‘100 STUDENTS A YEAR’ THROUGH FBHVC APPRENTICESHIP

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) last week unveiled ambitious plans to more than treble the intake for its Classic Vehicle Restoration Apprenticeship during an open day at Bicester Heritage.

According to the Federation’s director of trade and skills, Karl Carter, 100 apprentices a year will be needed to address the skills shortfall in the historic vehicle industry. Adult learning courses in classic vehicle maintenance and restoration are also being considered. More regional colleges are needed to run the apprenticeship syllabus, which is recognised nationally by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL) and backed by the Skills Funding Agency. “We can put some excellent apprentices into the industry with the right skill set. That skills shortage hasn’t gone away and we need more businesses to come forward,” Karl Carter added.

Backed by Activate Enterprise and Banbury and Bicester College, the FBHVC hopes to attract more employers to take its graduates on; current business affiliates include McGrath Maserati and RollsRoyce specialists P& A Wood, which runs its own version of the apprenticeship syllabus. Having started small in 2014 with 10 students at Banbury and Bicester College, the programme is in the middle of moving to Bicester Heritage, “a focal point for the preservation of classic vehicles and aircraft,” explained Federation chairman David Whale. “Moving [to Bicester Heritage] takes us into a new dimension.” This September, students will begin studying at the former RAF Bomber Command site full time in addition to their day-release placements. With course numbers steadily increasing and its first graduates now working full-time, things are looking up for the Classic Vehicle Restoration Apprenticeship. Pablo Lloyd, Activate Enterprise chief executive confirmed: “At Bicester Heritage, we can become a national centre for specialist skills working at a local level.”