Truck giant reaps the rewards of Degree Apprenticeships

Leyland Trucks value staff development and offer opportunities for training and educational development to all their staff through different schemes. Degree Apprenticeships seen as part of a wider training offer within the business.

At present they have six Degree Apprentices enrolled with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Four are on the Mechanical Engineering degree and a further two on the Electronic Engineering degree course.

Also, two more UCLan apprentices will soon be starting as new recruits. And four existing employees will move from Level 4 apprenticeships at Preston College to UCLan Degree Apprenticeships.

The business has a longstanding relationship with the University and sees the benefits of using a local provider. Training Manager Maria Rogers said: “The more accessible we can make it for people, the better.”

The company also sees benefits in helping to recruit and retain staff within a competitive market. Maria added: “From a retention point of view, we've found over the years that people who are recruited as apprentices on the previous Level 4 scheme do tend to stay longer with the business. If someone has graduated and they're just looking for their first job, they look around and see what else might be on offer. I think because they've been invested in from such an early stage in their careers, they repay you with their loyalty to the business.”

The business offers different schemes for training staff and this helps them to recruit and retain staff within a competitive market. Maria explained: “In terms of people who've got qualifications and experience and all that that goes with it, it's a candidate’s market at the minute. So rather than sitting and waiting for the perfect person who’s got 10 years automotive experience under their belt, and a degree and a lot of options available to them, what else can we do to attract and retain good people?”

The company sees many advantages that Degree Apprenticeships can bring to a business. By working with the University of Central Lancashire, they are helping to future-proof their workforce. Commenting on the relationship, Maria commented: “We’ve used UCLan before, on a commercial basis, when employees are doing part-time courses alongside their work and the service we’ve received has always been exceptional.”