PICTURES : CHRIS BOOTH
EMPOWERING TOMORROW ’ S ENGINEERS
Meet NC Group ’ s skilled apprenticeship team
BY DAVE ROBSON
NC Group ’ s apprenticeship team ( left to right ) Julie Gorman , Darren Grainger , Steve Harrison , John Bayne , Annemarie Mathias and Brian Corker .
There ’ s no substitute for skills and experience – and members of NC Group ’ s apprenticeship team have plenty of both .
Between them , they have decades of onthe-job experience , meaning apprentices get a learning programme steeped in real-life skills .
But because many of those skills are being taught by people who were recently in industry , the tuition is relevant and up-todate .
And it ’ s that mix , says NC Group MD Ian Nelson , that makes a big difference compared to , for example , other , more academic-based training providers .
He said : “ Our team has the competency levels , skills and up-to-date industry specialisms to deliver engaging , relevant apprenticeships .
“ Their skill sets are second to none . For example , we ’ ve probably got 150 years ’ worth of engineering background alone – including staff that we have recruited from some of the UK ’ s most well-known companies .”
Apprentices at NC Group start learning practical skills first , rather than theory . And because first-year numbers are capped at around 10 , they ’ re guaranteed individual attention .
Ian explained : “ It means apprentices get the one-to-one support they need from the onset , where additional support is identified and apprentices don ’ t just focus on theory at the beginning of their journey with us – this is a unique experience in this sector . Training is also specific to their , and the employer ’ s , needs .
“ There ’ s a reason the big players on this park work with us and it ’ s because of the skill sets we have .”
Apprenticeship manager Darren Tate said : “ We have a fantastic , highly-experienced team whose goal and passion is to pass their knowledge and experience on to the next generation .”
So , whether it ’ s engineering , leadership or functional skills , NC Group ’ s apprenticeship training is practical , hands-on and relevant .
But who ’ s doing the training ? Let ’ s meet the team …
Steve Harrison – Lead Practitioner A time-served toolroom machinist with a Masters degree in enterprise management , Steve holds several teaching and assessment qualifications , with 16 years ’ experience of engineering curriculum and operational management in ITPs and FE colleges . He has current knowledge and in-depth experience in engineering apprenticeship standards and end-point assessment preparation .
Julie Gorman – Curriculum Lead Julie , who graduated from Northumbria University with first class honours in Post Compulsory Education and Training , has 20 years ’ experience within the further and higher education sector . Curriculum lead for NC group since April 2022 , she specialises in curriculum development , quality improvement and leadership & management apprenticeships .
John Bayne – Engineering Tutor With over 40 years ’ experience working at local blue-chip companies , John ’ s roles have included being a time-served maintenance electrician working on high-speed manufacturing equipment , an instrumentation and control engineer working on various PLC / SCADA systems , a project engineer for new capital equipment and upgrades incorporating robotic and vision systems , and an engineering group leader .
Brian Corker – Lead Practitioner Vastly experienced in the workplace and classroom room , and with specialisms including mechanical engineering , fluid power systems and mechatronics , Brian ’ s career has included roles as technical apprentice at Smart & Brown Engineering , industrial engineer at Thorn Lighting and plant and process design engineer at DSRM / British Steel . He has then passed his vast knowledge on through lecturing roles at various colleges across the North-East – and now as lead practitioner at NC Group .
Darren Grainger – Engineering Tutor With over 25 years of experience as a time-served toolmaker and CNC machinist , engineering tutor assessor Darren has honed his skills in the field of engineering . In his previous role as a training and development engineer , he was committed to the importance of apprenticeships . His role at NC Group now allows him to be fully dedicated to moulding the next generation of engineers .
Annemarie Mathias – Maths and English Lead Since moving to the North-East in 1999 , Annemarie has worked as a tutor , lecturer , programme manager and area manager in different settings , but always in further education and training . Now an assessor in NC Group ’ s work-based learning team , she studied and achieved all her teaching qualifications while working full time – but says her greatest achievement was her degree in Post-Compulsory Education and Training , with First Class Honours , at the age of 50 .
Find out more at ncgroupltd . co . uk
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