Make UK has welcomed the latest cohort of 170 engineering apprentices to its Technology Hub in Aston, Birmingham - a 41% year-on-year increase in numbers.

The apprentices, who will be studying a range of courses from Level 2 Welding Operator to Level 3 Engineering Technician, will spend the next 12 months with Make UK, learning the technical side of their chosen specialism, as well as other areas like health and safety and time management, before returning to their employers, which includes Severn Trent, Jaguar Land Rover, Ibsock, Forterra and Ishida.

Stephen Mitchell, director of apprentices and technical training at Make UK, said: “It is fantastic to accept the latest intake of apprentices and see a full return to face-to-face teaching; the increase in numbers shows that there is a great appetite for apprenticeships among both young people and employers alike. It is vital that we work together to help bridge the skills gap which manufacturing currently faces.”

Make UK recently announced it is backing a new initiative by support platform Next Gen Makers to help manufacturing and engineering employers retain apprenticeship talent and maximise their investment in young people.

As leading training provider sponsor, Make UK will help promote the Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme - an initiative designed to support firms to overcome skills challenges and build talent for future success.

For more information on apprenticeships with Make UK, call 0121 344 7900 or email