Daily Mail

Passion for pit stops gave Leah the edge

- SARAH HARRIS

TheY say races are won in the pits, and a visit to one put Leah Catton on the track to an apprentice­ship.

the 19-year-old, who last year started her Level two Franchised Ford Dealer apprentice­ship at the henry Ford academy, Daventry, now works at the Sandicliff­e Ford dealer in Nottingham.

Leah says: ‘My interest in engineerin­g began on trips to the British touring Car Championsh­ips ( BtCC) when I was younger. Visiting the pits and talking with engineers there really sparked my passion.

‘Meanwhile, I’m continuing my formal instructio­n at the henry Ford academy in Daventry, where, in small class groups, we get comprehens­ive hands- on training. My academy assessor visits me at work, too, so the whole training is linked together.

My skills base is growing every day.

‘In the long term, I want to make the most of my training and work in the racing scene, preferably in BtCC where it all started for me.’

adekunle Omisakin, an engineerin­g higher apprentice with Ford, says: ‘I decided to go down the apprentice­ship route as it will give me a head start on the career ladder in comparison to someone who went to university. I will also not be in debt, but am being paid, so choosing a Ford apprentice­ship that was going to sponsor my degree was a no-brainer.’

Colleague Charlotte Matthews, who is also an engineerin­g higher apprentice, adds: ‘With a BteC level three and an NVQ level three, both in engineerin­g, the opportunit­y offered by the Ford apprentice scheme seemed like the very best way to progress.

‘What I particular­ly like are the colleagues I work with now, who all started their career through the apprentice­ship route, so they are very supportive.

‘In the end I get to earn a degree while I am earning a competitiv­e salary.’ Ford offers franchised Ford dealer, business higher and engineerin­g apprentice­ships. It has 155 apprentice­s across the three programmes.

andy Barratt, chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain, says: ‘I started my apprentice­ship at Dagenham as a then business technician and never looked back.

‘today, apprentice­ships are central to skills developmen­t at Ford and are an invaluable element of our business.

‘I am passionate about the Ford products we build and sell, and equally passionate about the value of our apprentice­ships scheme.’

 ??  ?? Surging ahead: Apprentice Leah Catton
Surging ahead: Apprentice Leah Catton

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