Ford And Ceme Celebrate Ten-Year Partnership With Launch Of New College

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – Dec 2, 2013: Ford this week helped mark the 10th anniversary of CEME, the Essex-based Centre of Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence, by supporting a ‘ground breaking’ for a new University Technical College.

Mark Ovenden, chairman and managing director, Ford of Britain, joined Bill Williams, CEO of CEME and former land-speed record holder, Richard Noble OBE, among other guests, to celebrate 10 years of the education and business campus, which was established in 2003.

The occasion was also used to announce ELUTEC, the East London University Technical College, which will be built on the CEME campus. The ground breaking on the site of the new college was performed by Ruth Umerah, ELUTEC’s Principal. The college will take in students from the Thames Gateway area, including Havering, Barking, Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge and Thurrock when it opens in September 2014.

The new University Technical College will be aimed primarily at students selecting their ‘options’ – a choice of subjects and courses to study in years 10 and 11 - and is intended to attract a new generation of engineers through real-world, practical-based learning alongside core subjects such as English, Maths and Science.

“Ford is proud of its association with CEME through the last 10 years, and this remains the case as we look forward to the establishment of ELUTEC – the next significant step in the journey of this campus”, said Mark Ovenden. “ELUTEC has a bright future and Ford looks forward to helping make it a success through support in the design and delivery of the curriculum.”

The CEME campus is a base for Ford apprenticeship schemes, including students on Ford’s latest Higher Apprenticeship programme, which offers a degree-level qualification in Product Development Engineering. The High Speed Sustainable Manufacturing Institute (HSSMI) is another of Ford’s partnerships with CEME, established earlier this year, providing advanced manufacturing research, new technology development and product engineering.

Ford invests significantly in developing the skills it needs in its business, working with local schools to help deliver aspects of the curriculum, particularly in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). Ford also runs a craft apprenticeship programme at CEME and 11 other apprenticeship subjects across its dealer network.

Ford is also in the first year of its Higher Apprenticeship Programme and recently announced the second phase of its Blue Oval Scholarship programme, aimed at fostering a new generation of engineers, scientists and innovators.