From left: Stephen Hanson, Ashley Crump (both M-Tec) and Peter Burns (CWCC)

05/01/2015 – M-Tec expansion paves the way for young engineers

CONTINUING expansion by a Coventry automotive engineering and design firm is creating new opportunities for young engineers.

M-Tec Group, based at Siskin Drive in the city, utilises state-of-the-art software to design and develop automotive interiors and exteriors. Since being established in 2011 it has developed a standalone turnover of approximately £7m per year.

The business now boasts 75 staff and has ambitions to double its turnover by the end of 2016.

Alongside traditional recruitment strategies, supported by its associated recruitment business in Birmingham, M-Tec Group has employed three additional joined-up approaches for the development of new staff at the Coventry office.

The company showed off its facilities and outlined its strategy during a visit to the firm by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce president Peter Burns.

Ashley Crump, commercial and business development director at M-Tec, said: “As a stand-alone business we have secured consistent growth and expansion over the past three years, supported by adopting traditional recruitment methods and by also developing young people from within the business.

“With regard to the development of young people, we have adopted three strategies, offering school work placement schemes, a graduate development programme and the sponsorship of students from Black Country University Technical College (UTC).”

The relationship with the UTC came about through a personal relationship when the firm was introduced to a student who it felt had a flair for engineering and design.

“We sponsored him through his university studies and, after four years, he is now an integral part of our team and working on a project for one of our most high-profile automotive clients,” added Crump.

The firm has maintained links with the UTC, and continued to identify a number of high potential students. It is the firm’s intention to employ two or three of these students each year.

“We have found that developing students via the UTC route, and providing on the job training along-side their university studies, can in many ways better prepare the individuals for the industry when compared to graduates direct from university,” said Crump.

“In addition to the development of UTC students, we also employ graduates direct from university and install them on a 12-month development programme working alongside our established project teams, which is also working very well in terms of providing an intensive learning environment.”

Burns said the opportunity to visit a forward-thinking company was very welcome.

“It was great to visit M-Tec and find out all about the way they have taken it upon themselves to find their own solution to the skills gap that everybody talks about,” he said.

“They have gone above and beyond their own responsibility to developing more skilled workers for the industry in the region, and we feel it is something that could yet become an even bigger success story.”

By Duncan Tift – Deputy Editor, West Midlands [Original article here]