Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, says it is been overwhelmed with enquiries about apprenticeships at its Aston Technology Hub in Birmingham, following this year’s GCSE and A-level results.

Hundreds of young people from the Midlands and beyond have got in touch with Make UK; it now has over 2,000 young people in its talent pool looking for apprenticeship opportunities, and is urging engineering and manufacturing employers not to delay their apprentice recruitment plans, or to consider taking on an apprentice.

Many engineering and manufacturing companies may be thinking about delaying or cancelling their apprenticeship programmes in light of the current Covid-19 crisis, but Stephen Mitchell, director of apprentices and technical training at the Technology Hub, has urged companies to look at the long-term picture.

He said: “We all know that these are testing times for all employers, but it has never been more important to look at the future of a business, and apprentices play a key part in this.

“Even if businesses are not in a position to take on apprentices immediately, we would encourage them to start the conversations now. We are holding telephone interviews regularly, and our fast-track recruitment process means employers can access applications and candidates with minimal fuss and delay.”

Make UK's Apprentice Technology Centre is one of the UK's leading facilities delivering high-specification training to around 1,450 apprentices around the UK.

Despite the current lockdown, Make UK is still delivering training to its apprentices through high-quality virtual teaching and assessments.

For more information on apprenticeships with Make UK, call 0808 168 5874 or email