Critical Launches Apprenticeship Programme

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Critical Launches Apprenticeship Programme

1 Nov 2011

Critical Software Technologies has launched a new apprenticeship programme. The new scheme is intended to address the growing shortage of skills in engineering, meet new business demands and tap into local talent.

The company has recognised that many youngsters are having second thoughts about going to university, given the financial burdens that may be involved these days. The intention is to give a vocational opportunity to some of those who otherwise may one day have become graduate entrants to software and systems engineering industry.

If Critical is to fulfil its ambitious expansion plans for its Southampton and Yeovil offices, at both of which the aim is to increase staff numbers by 50 per cent over the next 12 months, then it's clear that the company needs to find an alternative source of good engineering recruits. Brian Luff, the company's Chairman explains, “We’ve had distinct difficulty in finding sufficient graduates, or recent graduates, with the right skills and knowledge in recent years, so we’ve decided to augment our approach to recruitment with this new scheme. So many young people are understandably being deterred from going to university due to rising fees and we feel that we can find the right people at a much earlier stage in their careers and work with them to develop skills we know they’ll use later in their careers.”

Critical is being assisted in its efforts by Solent Apprentices for Business which will set up the apprenticeship scheme on the company’s behalf. Apprentices will embark on a two year programme and their academic work will lead to level 3 and level 4 ICT qualifications. The apprentices will also gain valuable real-world experience from working on highly specialised projects, focusing on safety and mission-critical systems in the avionics, space, energy and defence industries.

The company's very first apprentice, Daryl Lyons, started in October and has already attended day release classes at Highbury College near Portsmouth.