The Leicestershire manufacturing plant of Caterpillar’s Building Construction Products Division (in Desford) has relaunched its pioneering apprenticeship programme with Derby College.

For the next three years, it will offer placements for up to 140 young people per year.

The Caterpillar Skills Academy was established in 2011 and has so far supported more than 700 first-year apprentices. This time round, the company has teamed up with Roundhouse Corporate (a division of Derby College) and lean-manufacturing specialists Sigma to develop new training programmes.

The apprentices will combine classroom-based theory work with shopfloor experience, and they will have the opportunity to work alongside full-time staff in the assembly plant before returning to the Skills Academy to complete their apprenticeships.

Many will then be given the opportunity to enter a further 18-month long apprenticeship programme with wider work-experience opportunities across the business, including stints in logistics, paint, shipping and quality.

They can then apply for full-time positions at the company, as well as higher education opportunities such as sponsored Foundation Degrees.

Tony Carr, Caterpillar’s Desford manufacturing plant manager, said: “Last year, 97% of the young people either progressed with us or with other employers, which proves that developing transferable employability skills, values and a work ethic is a successful approach — both for this company and the wider business community, including our own supply chain.

“The Caterpillar Skills Academy is therefore a fantastic opportunity for young people in our local communities to complete nationally recognised qualifications in a modern and progressive work environment that will set them up for their future working lives.”