Alliance Learning is an Engineering Academy based in Horwich. Our students can get involved with Alliance Learning and discover what it's like to work in the engineering industry. Radcliffe Riverside students were the first to successfully complete a two year Academy programme earning NVQ Level 2 qualifications in Performing Engineering Operations. (see below)
Budding engineers of the future are celebrating success after becoming the first young students to successfully complete a two-year academy programme with work-based training specialist Alliance Learning.
Based at its Horwich headquarters, the flagship Engineering Academy provides 14-16 year olds with a taste of what it is really like working in the engineering industry - before they can be recruited as apprentices.
Year 11 students from Radcliffe Riverside High School are the first students to complete a full two-year course earning NVQ Level 2 qualifications in Performing Engineering Operations. The group of 12 boys and one girl achieved success at the pioneering Academy that teaches 100 students from many local schools, one or two days per week.
Alliance Learning's Chief Executive, David Guthrie, told the successful learners: "I know your school is quite rightly very proud of you and how coming to Alliance has helped build up your esteem. From our point of view you were the guinea pigs, the first group to start the programme."
"To achieve your qualifications is a testament to the effort that you have all put in and that's great credit to you. I hope many of you are going to continue and move into our apprenticeships programme. We know how good you are and we want you to become our elite group of apprentices. You have all been a pleasure to work with and I congratulate you on achieving NVQ Level 2 success."
Mr Guthrie paid special tribute to Carly Mclean, the only girl on the course and added: "It is very difficult to attract young ladies into engineering and we hope Carly can inspire many others to follow in her foot steps. It is a great sector with some tremendous opportunities but traditionally it has never been an area for ladies. Hopefully times are changing."
Courses within the academy cover a range of engineering skills such as fabrication, fitting, machining, electrical and electronics as well as core areas such as Health and Safety, Communication and Working With Others.
Head of Engineering Gareth Sutton said many of the youngsters were already considering becoming apprentices after fast-tracking their careers.
"Out of the group of 13, 10 of them have been interviewed and tested. This is hopefully the start of something big, for them and for us. The Academy is a valuable stepping stone to further career progression."
He added: "An NVQ Level 2 is equivalent to four GCSE's grade A-C which demonstrates the amount of hard work the students have put in for two days per week here over the two years. The students have effectively fast-tracked their careers by three years because the qualifications they have achieved at age 16 are normally gained by 19-year-olds in employment. They all have demonstrated great potential and have promising careers on the horizon."
He concluded: "More and more schools are getting involved and we currently have 100 students working with us. Interest continues to grow."
Alliance Learning was formed in 1966 and provides vocational training and advice for businesses and local people. Complementing a HQ at Horwich are satellite centres in the town centres of Bolton, Radcliffe and Leigh. It specialises in Apprenticeships and commercial training courses.
© Radcliffe Riverside 2008
