Engineering schemes get airing at Sirac

Ed Hammond, the regional co-ordinator for the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) used Sirac to promote schemes that attract future development engineers and managers into the rac industry.

Mr Hammond, who is a consultant for refrigerated cabinet development, gave Sirac the benefits of his years by telling guests about four programmes targeting the industry’s future workforce.

“EDT offers companies the chance to tap into structured schemes, linking education and business and switching youngsters on to local opportunities, raising the company’s local profile and educating teachers about what’s involved,” Mr Hammond told RAC.

Go4SET and Year in Industry are two of the EDT’s best known programmes, the latter from which Ed Hammond graduated.

Go4SET is aimed at non-university students such as apprentices and gets companies into local schools. Companies work with teams of six students (12-14 year olds) from a local school on a 10-week project set by the EDT. 

The Year in Industry targets higher calibre university-focused students, but works as an apprenticeship in practice.

Companies employ a pre-university student (or undergraduate on a gap year) who EDT helps them find, for 9 - 12 months.

“In many cases the Year in Industry concludes with the company offering the student full-time employment after their studies and you’ve snapped up a top graduate before anyone else has had the chance,” Hammond added.

For something in between the two, there is the Engineering Education Scheme - a six month project with A-level students, which allows the company more freedom in the choice of project.

The EDT is an independent registered charity established in 1984. Its mission is to encourage young people to fulfil their potential through careers in science, engineering and technology.

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