Departmental news

Two WMG apprentices at the University of Warwick have been recognised at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards. Parris Small was crowned overall Apprentice of the Year 2022, while Beverley Ngo was highly commended in the Engineering and Manufacturing Category.

Parris Small and Beverley Ngo are both in the fourth year of their BSc Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship, employed by Jaguar Land Rover.

The Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards, in partnership with Pearson, aim to showcase talent and diversity within multicultural communities through the celebration of those working hard to overcome adversity to achieve their goals through apprenticeships. These awards celebrate the achievements of apprentices, and the contribution of employers and learning providers who have assisted them along their journey.

The awards evening was hosted in Birmingham on Friday (4 November 2022), with 650 attendees celebrating the success of over 150 finalist apprentices, employers, and learning providers. The event culminated in a standing ovation for Apprentice of the Year 2022, Parris Small.

Parris says: “Winning this award was surreal, I wasn’t expecting it! As a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, I am very grateful for awards like these, it was so nice to be in a room full of people that you can relate to and can understand you as a person. I am very proud of this achievement and it has put me in a position to be able to make a difference; I want to be an ambassador for STEM, technology and apprenticeships. I can now say that doing an apprenticeship is an opportunity to succeed, to win awards, and to go to new places. I can’t thank the awards team and judges enough for this recognition that I will appreciate forever.”

Parris’ passion for diversity and inclusion extends to her involvement in the REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) Network at Jaguar Land Rover, where she is one of the Events Leads with Beverley Ngo, helping to ensure everyone within the company is recognised, represented, and celebrated.

This year has been full of success for Parris and Beverley, as they were also recognised in the Autocar Great Women 2022 Awards in the Apprentice Category, Parris received Highly Commended Regional Winner of the National Apprenticeships Awards 2022, and also won the Apprentice Category of the Midlands Women In Tech Awards 2022.

WMG Associate Professor and Course Lead for the BSc Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship programme, Dr Alaa Al Sebae adds: “We are delighted that two of our apprentices have been recognised at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards. They are great role models for others, highlighting the talent and diversity in apprenticeships. We are looking forward to hearing more about their achievements as they look towards the end of their Degree Apprenticeships and the rest of their careers in STEM.”

Find out more about WMG’s Degree Apprenticeships here: Degree Apprenticeships : WMG, University of Warwick

A student from WMG, at the University of Warwick, has been recognised for his hard work by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Ezra Cunningham, who is employed by Jaguar Land Rover, has now completed the final year of his Applied Engineering Programme degree apprenticeship at WMG.

The IET Prize is awarded annually to outstanding students who are completing a course of study which has been accredited by the IET. Prize winners are nominated by their university based on having shown distinction in their course leading to the award of a first class degree.

As part of his win, Ezra will receive a certificate and two years free student membership of the IET.

Ezra Cunningham explains: “Thanks to the help of my lecturers, peers and colleagues at work, I have broadened my understanding of engineering. I’m looking forward to using this award to progress my career and target of studying an MBA in the next two years.”

WMG Associate Professor and Ezra’s mentor, Dr Tara Schiller adds: “I think it's a great achievement to come first in a cohort but to also achieve this award from the IET is well-deserved. I wish Ezra a wonderful future and look forward to following his career.”

Sir Julian Young, IET President, said: “Our IET Prizes are a terrific means for talented engineering students to be recognised for their outstanding ability in the early stages of their engineering journey. IET Membership provides early-career professionals with the valuable opportunity to connect with a global community, grow their networks and develop their technical knowledge.

“The IET is passionate about promoting engineering excellence and our awards and prizes showcase some of the finest engineering talent. All the winners should be justifiably proud of their achievements. I wish them all the best for a long, fulfilling and successful engineering career: they are all difference makers of the future!”

To find out more information about the range of prizes and awards available to young and aspiring engineers through the IET, please visit: www.theiet.org/awards

Find out more about WMG’s Degree Apprenticeships here: Degree Apprenticeships : WMG, University of Warwick

On Friday (27th May), Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, at the University of Warwick, was pleased to welcome representatives from the Zambian Government.

A total of five delegates led by the Minister of Education, Hon. Douglas Siakalima, enjoyed a tour of WMG’s world-class research and education facilities. Mr Siakalima was joined by Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Joel Kamoko; Director at the National Science Centre at the Ministry of Education, Dr Benson Banda; Director at the British Council Zambia, David Pardoe; and Acting Zambian High Commissioner to the UK, Patricia Chanda.

The tour began in the International Manufacturing Centre (IMC) where the guests had a chance to see student engineering projects, before Professor Paul Jennings, Pro-Dean (Research) introduced WMG’s 3xD Simulator for Intelligent Vehicles – the world's first immersive, simulated environment for smart and connected vehicles.

