A major West Midlands engineering company has today been praised by the Prime Minister for its ongoing support of young people’s careers.
Theresa May shone a spotlight on Birmingham-based adi Group’s work during Prime Minister’s Questions. Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, asked what discussions she has had with the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, regarding job creation in the region.
Referring to her visit last October, Mrs May responded: “I met the Mayor during my visit to the Kings Norton headquarters of the adi Group.
“This was an excellent opportunity to see a successful West Midlands company doing its part to give young people a career. And yesterday’s job figures show that not only has employment risen by over 300,000 in the West Midlands since 2010, this is something to be celebrated.”
Mrs May was accompanied on the visit by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond, to look at the multi-disciplinary firm’s work in inspiring young people to take up a career in engineering.
Prime Minister Theresa May, visits the pre apprentice scheme at ADI Group in Birmingham
Picture Dean Atkins
And the visit must have left an impression on Downing Street, as today’s comments are the second time this year that the PM has referred to the firm’s ethos.
During another Prime Minister’s Questions in January, she told the House of Commons about her visit, saying: “We saw first-hand the opportunities that apprenticeships can afford and that’s why we’re seeing annual investment in apprenticeships double to nearly 2.5 billion by 2020.”
adi has enjoyed consistent growth since establishing in 1990 and has real ambitions for the next few years. Central to those plans are developing their employees’ skills, with the firm recently welcoming 10 new apprentices, five of whom came from its own pioneering pre-apprenticeship scheme.
The group has made a commitment by signing up to The 5% Club, which states that it aims to employ 5% of its total workforce as apprentices by 2020. It is well on its way to meeting its target, with a current cohort of 25 full-time apprentices.
James Sopwith, adi’s group strategic account director, said the firm is thrilled to have been acknowledged once again by Theresa May.
“It was a privilege to have the Prime Minister and Chancellor visit adi last year, particularly as we were the only company visited by them during the Conservative Party’s conference.
“They both committed to helping us promote our pre-apprenticeship scheme. The fact she has now twice raised us as a successful business in the Midlands, and as one who is inspiring the next generation of engineers, shows she has stuck to her word.”
