Linde MH receives record number of apprenticeship applications

12 Jul 2017 | by MHW Magazine Team | ,

Leading European logistics company, Linde Material Handling, has received a record number of applications to its UK apprenticeship programme.

Linde received more than 1,000 applications this year, a 250% increase on the previous year.

Established in 2011 to ensure our number 1 delivery for service excellence and address the industry wide skill’s gap for qualified forklift truck engineers, Linde currently offers applicants the chance to study in the UK’s first certified apprentice scheme for the forklift truck industry. The course is officially endorsed by the FLTA and BITA.

Over the last six years, the course has received a wide amount of interest from 16-24 year olds across the nation, all vying for a place on the four-year course which provides apprentices with a formal qualification recognised by the International Motorship Institute as a Linde forklift truck engineer.

Mark Sullivan, Aftersales Director, at Linde UK said: “At the start of our apprenticeship programme, we had just 10 people on our course, so to have 100 times that amount competing for a place on our course is a testament to how successful our programme has become. This isn’t just a numbers game though, and we’re pleased to see the quality of applicants is improving year on year.

“We’ve made a concerted effort over the last two years to reach out to local schools and colleges around our UK bases, as well as using online advertising on social media to target school leavers looking for a career. Last year we created a series of short videos about our current intake of apprentices, showing them what a day in the life of a Linde apprentice is like, as well as details about the qualifications they’ll receive at the end of the programme and we think this targeted approach has helped contribute to the increase in applications.”

In addition to investing in partnerships with the industry, Linde also invests in the future of its apprentices. Each year, Linde UK holds an ‘Apprentice of the Year’ awards ceremony to recognise the hard work and achievement of some of the most dedicated apprentices in each year group.

Mark Sullivan, continued: “Recognising our apprentices’ hard work is an important part of being in the Linde family and we know it contributes to the high retention levels of our engineers once they’ve qualified. Our apprenticeship is unique as it covers a vast range of our products and systems and teaches candidates customer service skills, preparing them for a career with Linde.”