The delegation was then given a guided tour of the Degree Apprenticeship Centre, by Professor Robin Clark. The new Centre helps to bridge the skills gap by providing apprentices with the opportunity to study on degree programmes to develop the skills needed by advanced engineering and manufacturing companies.

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, said: “It was an honour to meet Mr Siakalima and his colleagues, and to demonstrate how we are helping to drive technology, engineering and manufacturing forward through impactful research and innovative approaches to education.

“The ability of an organisation to equip its workforce with relevant skills will largely determine how well it responds to rapidly evolving requirements. By welcoming the Zambian Government, we were able to share best practices around skills provisions with a view to maximising societal, economic and environmental opportunity for future generations.”

Finally, the delegation visited the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) where Chief Engineer, Mark Amor-Segan demonstrated the facilities used to research, develop and test the latest technologies at the forefront of energy storage including electric vehicles. Professor James Marco, Head of the Energy Directorate, and Professor Daniel Branch (Co-Academic Director, Africa in the International Relations and Strategy Group at Warwick) also joined the tour and subsequent discussion.

Labour Shadow Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson MP visited the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre at the University of Warwick today (Thursday 10^th February) to mark National Apprenticeship Week 2022.

Following a visit to the motorsport and advanced engineering group Prodrive earlier in the morning, where she met WMG degree apprentice Abi Holloway from the Applied Engineering Programme, Bridget Phillipson then visited the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre with Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick and Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG and Director of Education.

The Shadow Education Secretary met with apprentices and staff for a tour of the Centre, including workshop demonstrations and live seminars before meeting local employers including Aston Martin, JLR, Royal Mail Group and Allett, as well as the Federation of Small Businesses.

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“It was a pleasure to visit the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre to mark National Apprenticeship Week, and to see how businesses and education providers are working together to equip young people with the skills our country needs to prosper.

“Labour is committed to working with educators and employers to ensure young people leave education ready for work and ready for life.

“As our national skills needs develop and change, I want young people and older workers wanting to reskill to be able to access high quality, local training programmes which lead to good jobs in all parts of the UK.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership funded WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre offers a bespoke learning environment with open spaces for collaborative and individual work, technology-enabled seminar rooms and a purpose-built laboratory for mechanical, electrical and thermal experiments.

Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome Bridget Phillipson MP to the University to share our approach to combining quality Higher Education and work-based learning. We have a responsibility to provide students with the environment they need to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to succeed while supporting business growth through their work. The WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre is a flagship example of how this can be achieved when strategic investment is combined with industrial and academic collaboration.”

The visit also comes just a few weeks after the launch of the WMG Skills Centre, including seven new courses in technologies such as energy systems, intelligent vehicles, and digital manufacturing to meet current and future industry needs.

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG and Director of Education said:

“We were delighted to welcome the Labour Shadow Education Secretary to our WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre during National Apprenticeship Week. The visit was a great opportunity to highlight the achievements of our apprentices and to discuss future opportunities in work-based education with a panel of influential local industry partners.”

Margot James, Executive Chair at WMG, added:

“It’s great that Bridget Phillipson MP was able to meet our incredible apprentices and industry partners. She heard from them that, with the Green Industrial Revolution and the road to Net Zero leading to emerging skills needs in areas like automation, electrification and robotics, it is vital UK businesses invest in their people to encourage new-skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling.”

On Thursday 17th June 2021 Gillian Keegan MP, the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, formally opened the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre, at the University of Warwick.

The WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre was awarded £10 million funding from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP).

The new Centre provides apprentices with the opportunity to study on degree programmes to develop the skills needed by advanced engineering and manufacturing companies.

The Centre offers degree apprenticeship training programmes for up to 1,000 students at a time.

WMG and the rest of the University of Warwick already provides 20 Degree Apprenticeship programmes across five academic departments for 791 students, one of the largest groups of degree apprenticeship courses at a Russell Group university.

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills Gillian Keegan said:

“It was such a privilege to open the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre at Warwick University. Apprenticeships are a brilliant way for people of any age to launch new careers or progress in their industry, with opportunities at a range of levels across a variety of exciting sectors.

“As a former apprentice myself I know first-hand the lifelong passion for learning an apprenticeship can instil. It was wonderful to speak to Beverley and Rishi and hear their passion for where their apprenticeship journey will take them. I look forward to seeing how the centre will support the leaders of tomorrow to get the skills they need to succeed.”

The degree apprenticeship students will complete their studies at the University campus in conjunction with their employment at companies throughout Coventry and Warwickshire and the West Midlands.

Rishi Chohan, Degree Apprentice from the Manufacturing Technology Centre, said “It was a great pleasure to show Gillian Keegan MP around WMG’s fantastic Degree Apprenticeship Centre. As a final year degree apprentice, on the Applied Engineering Programme, the skills I have learnt at WMG, University of Warwick, have helped consolidate and facilitate my development as an engineer progressing into leadership at the Manufacturing Technology Centre.

