Welsh Government
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Ford Saturday Club - driving forward engineering skills
The Ford Saturday Club – which gives Welsh students a grounding in automotive engineering - is gearing up to welcome the latest group in September when it celebrates its 18th anniversary.
The Club – one of the longest established clubs of its kind – has attracted hundreds of pupils from 75 schools across South Wales over the past eighteen years.
Supported by Ford, the Welsh Government, the Welsh Automotive and Aerospace Forums and run by Control 2K, it has gone from strength to strength and is always over subscribed. This year sixty applicants are competing for 24 places for the September intake.
Two clubs are run in the school year – in the autumn and spring terms for students aged 14-16 years who give up their Saturday mornings to learn a variety of skills and get some hands on experience.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart said:
“The Ford Saturday Club has been incredibly successful and has, over the past eighteen years, enthused and nurtured the talents of hundreds of Welsh students. We need skilled engineers to support the growth of the economy and the Club provides a great introduction to engineering and promotes the opportunities it presents as a career choice. ”
Based at the Waterton Technology Centre in Bridgend, the programme offers a unique opportunity for students to develop valuable skills working alongside professional engineers in a £4m purpose-built training facility next to the engine plant.
Successful applicants follow a 12 week programme during which they will rotate through three modules studying Electrical, Mechanical and Control Engineering. Students who complete the programme can qualify for the CREST Bronze or Silver Awards
Students who are interested in pursuing a career in either electrical or mechanical engineering at any level, either vocational or academic, are encouraged to apply.
The Welsh Government stepped in to support the Club when Careers Wales funding ended in 2013 and after funding a pilot in 2013 it has agreed funding for a three year period with a focus on encouraging girls to apply and promoting engineering as a career. The number of girls taking part has increased steadily and last year this rose from six in the first cohort to eleven in the second which is a Saturday Club record.
