Preparing for work in manufacturing Industry

Implemented by Nissan, the certification programme enables learning providers to access funding support for unemployed learners. The qualification is fully accredited by the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). According to EAL, the qualification draws on employers' expectations of the knowledge and skills a prospective employee should have, and provides a gateway to those wanting to enter the workplace. Successful learners will cover key areas including understanding the engineering manufacturing environment, the importance of sustainability, demonstrating hand skills, preparing for interviews and solving problems at work, including kaizen and continuous improvement techniques. Ann Watson, EAL managing director explained: "A career in engineering can open the door to a host of future opportunities. So having this qualification on a CV will show potential employers that a candidate has the basic industry knowledge and skills to make an impression in the workplace, while demonstrating their commitment to on-going development." Steve Pallas, training and development manager for Nissan Global Training Centre commented: "Before we started this training programme, about 12 per cent of people got through our recruitment process. We've now got a success rate of 60 per cent, and we've seen the retention rate improve."