Valve Academy

No, not the latest in the Police Academy film franchise, a genuine idea to boost our wonderful industry!

I, like I suspect many readers, underwent a traditional Apprenticeship, which by a rather convoluted route led me to my current post. Coming from farming family and a very rural-school background, my ‘careers advisor’ seemed remarkably short on ideas after my rejection of ‘the family business.’ Consequently I came to Engineering as a career rather more by accident than calling – I have to say I found it enlightening and I’ve enjoyed every minute since and would - and do - heartily recommend it.

So imagine my horror when I read a story in Engineering Careers magazine about a schoolteacher who called an ‘emergency meeting’ with the careers service when a star pupil floored them with the statement “I want to work in manufacturing”! His decision to seek an apprenticeship rather than continue to take ‘A-Levels’ was apparently regarded as a ‘mistake’ by the school.

I’m delighted to say that young man stuck to his decision, and after seven years of permanent employment, two sponsored engineering BTECs and a management qualification now enjoys a senior, well-paid position his company at the ripe old age of 23. Oh, and has no millstone of a huge student loan to pay off.

I think the attitude of this young man’s school to manufacturing tell us a lot about the way industry is perceived by those outside or unfamiliar with it. Indeed my own son rejected my encouragement to get into manufacturing, regarding it as ‘dirty.’ He’s now a potter – the irony of manufacturing’s perceived ‘dirtiness’ is not lost me as I do the daily wash of clay-sodden clothing. Or indeed that it is, in fact, still manufacturing.

The BVAA recently discussed ways in which we can develop further our young professionals – the seed corn of our industry. We are not aiming to replace the terrific grounding provided by apprenticeships - far from it as we encourage their reintroduction after many years in the wilderness and effective shunning by successive Governments. No, what we aim to do is to take our star pupils and accelerate their development in the valve industry through exposure to our own industry’s companies, networking and courses. Okay Academy is my word and might sound grand, but it essentially an early introduction to ‘the University of working-life’ to build up quickly the knowledge and experience that many of us have achieved over several decades.

The British Valve industry has a unique, world-leading knowledge-base, and it’s our intention to ensure that know-how gets passed onto the next generation.

Published: 18th September 2014