Bosch’s Automotive Vocational Skills Programme: Helping Students Succeed
Engaging disengaged children is one of the biggest challenges faced by teaching professionals in schools today. For those at secondary school in the UK, much of the curriculum is reliant on their ability to be ‘academic’ learners, and those who do not learn best this way, may find school a challenging environment to succeed in. This can be a particular issue amongst children who have had setbacks in their early life or come from disadvantaged backgrounds; all of whom tend to be less likely to engage in traditional ways of learning. Bosch’s Automotive Vocational Skills Programme provides a scheme that doesn’t solely rely on academic capabilities.
Billy White (AA-AS/TSS22-UK), Operations Manager, at the Bosch Service Training Base in Glasgow who is responsible for running the programme, explains more.
Can you tell us about the programme and who is it open to?
For over 23 years, Bosch’s Automotive Programme has been working with schools across Scotland with the aim to provide a more hands-on education for disengaged students. Any child between 12 and 19 can take part in the scheme providing that their school, Skills Development Scotland Official, or education authority agree to support with funding. The scheme also aims to improve social skills and prepares students for working life in the future, helping to increase their employability, whilst also providing them with better career prospects.
How does the Automotive Skills Programme work?
We provide the Bosch Service Training base as a place for students to visit two or three days a week during the school year, where we re-engage them in education with a more hands-on approach unlike what is typically experienced at school. Our Bosch trainers provide real-life issues with cars that they can help fix.
Why is it so important that the programme is available?
Over the last 23 years approximately 1,600 students have been on the Bosch Automotive Vocational Skills programme, with attendees on the scheme increasing significantly over the last three years.
It is important to remember that school doesn’t work for everyone, and we offer an alternative using Automotive as the vehicle to help connect and re-engage with those that need it. We found that a more hands-on and nurturing approach to learning with an exciting subject matter tends to engage students and leaves them a lot more focused and interested in education.
The Bosch Vocational Skills Programme helps to inspire young children and to understand that their future is not always defined by their school-life and grades.
How does it help kids from more disadvantaged backgrounds in particular?
The Automotive Vocational Skills Programme provided by Bosch has proved incredibly important in the communities it operates in. A child can never be at fault for their socioeconomic background, but it can often massively impact the rest of their lives. Why should a disadvantaged child be less likely to have a job when they grow up later in life? For us, the real success of the programmes should be measured in the difference we make to the lives of young people rather than any certificate achievement or progression. We help to show young people there are alternatives out there, whilst helping them develop relevant skills that most don’t really have when they start on our programmes.