BTG anniversary celebrated at awards night

This year’s awards evening saw BTG invite as many past apprentices as well as employers - giving all a chance to celebrate the milestone success.

Among the many guests at the July event was Rex Dunham, who had gone along to support his grandson, Joel Fardell from Igranic, who won the Best Electrical Apprentice of the Year.

It transpired that Rex had worked for the EITB in the 1960s and was responsible for doing a feasibility study to establish the training centre, initially for 40 places but quickly found justification for a 60 places. The company was formed in 1970 as Bedford Engineering Group Training Association. A training centre was first built in 1971 by the EITB (Engineering Industry Training Board) and provided the ‘off the job’ first year training that engineering companies required. In 1987 the name was changed to Bedford Training Group.

Then, as now, BTG is a charity and is managed by a council of local industrialists some of whom are also trustees thus maintaining the concept of ‘Training for Industry by Industry”.

Over the years the programmes have expanded to reflect the changing landscape of industry and their locations.

The programmes have expanded to include Motor Vehicle Maintenance from level 1 to 3 allowing a full apprenticeship support programme. Recently this has been expanded to include Motor Cycle Maintenance, again from level 1 to 3.

In 2006 BTG opened a small training centre in Leighton Buzzard to give construction skills training to learners on the Entry to Employment programme now Foundation Learning. This was followed the following year with a similar centre in Dean Street, Bedford.

These programmes have expanded to match the diversity of employers such as aircraft research, beer brewing, military hardware manufacturing, railway rolling stock repair, maintenance and refurbishment, motor vehicle research and development and first response detection equipment.

Through BTG’s expertise of working within the engineering and manufacturing sector it has developed programmes to support those businesses which include ILM Supervisor and Management programmes from Level 2 up to Executive Management at Level 7, Business Improvement Techniques, direct on the job skills training for maintenance engineers in electrical, mechanical and plc disciplines plus numerous short bespoke courses delivered in the Centres or Company premises.

This year’s awards winners were the following; Apprentice of the Year, Vincenzo Ventola from Cobham Aerospace, Best Mechanical Apprentice, Chris Edmunds from Smiths Detection, Best Electrical Apprentice, Joel Fardell from Igranic, Best CNC Machinist, Vincenzo Ventola, Best Craft Apprentice, James Tembo from Bosch Rexroth, Kelvin Nunn Trophy, Gareth Forsyth from Danfoss Randall, Best Log Book, Natasha Fox from Railcare, VRQ Craft Apprentice, Stephen Giles from Jewers Doors Ltd, Learner of the Year, Robert Damon from John Arnold Commercials Ltd, Welding Apprentice, Guiseppe Marabese from Adept Fabrications, Special Achievement, Jake Orbell and Ryan Peters from VST Bedford & Leighton Buzzard , School Learners of the Year, Josh Darlow from Oakbank School, Jamie Butler from Greys and Michael Cook from Cedars School, Merit Award, Steve Carver and Josh Wray from VST Bedford & Leighton Buzzard.