Ford or otherwise known as Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and is the fifth largest manufacturer of motor vehicles including cars and commercial in the world. Ford originally was an American brand with it's global headquarters in Michigan, Detroit. In the UK Ford has established itself as one of the leading automotive brands with family models such as the Fiesta or Ford Focus, they also own an 8% stake in the Aston Martin brand, a luxury sports car manufacturer.
Ford employs over 13,000 people in the UK within their manufacturing plants and retail outlets. They have plants in Dagenham and Halewood and a research facility in Dunton, Essex which is where they train the majority of their apprentices.
Ford offers a number of different apprenticeships across the UK locations in Engineering and IT, their apprenticeship programmes run yearly, opening for applications around February and March with a view to a September start date.
Ford also runs the "Ford Masters Apprenticeship" which has been running for over 11 years and employs over 450 apprentices each year into their dealer network.
The Ford Masters Apprenticeship programme has been specifically designed for apprentices to work across the UK Ford dealerships. The Ford dealer apprenticeship programmes cover a wide variety of apprenticeship opportunities including:
• Car Mechanics
• Services Advisors
• Business Administration
• Management training
• Sales
The best thing about the Ford Master Apprenticeship programme is the entry requirements are very low, meaning you can apply to join the programme straight from school or aged 16-19 with a minimum of 3 GCSE's grades C or above.
The programmes are managed by Skillnet Limited a UK training provider and can last anywhere between 12 months and three years with Intermediate or Advanced level qualifications and are nationally recognised skills and qualifications across the automotive industry as the standards are set by IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry), the Sector Skills Council for the motor industry.
Ford hires apprentices for their annual programmes outside of their Ford Masters Programme to be based at one of their manufacturing plants or their Dunton research facility.
Advanced Engineering Apprenticeship
What’s in it for you?
- A great starting salary £11,895, increasing year on year
- Annual holiday entitlement of twenty five days (twenty days set by the company), this is pro-rated in the first year
- Access to our Employment Development and Assistance Programme (EDAP), which provides up to £300 per year for non-job-specific education, training and development
- An opportunity to access the Company’s Privilege scheme, which enables the purchase of Ford vehicles at a discount
- A good pension scheme for candidates aged 18 and over
What will you gain?
You will complete a four year programme for the attainment of:
- A National Vocational Qualification at Level 2 and Level 3
- A BTEC level 2 Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering
- A BTEC level 3 Extended Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering
- Functional Skills in Maths, English and Information Technology
To become part of our team, you will need:
- A minimum of 3 GCSE grades, including
- English at grade C (Level 4)
- Maths at grade B (Level 5/6)
- Physics at grade C (level 4)
-Double Science at grade C (level 4)
- Drive and initiative
- A conscientious approach
- Resilience
- Adaptability
- Problem solving skills
- Openness and willingness to learn
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
Higher Engineering Apprenticeship
What’s in it for you?
- A great starting salary of £20,376, increasing year on year
- Annual holiday entitlement of twenty six days (twenty days set by the company), this is pro-rated in the first year
- Access to our Employment Development and Assistance Programme (EDAP), which provides up to £300 per year for non-job-specific education, training and development
- An opportunity to access the Company’s Privilege scheme, which enables the purchase of Ford vehicles at a discount
- A good pension scheme
To become part of our team, you will need:
- A minimum of 5 GCSE grades, including
- English at grade B (Level 5/6)
- Maths at grade B (Level 5/6)
- Physics or Double Science at Grade B (Level 5/6)
- 3 A Levels or equivalent at BBC*:
- Must include a B in Maths
- And one other STEM subject (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)
*equal 112 UCAS points.
- We will also accept the below BTEC qualifications
- Minimum Distinction/Distinction final grade in QCF/Edexcel National Diploma in
- Engineering (post 2010) or BTEC National Certificate in Manufacturing
- Engineering (pre 2010)
- Distinction in Further Mathematics
- Minimum of a merit in mechanical or electrical principles
- Motivation
- Good communication skills
- Team ethos and leadership
- Continuous development
- Problem solving/ practicality
- Responsibility
Degree Technology Apprenticeships
What’s in it for you?
A Degree Apprenticeship with Ford Motor Company is an exciting opportunity to pursue practical work experience using world class technologies and processes, alongside academic learning.
