adi Group has won the IChemE’s Training and Development Global Award 2023, awarded on November 30 at IChemE’s 2023 Awards dinner at Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
Established in 1994, the IChemE Global Awards are the world’s most prestigious chemical engineering awards, celebrating engineering excellence and covering a broad spectrum of categories that recognise innovation, social responsibility and sustainability efforts, outstanding projects and much more. With a strong entry focusing on its first-class pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programmes, adi Group aptly demonstrated its commitment to upskilling the next generation of engineers to help close the widening STEM skills gap.
The Training and Development Award recognises businesses that excel in the training and development of staff or education of the wider community, addressing skills and knowledge gaps and overall having a positive impact on the industry. Commenting on this exceptional recognition, adi Group CEO Alan Lusty said: “We are honoured to have been awarded the prestigious IChemE Award, and to be recognised for our efforts towards a cause that is of extreme importance to our business.
“Since the very beginning of adi, we have been working to provide the engineers of tomorrow with viable opportunities to embark on a successful engineering career, and we are incredibly proud of the success of our programmes.” CEO Alan Lusty began his career as an apprentice himself, gaining a deep awareness and understanding of the benefits that come with such a practical and hands-on education.
Youth skills development is therefore an integral part of the Group’s mantra and mission to ‘engineer a better future’, with the business investing significant resources into its training schemes. After witnessing significant success with its apprentice academy, adi launched the UK’s first pre-apprenticeship programme.
This offers students from years 10 and 11 the opportunity to develop practical engineering skills through workshops taking place over a two-year period. The students leave with a formal Engineering and Learning (EAL) accredited qualification, as well as in an ideal position to move into any full-time apprenticeship scheme.
The business is keen to make a difference in the wider industry through these programmes, inspiring the next generation of engineers, dispelling harmful myths about the profession, and promoting inclusivity. Speaking of how adi is contributing to solving these issues, James Sopwith, group strategic account director and head of the pre-apprenticeship academy, commented: “We are deeply aware of the staggering national engineering skills gap and the threat it poses.
“This is why we have worked to link together industry and education through opportunities that differ from more traditional academic routes. One of our main objectives is to tackle the skills gap issue, but also to change misconceptions about engineering and support societal challenges on a more local level.”
Having seen just how effective these schemes are in encouraging youngsters into the profession as well as educating people on the vital role of apprenticeships within the job market, adi also works to inspire other businesses to adopt similar approaches.
“We ultimately aim to ensure there are avenues available to young people that are effective, accessible, and successful in developing the practical skills they’ll need to thrive within the field,” added James.
“It’s paramount that other engineering businesses understand the importance of implementing similar schemes. This is why winning IChemE’s Training and Development Award is such an incredible accomplishment, which will further facilitate our mission to foster a more sustainable future for the industry.”
With over 10% of its workforce being full time apprentices, the Group aims to be a leader, not only in the provision of engineering apprenticeships, but also with a vison to inspire its current and future employees, and to be an employer that people aspire to work for.
