Filton technical college opens with nearly 800 apprentices

A new technical college has opened in Filton, at the heart of the West of England's aerospace industry, with nearly 800 apprentices beginning training.

The Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence College, known as Amtech, is one of four such sites in the UK. It replaces a technical college that had been in Weston-super-Mare and adds 200 apprentice places. It is run by Weston College and backed by major employers including Airbus, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.

The college is meant to help fill a national engineering skills gap. The Institute of Mechanical Engineers estimates the UK could be a million technical workers short of what it needs by 2030. Apprentices at the site are paid by aerospace companies while they learn, and employers are helping to shape what is taught.

One production apprentice said she was starting as a fitter and wanted to become an engineer, ideally in aerospace. Asked whether a job was guaranteed at the end, she said she was mostly sure. She pointed to global demand for aircraft fitters and fabricators.

Andy Smith, who started at British Aerospace in Filton in 1990 and has worked in aerospace there for 37 years, said the region needed more technical apprentices. Airbus is increasing aircraft volumes to rate 75, or 75 aircraft a month. That means GKN must make matching components. Rolls-Royce has also invested heavily in its Filton facility and needs apprentices. Babcock has a strong order book because of the defence industry.

Industry links are central to the teaching model. The college says it brings the workplace into the classroom and the classroom into the workplace, so students can apply theory to real practices. Sue joined Airbus as a graduate in 1989 and later rose to the top of the company in the UK. Her replacement could come from these classrooms.