News & Resources

Ford apprentices ‘Make it in Great Britain’

12 Dec 2011

Ford’s UK-based apprentices involved with the design, development and production of high-technology engines supported the launch of the Government’s new “Make it in Great Britain” initiative, which aims to transform the image of UK manufacturing and to raise awareness of its importance for the economy.

The Ford apprentices, working through the four-year in-house apprenticeship programme are based at Ford’s diesel engine production plant at Dagenham and at Ford Bridgend in Wales.

Business Secretary, Vince Cable, and Business Minister, Mark Prisk, launched the campaign at the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills in Westminster, London recently, where industry experts, apprentices and prospective future engineers met to discuss modern manufacturing and careers.

Vince Cable said: “Manufacturing is our most exportable sector and is at the heart of our long term economic vision. We have outstanding manufacturing companies, both large and small and today I want to call on them to join us in being part of the Make it in Great Britain campaign.”

In supporting the campaign, Joe Greenwell, chairman, Ford of Britain became one of the first ‘industry champions’.

“I am very happy to represent Ford during the Government’s Make it in Great Britain campaign,” he said. “Ford has a strong manufacturing reputation in the UK and today builds nearly two million engines annually at our Bridgend and Dagenham engine plants, 30,000 Ford Transit Vans at Southampton, and over 500,000 transmissions at Halewood transmission plant, as part of the Getrag-Ford joint venture.”

Make it in Great Britain will culminate at the Science Museum during the Olympic Games in 2012, with an exhibition highlighting the success of UK manufacturing and encouraging younger people to consider a career in the industry. 

For more information please visit www.bis.gov.uk/makeitingreatbritain

This entry was posted in News & Resources. Bookmark the permalink. Comments are closed, but you can leave a trackback: Trackback URL.