Why Ivor Searle is investing heavily in apprenticeships

As we reported previously, apprenticeships are vital to the future of the automotive sector. It’s imperative that young people have – and take-up – opportunities so they forge a long-term, successful career in the sector. Ivor Searle reveals how it is keeping an eye on the future.

Apprenticeships are important, not only to meet the sector’s skills shortage, but also to ensure that a flexible, highly-skilled and productive workforce is maintained for the future. Developing future skills is crucial for the automotive aftermarket, which, according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ data, contributes £12.4bn to the UK economy with 55,000 businesses, including distributors, MOT, service and repair sites, supporting 330,000 jobs.

How is Ivor Searle doing its bit?

Ivor Searle is a remanufacturer of car and LCV engines, gearboxes and turbos, serving 1,500 distributors across the UK and overseas. It reported it has long placed apprenticeships at the centre of its business strategy.

To address the challenge of recruiting the skilled engineering technicians needed to provide distributors with the major units needed to meet workshop demand, the Cambridgeshire-based company now has more apprentices on its payroll than at any time in its 76-year history and, by the end of 2024, is set to employ 14 trainees.

Ivor Searle recruits up to four new apprentices every September, who are enrolled on the company’s Engineering Technician Machinist Level 3 apprenticeship. The successful applicants will join 11 other apprentices in the business who are on their second or third year of training towards a Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Foundation), in association with a number of local vocational colleges. Apprentices learn the processes and engineering involved across Ivor Searle’s operation, from stripping engines and machining of components to final assembly and future product development to meet the needs of the aftermarket.

Recognising the need to recruit more young people into technical and engineering roles within the automotive sector, its investment in apprenticeships is seen as a key element in future-proofing the skills needed by the business, as David Eszenyi, commercial director at Ivor Searle, explained:

“Ivor Searle has always been an advocate of apprenticeships, which enables trainees to earn while they learn. It’s the ideal platform to develop hands-on engineering and technical skills, which our business relies upon.

“By the end of this year, we will employ 14 apprentices, and, for a company of our size, there are few UK manufacturers with this number. I started my own career as an apprentice machinist, and a number of our senior staff joined Ivor Searle as apprentices. They really are the engine of our future.”

Furthermore, as a significant employer in the Cambridgeshire area, Ivor Searle participates in local recruitment fairs to advocate the benefits of apprenticeships and raise awareness of employment opportunities in automotive. Funding for apprenticeships is available through the government’s apprenticeship levy scheme.