Beverley Ngo, Degree Apprentice from Jaguar Land Rover, adds: “It was a pleasure to attend the official opening of the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre. I am a second year degree apprentice at Jaguar Land Rover and part of the first cohort of Digital Apprentices on the “Digital Technology Solutions” course. It was an honour to meet and show Gillian Keegan MP around the fantastic building that I will be learning and developing knowledge in such an important area of technology.”

The innovative new Degree Apprenticeship Centre has a unique learning environment with open spaces for collaborative and individual work, technology-enabled seminar rooms and a purpose-built, multifunctional, laboratory for activity based teaching and learning using state of the art equipment. The WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre is the first stage of a future Degree Apprenticeship complex at the campus to train students in a range of Degree Apprenticeships.

At the official opening WMG Executive Chair Margot James said:

“We are delighted to welcome Gillian here today to officially open the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre, and recognise the importance of our vital work with industry. Our Apprenticeship Centre provides the opportunity for apprentices to study whilst working in their companies, upskilling our workforce and bringing tangible benefits to advanced engineering and the manufacturing sector, to ensure the UK remains competitive”

The University of Warwick’s Vice Chancellor Professor Stuart Croft:

“Warwick’s degree apprenticeships are founded on passion, knowledge, and a commitment to innovation. We demonstrate this in the way we work with industry and other partners and our degree apprenticeship students.”

“We encourage gifted apprentices from all backgrounds to share our passion who want to have the opportunity to earn as they learn and pursue exciting careers in their chosen field from day one of their time on these programmes.”

“Employers also value the passion and innovation of these students who will help close the skills gaps and inspire positive change both inside and outside the workplace.”

“As a university we are deeply committed to continue to expand our routes to degree qualifications.”

Marion Plant, Board Director and Chair of the CWLEP’s Productivity and Skills Business Group, said:

“This is a significant project funded by the CWLEP and fits in perfectly with our Strategic Reset Framework to provide high quality jobs and levelling up opportunities by supporting the development of higher-level skills.

“It is vital for the long-term ambitions of Coventry and Warwickshire’s economy that we retain talented people in the area by ensuring employers have the skills their future workforces will need to drive forward the innovations for which we are renowned in automotive and advanced manufacturing, to be globally competitive in an increasingly digitised world.”

Work-based learning has always been a key part of WMG’s philosophy they are passionate about offering apprentices an integrated experience and supporting companies with their workforce strategies – be it recruiting the next generation of talent or upskilling or reskilling existing employees to support career paths and changes in business need.

Businesses today are rapidly changing and the skills they require to develop and grow are changing equally as quickly. People are already doing jobs that did not exist 10 years ago and the events of 2020 have precipitated even greater change. Working collaboratively at a broader level with industry, other training providers and specialist bodies, WMG is continuing their pioneering approach to develop programmes and identify priority areas that will help fill the existing and emerging skills gaps as they arise.

WMG Senior Teaching Fellow, Rink Desai has been awarded a prestigious Transforming Education Award, from the University of Warwick’s Student Union, for Student Communication.

The Student Communication award is for any individual staff member who has gone above and beyond in using meaningful ways to ensure that everyone has access to relevant and timely information.

This may specifically encompass communicating developments with regards to changes in light of Covid-19 restrictions, but also in general. The awarding panel noted that: “Rink has done an excellent job communicating with his (apprentice) students and kept them updated with early release of learning resources and timetables which helped them to plan their employment and degree commitments at a turbulent time. This was a result of Rink acting on the ‘voice of the student’ which was very much appreciated by his cohorts.”

Rink said: “I am very honoured to have been recognised by the degree apprenticeship students. We have had a challenging year where students and staff have dealt with difficult circumstances, and also a time in which communication has been key to ensuring a rewarding learning experience. My sincere thanks go to the students who have contributed to such a positive learning environment.”

Rink teaches Process Optimisation on the BEng Applied Professional Engineering programme. Find out more about the programme here: BEng Applied Professional Engineering Programme : University of Warwick

• Degree Apprenticeships (DA) at WMG include courses partnerships with employers and come with a competitive salary
• WMG's undergraduate DA courses include Digital and Technology Solutions, Applied Professional Engineering, and Digital Healthcare Science
• Postgraduate courses include Sustainable Automotive Electrification and Smart, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
• National Apprenticeship Week 2021 runs until Sunday 14th February
• Applications for Jaguar Land Rover Degree Apprenticeships in Partnership with WMG close on Monday 15th February

WMG at the University of Warwick is set to continue its working partnership with employers to train the next wave of engineers and digital technologists - with new cohorts of degree apprentices set to start this September.

