HORIBA MIRA Wins Employers’ Commitment to Young People Award

HORIBA MIRA – a world-leader in advanced engineering, research and testing – has been announced as the winner of the Employers Commitment to Young People Award at the Coventry & Warwickshire Apprentice of the Year Awards. 

The awards, which took place earlier in November at Coventry Cathedral, brought together top employers who champion apprenticeships, apprentices and key stakeholders from the local community. HORIBA MIRA was recognised for the MIRA Academy, the engineering consultancy’s training and education offering.

Since its launch in 2013, the MIRA Academy has been providing fundamental support to young people and apprentices and their career development. Currently, HORIBA MIRA employs 20 Apprentices through the programme. The company offers salaried employment for each Apprentice from day one, with a structured programme of both academic and on-the-job training.

Emma Harris is an Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Apprentice at HORIBA MIRA and is currently studying for her Level 4 HNC in Electronic Engineering, joining in 2014.

She said of her experience as an Apprentice at HORIBA MIRA:

“Every day is completely different, which is partly why I enjoy working at MIRA so much. The people I work with, both Engineers and Engineering Technicians, are continually helping me to learn and develop, giving me new challenges on a daily basis. I believe everything I am tasked with is to expand my knowledge and it truly makes me feel I am a valued member of the team.”

Lisa Rowles, Human Resources Director, said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to have won the Employers’ Commitment to Young People Award. We pour a lot of time into making sure we offer a range of apprenticeships here at HORIBA MIRA and create new pathways for those looking to establish a career in the transport industry. This win is a testament to that hard work and we look forward to continually developing our apprenticeship scheme and support for young people.

“I would especially like to thank Shani Roberts, MIRA Academy Coordinator, whose hard work and efforts enable us to continue this great work.

The MIRA Academy is designed to offer development opportunities both within the workplace (qualification levels 1 to 8), and through a range of educational links in the local community. Over the last three years it has provided 200 training courses to thousands of delegates, supported 10 educational establishments and provided employability and interview training for 100 school children. Support for Young People is provided across a broad spectrum of activities, including:

• Apprenticeships
• Work Experience
• School STEM projects with trained STEM ambassadors who provide support to local schools
• Employability Session in Schools