing industry. The programme combines education and skills training that is specifically tailored to the engineering industry and will help you to build the skills you need to successfully move onto an apprenticeship or further training. At the core of the programme is a high quality work experience placement with one of our partners including Unipres, Liebherr, Tyneside Safety Glass and EDM zone. English and maths qualifications and work preparation training are also a key part of the course which will give you a brilliant start to developing the skills, attitude and a work ethic expected by employers.

The programme includes:

• Introduction to Working in Engineering
• Introduction to Electronics
• Joining engineering materials
• Introduction to Computer Aided Drawing (CAD)
• Automated technologies

The programme will also cover:

• Work preparation training
• English and Maths qualifications (if required)
• High quality work experience