Friday 26th September 2003

Apprentices are Back

Honda invest in 14 year olds to bring them up to speed with the motor industry

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Honda is to work with secondary schools in an attempt to improve both the quality of staff entering the motor industry and to make it a more attractive option to school leavers.

Called the motor vehicle Pre-Apprenticeship programme the initiative allows students aged 14 to study vocational subjects alongside their GCSEs. This leads to a Level 1 Award certificate which enables successful candidates to ‘fast track’ onto a full Modern Apprenticeship at 16.

To kick off the venture, the "Honda Institute" has supplied protective clothing and safety footwear for 22 budding technicians at Richard Hale School in Hertfordshire. The school will use its own technical training facilities in conjunction with the motor vehicle department at Epping Forest College, which is an IMI approved training centre.

At 14, students are given the opportunity to get hands-on experience of modern cars, working practices and a taste of real-world situations and working conditions.

"Design and Technology has been on the decline nationally in recent years, this course is sure to turn the tide ," said Steve Neate Deputy Headmaster at Richard Hale School. "We have been overwhelmed with the popularity of the option, this year we have squeezed 22 boys onto the course and I expect that number to double next year. We have a great cross-section of pupils including some of the school’s strongest science students. In the long term I can see this type of option being opened above and below year 10 ."

Two pupils from Richard Hale School in Hertfordshire with deputy headmaster Steve Neate
study the dipstick of an NSX as part of the Pre Apprentice programme .

[Lotusacbc]

hahaha Study the Dipstick it says. "Well boys, this heres a Dipstick"

[FourWheelDrift]

Boy on right says.

"But I look nothing like one of them sir"

[MoJocvh]

charletans

WELL DONE HONDA.MoJo.

[danmangt40]

I've been saying that high school was crap and everyone just needs hands on experience since I was in 5th grade. Thank god someone's taken a step in making the most of our lifetimes. Why make us wait until after college to fit us into anything of real world value when we learn most easily when we're young? after elementary school, it should be half a year working, half a year studying, until we're deep into our 20s, when the tougher topics are just easier by dint of having learned the patience that comes with years of work. Lots of my classmates, especially the most successful ones, are people who worked hard their entire lives and had to come back to school later. The alternating would keep it fresh and we'd get the best of both worlds. Labor would be cheaper, and everyone would be more employable and there would be greater brand identity and loyalty. It's good for everyone except history teachers, who can go stuff it anyway.

[Newromancer]

"to make it a more attractive option to school leavers"

That fits, over here ( in Austria ), most of the "school leavers" drive Honda's as soon as they pass 18.