The National College for Motorsport has started its new academic year firmly on a high after over half of its first-year students – trained in its Silverstone Park workshops and classrooms – were offered apprenticeships as mechanics with leading motorsport teams.
More than 50 per cent of almost 80 students have found roles with British squads competing in MSA Formula (the UK’s premier single-seater category) or in high-profile international series such as Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and Formula Renault 3.5, FIA European Formula 3 and the FIA’s GP2 and GP3 formulae that race at Formula 1 grands prix.
It’s a remarkably high percentage that has left the College’s management justifiably proud and with a target to match in coming years as the industry shows signs of stabilising after some an uncertain financial period.
NCM lecturer and work-based assessor Justin Downard enthused:
“Firstly it means all of those students have got themselves set up perfectly now as level two intermediate apprentices.”
“In this industry you do need to hit the ground running and any apprenticeship is going to help a young person when they move on in the future into full-time employment – and employability is something that we focus on very much as part of our courses.”
Colleague Chris Philpott agrees, adding:
“All our tutors come out of the industry so we’re really able to teach our students how to act and behave in a race team, whether that’s in the pit lane, around the cars – almost any scenario, in fact.
“In the 12 years we’ve existed we have had very successful years before in terms of the student ratio going into apprenticeships but not to this degree for quite some time. The economic dip has played a significant part in that because teams have simply not had that extra resource to take on apprentices, but now it’s starting to come back and we’re immediately enjoying an excellent hit rate. It’s fantastic news for everyone at the college.
“And of course the more students find apprenticeships means it will be easier for more of them to go into employment when they leave here – in turn making it easier for race teams.”
Apprenticeships will also inevitably give students a greater chance of achieving their level-two NVQ diplomas, with level-three NVQs and technical certificates the goal the year after.
The National College for Motorsport has a pretty good hit rate with those, as well, with an increasing number of students to have gained them at its Silverstone Park base now earning visible full-time roles in Formula 1.
Downard continued:
“We recently went to a British Touring Car Championship event and must have counted 50 former students working in the BTCC or its supporting categories which is hugely impressive on its own.”
“Then you switch on the TV and see even more familiar faces in the Formula 1 pit lane! We now have students working as mechanics on cars for the Force India, Red Bull, Williams and Mercedes teams. Others have found very good positions working in Aussie V8s or the DTM in Germany (two of the world’s biggest motor racing championships outside of F1). The nice thing is they all stay in touch and drop in on occasion – and all say ‘thank you’.”
