April saw our first internal event for apprentices joining the University Technical Apprenticeship Programme, students from The Manchester College studying T-levels, and several ex-apprentices. We are now full steam ahead organising their academic education and the associated work placements across the University. We have lots planned for their first year, including internal and external events, a week’s teamworking at a secret location and a mass of training. We are working hard to maintain our vitally important three-way partnership between the apprentices, employers, and a range of external training providers, all three needing to work together as a team to ensure our apprentices get the most out of their apprenticeship journeys. 

These gatherings have three purposes: education, networking, and teambuilding. Beginning with a short session around behaviours and expectations, detailing the importance of first impressions and going the extra mile, we move to invited guests describing their career journeys including Wayne Keating, Sam Aston, and Michael Stevenson (Library), Kathryn Downy (Public Engagement), Natalie Parish (Aerospace) and Polly Greensmith (NGI).  

These formal sessions are interspersed with ‘plan and build’ activities allowing groups to design, build, test and demonstrate their ingenuity. Loose rules guide the teams but allow a certain degree of interpretation and opportunities to push the rule boundaries. One such activity was creating a chair from balloons, with legs and a back, capable of supporting a team member. All teams’ determined legs were too difficult and decided to use existing furniture as the main support. One particularly inventive group noted the rules did not state balloons had to be inflated and made their seat by laying uninflated balloons on a desk! 

All teams are required to state their design principles, justify their interpretation of the rules, and demonstrate its use to the room. If the room decides the product has been produced through collaboration and imagination, rather than cheating, the item will be scored. 

Following the session, feedback is requested from all participants and forms part of the discussions leading up to the next event. Career stories are very well received and there is also great apprentice interest in a staff vs apprentices paintballing event. If you would like to take part in either, please contact a member of the Skills and Development Team. 

Photo features Douglass Cragg and Joe Cook (L to R)

Post written by: Colin D. Baines
Date: 8th March 2022

If after reading this post you have any feedback to provide, please send it to Technician.Commitment@manchester.ac.uk.

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