CONEL launches new partnership with Siemens to train engineering apprentices

The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) has launched a new partnership with global engineering giant Siemens to train its next generation of apprentices in London.

The College is providing training for 17 new recruits to the company’s apprenticeship scheme, where they will have access to its fully-equipped workshops featuring the latest in engineering tools and equipment.

Apprentices will be coming to the Enfield Centre of the college to train in the design and development of rail systems, including electrification of railways, road traffic systems, healthcare equipment and building technologies.

Head of School Asif Khan, Head of School – Science and Engineering at CONEL, said: “It is great that we are working with Siemens. This is an exciting opportunity for the College and our learners.

“As part of this partnership we’ll be pioneering the new Trailblazer rail apprenticeships launched this year, which will complement the engineering provision we have here already.”

Siemens is one of the UK’s leading employers with a 14,000-strong workforce in the UK and has more than 500 apprentices on its training programme across all its business divisions, including 120 new apprenticeships this year.

New apprentice Aymane Elkholta, 18, said: “CONEL has great facilities and everything is new at this college. Also it has a very high success rate in engineering and the teachers are very professional. I came to the open day and really enjoyed myself and I believe this is a really great college.”

Aine Harnett-Lennon, 18, who is also on the apprenticeship scheme, added: “In school I enjoyed maths and physics, but I didn’t know it was engineering I wanted to do until quite recently. My teacher told me about it I immediately thought it was something I wanted to do.”

Kurt Hintz, Vice Principal for Curriculum and Learner Experience at CONEL, and Heather Robson, Vocational Skills Consultant at Siemens, with the new Siemens’ apprentices at the college’s engineering workshop in Enfield.

In the UK, the Siemens manufactures products such as industrial gas turbines, traffic lights, superconducting magnets for MRI scanners, high efficiency motor drives and train radios.

The overwhelming majority of  the company’s apprentices continue to full employment with Siemens. More than half the general managers in the business areas where apprentices work started out as apprentices with the company.

CONEL Course Tutor Roger Keys with Siemens’ apprentices at CONEL’s engineering workshop in Enfield.

Martyn Hottass, General Manager – Skills and Siemens Professional Education, said: “Siemens has always believed in apprenticeship as a very good start to a career in our business. At Siemens, an apprenticeship is a job from day one with great prospects.

“We chose CONEL as our partner college because of its commitment to delivering engineering qualifications to the level required by our business to prepare young learners for a great career.”

For more on apprenticeships and courses at CONEL visit www.conel.ac.uk, or to apply for Siemens apprenticeships visit www.siemens.co.uk/careers.