10 Nov Frederick Cooper Launch Training Academy
Frederick Cooper Birmingham Ltd., the trusted, multi- sector provider of specialist wet paint spraying and powder coating solutions, has today launched its new training academy at the Make UK, Future Maker Event in Birmingham.
Frederick Cooper Birmingham has operated out of Bordesley Green in Birmingham, West Midlands, for over 140 years; and are as proud of their Birmingham heritage, as they are the services they provide to the automotive and other industries across the UK and around the world.
Having fully recovered from the pandemic, Operations Director Jai Purewal is now targeting the next phase of development and sees talent acquisition as central to the ongoing success of the business. Speaking at the Make UK, Future Makers event, Purewal said,
‘We are a family run SME in Birmingham, and we are a very labour-intensive business, and we see apprenticeships as an important part of the recruitment- mix. We see value in bringing open-minded and engaged apprentices seeking a career into our business and training them ourselves. We’re not so hung up on qualifications, we’re more about attitude and the way prospective candidates for our new apprenticeship programme present themselves. Those with an open-mind and an appetite for learning, generally do very well with us.’
The Frederick Cooper Academy is essentially a repackaging and rebranding exercise for learning and development in the business. In a positive move away from traditional ‘on the job training,’ the coatings firm will now be working with Make UK and other training providers to better equip team members with the skills they need to be successful. Purewal added,
‘We recognise that there is a scarcity of labour and don’t really see this getting better anytime soon. As with anything, when there is short supply, prices go up, and that’s before we consider the impacts of geopolitical events such as Ukraine for example. For me, all this makes it more important that we as a business get the right processes in place to attract and retain the right people. In some ways, our investment into the academy might only be us catching up with what others have been doing for some time, but I am confident that this will better prepare Frederick Cooper to navigate the challenging times ahead, and continue to deliver for our customers.’
Frederick Cooper Birmingham has chosen Make UK as the academy, preferred training partner. Speaking on behalf of the body that champions and celebrates British manufacturing and manufacturers, Stephen Mitchell, Director of Apprentices & Technical Training at Make UK said,
‘For many manufacturers, apprenticeships are part of their broader learning and development strategies. With so many manufacturers looking to recruit an engineering or manufacturing apprentice in the next 12 months, apprenticeships in the UK manufacturing sector can address the yawning skills gap we face, and aid the Government in its ambition to level up.
We are delighted to be partnering with Frederick Cooper Birmingham on this exciting project; we have been really impressed with their approach to setting up the academy and their obvious commitment to providing young men and women with a route into employment.’
Jon Stone, Managing Director, and Frederick Cooper added, ‘We were already members of Make UK so were aware of the existing profile and network Make UK has in the region. This partnership is about each party playing to their individual strengths, the sum being greater than its parts; we are thrilled to be able to support more people into the world of work. Ther first cohort of Apprentice is now 2 months in and they are all doing really well.’
If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more on this exciting route into the world of work, working with some of the world’s largest brands including Bugatti, McLaren, Heineken, Rolls Royce and more, please visit www.frederickcooper.co.uk for more information or call 0121 772 4201 and ask for the HR dept.