WMG’s undergraduate degree apprenticeship courses, including Digital and Technology Solutions, Applied Professional Engineering Programme, and Digital Healthcare Science, and postgraduate Sustainable Automotive Electrification and Smart, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles courses, bring together the best of higher education and work-based learning and come with the additional benefits of earning a competitive salary while learning and no university tuition.

Over the duration of their courses the apprentices will be taught on the University of Warwick campus for a number of weeks each year to complement their practical work based experiences – including in WMG’s new Degree Apprenticeship Centre.

For those interested in developing a new career and starting as a degree apprentice this September, there is still time to apply for courses at WMG in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover.

WMG and Jaguar Land Rover’s partnership provides degree apprentices the opportunity to develop the technical skills and knowledge necessary to building Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering capability for an autonomous, connected and electric future, with applications for courses open until February 15th.

§ For details on the full range of available Jaguar Land Rover degree apprenticeships and how to apply please click here.

Further to degree apprentice opportunities in the automotive and engineering sectors, WMG now offers the opportunity to train in Digital Healthcare Science. The course provides a breadth of scientific training including high-level consultation skills, a holistic, evidence-based and values-based approach to shared decision making, psychology, behavioural science and clinical physiology.

Developed with extensive consultation with leading healthcare science academics, senior NHS staff and policy makers, the Digital Healthcare Science course also provides valuable study and professional skills including data handling, statistics, research ethics and methods, literature review skills and critical appraisal, standards of conduct performance and ethics.

§ For details on the Digital Healthcare Science degree apprenticeships please click here.

Sue Parr, Director of Apprenticeships at WMG, University of Warwick comments:

“National Apprenticeship Week is the ideal time to both reflect on the success of those who are currently gaining skills and experience, but also to encourage those looking to follow in their footsteps.

“At WMG we are delighted to host and teach so many aspiring degree apprentices in key sectors and support them in applying the knowledge they gain here with the experience and skills they are developing at work to have real and immediate impact for their organisations and their career.”

Beverley Ngo, a current Software with Data apprentice, said of her decision to apply for a degree apprenticeship with Jaguar Land Rover and WMG:

“I wanted to be able to apply what I was learning to the real world, so the apprenticeship was the perfect opportunity for that. The funded degree and salary was obviously a bonus too! The degree itself appealed to me as I have always enjoyed maths and problem solving, so DTS felt like the right fit for me.”

Jack Young, a current Software Engineer apprentice, said of his studies:

“I have really enjoyed being able to apply what I have learnt at WMG to my work and vice-versa. It has been beneficial to be able to implement knowledge from both sides of the course and get a deeper understanding of what we are learning and why we are learning it.”

Congratulations to Manoj Vadher, Head of Engineering Reliability and Knowledge at Royal Mail, who’s been named as the winner in the Degree Apprentice of the Year category, at the West Midlands regional National Apprenticeship Awards 2020.

Manoj, is currently in his final year of his Master’s Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship as part of the WMG Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship programme.

Manoj explains: “I am also the functional lead in engineering for the Royal Mail development programme. I have been working with the communities, colleges and the universities to develop apprenticeship programmes. As a result, Engineering at Royal Mail now has the benchmark development programme all through the apprenticeship schemes.

“I have also applied the learning from my apprenticeship to deliver solutions that had the major positive impact on the ways of working bringing significant financial savings. I delivered engineering maintenance strategies, robotic process automation and machine learning initiatives.”

He adds: “Balancing work and study can be challenging, especially if you are in a demanding role. The programme is delivered using the block delivery model, making it easier to balance your time. The key benefit of studying through apprenticeships is that it allows you to integrate study with your day-to-day role. For me, both areas grew in parallel. You quickly start to understand and manage the priorities in your personal and professional life. My personal productivity improved. I don’t think I will ever go back and waste valuable time on the some of the activities at both work and home.”

WMG Senior Leader Course Leader, Trudy Spencer, explains: “The teaching team at WMG thoroughly enjoy working with the Royal Mail delegates to deliver the Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship Programme. It is particularly satisfying to see the programme learning being applied in the workplace and having a positive impact on both the Royal Mail business and the delegates’ personal development.

“Manoj has been an advocate for our programme from the launch and has taken every opportunity to apply and share his learning back at work. We are delighted to see his achievements being recognised through this award.”

James Baker, Chief Engineer and Fleet Director at Royal Mail group said: “I am delighted Manoj’s hard work and dedication has been recognised at the West Midlands regional National Apprenticeship Awards. He has used his learning to develop himself and to grow the capabilities of the wider business team. A great personal achievement and demonstrates the positive impact continual development can have.”

Manoj adds: “If anyone is thinking about doing an apprenticeship, I would say it is the best choice you can make for yourself. Find the right course with the relevant apprenticeship standards for you and go for it.”

Manoj went on to the final of the National Apprenticeship Awards on 25th November where he was Highly Commended.

Find out more about the WMG Senior Leader Programme here.