- A great starting salary of £20,376, increasing year on year
- Annual holiday entitlement of twenty six days
- Access to our Employment Development and Assistance Programme (EDAP), which provides up to £300 per year for non-job-specific education, training and development
- An opportunity to access the Company’s Privilege scheme, which enables the purchase of Ford vehicles at a discount
- A good pension scheme
What will you gain?
You will complete a four year programme for the attainment of:
- Information Technology consists of BSc (Honours) Digital and Technology Solutions
Who we’re looking for
To become part of our team, you will need:
- A minimum of 5 GCSE grades, including
- English at grade B (Level 5/6)
- Maths at grade B (Level 5/6)
- Physics or Double Science at Grade B (Level 5/6)
- 3 A Levels or equivalent at BCC (equal to 104 UCAS points), including
- a Science or Technology related subject
- Ability to learn quickly and apply that learning in the workplace
- Willingness to work flexibly, encompassing both academic & work environments
- A strong drive to understand the occupational values of your chosen pathway, make improvements and solve problems
- Willingness to work hard with enthusiasm
- Able to communicate and work effectively with a range of people
There is a national minimum wage that employers must pay apprentices in England which as of the 1st April 2021 will be £4.30. The pay for the Ford Dealership apprenticeship programme can vary from dealership to dealership and it depends on the training programme. For Engineering and Technology apprenticeships at either a manufacturing or research facility the rates of pay are below:
• Advanced Apprenticeships - £11,895
• Higher Apprenticeships - £20,376
• Degree Apprenticeships - £20,376
To apply for an apprenticeship with Ford simply use the link below where you will be taken to the Ford Apprenticeships website. Please note that Ford Motor Company use an external company, Ranstad, to help support them with their apprentice recruitment due to the large number they employ across the UK.
The Ford Apprenticeships website is managed and maintained by Ranstad, who are one of the UK leading recruitment companies. On the website you will be able to navigate between the apprenticeships opportunities on offer and find out further information on how to become an apprentice with Ford.
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a form of further education which offers on the job training for you to gain a nationally recognised qualification whilst studying part-time with an apprenticeship training provider, college or university through workshops or classroom training.
Apprenticeship training has to be delivered by a registered apprenticeship training provider which can also be an employer-provider, where the employer you are training through are on the register of training providers to be able to deliver their own training requirements. If an employer acts as an employer-provider they will usually employ a number of people such as Apprenticeship Assessors, Mentors and Managers to support you through your apprenticeship programme.
During your apprenticeship you will receive a salary and all the other benefits permanent employees receive. An apprenticeship job is only for a specified time as stipulated at the beginning of your apprenticeship training which can last anything from 12 months to 5 years.
To find our more about apprenticeships please refer to our What is an Apprenticeship? guide.
Why should you start an apprenticeship?
If you are considering your post 16 options you probably wouldn't have considered an apprenticeship a few years ago and would be struggling or worrying what to do when you leave school. It is a legal requirement for you to now stay in some form of further education until the age of 18 and you now have three options A-Levels, College or an Apprenticeship.
You can start an apprenticeship at the age of 16 through the Intermediate or Advanced level apprenticeship programmes across many industry sectors from Construction, Technology or even Marketing. There are no entry requirements for the intermediate apprenticeship, however you will need at least 5 GCSE's at grade 4 (previously C grade) or above to qualify for the advanced apprenticeship. On completion of the intermediate you will gain the qualifying criteria for a level 3.
The best reason for starting an apprenticeship is on completion of each level you will receive a nationally recognised qualification from an NVQ all the way up to a degree level apprenticeship such as a Bachelors or Masters.
How can you become an apprentice?
There are a number of ways to become an apprentice so we thought we would list them for you:
- Register with websites like ourselves, there are others available.
- Apprenticeship Job Fairs are great for meeting employers and training providers.
- Contact training providers in your area, a simple Google search "Training providers near me" will give you the information you need.
- Contact your local colleges or universities or visit their websites to see if they offer apprenticeship training.
- UCAS promote apprenticeship opportunities on their website on behalf of employers.
and finally......
- Do some research on apprenticeships and find a topic or industry that you would like to start an apprenticeship in and then research local companies in those sectors and visit their websites to see if they offer apprenticeship training and apply directly with them.
FAQs about Apprenticeships in Milton Keynes
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