Central Sussex College appointed to run Ford Masters Apprenticeship Programme in the South

In a major coup, the Crawley-based Central Sussex College has been exclusively contracted to provide training for the Ford Masters Apprenticeship Programme (FMAP) in the South East of England.

The FMAP is a prestigious three-year training scheme devised by Ford Motor Company and Skillnet, combining on-the-job training with dealerships across the UK, with local and residential college tuition, covering the full range of automotive mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines for light vehicle repair. The scheme is managed nationally by the London-based Skillnet Automotive Academy, and has over 1,000 apprentices. Now, Central Sussex College will be the only college in the South East of England to offer the course.

Central Sussex College is one of the most prominent further education colleges in the South East, currently supporting 12,250 students annually and working in partnership with 1,650 businesses. It is also one of the largest providers of apprenticeship training in the South East, with 600 students aged 14-16; 2,650 students aged 16-19; and 9,000 adult students – to reflect the mix of demographic needs met by the college’s facilities.

For the FMAP, the college has three state-of-the-art motor vehicle workshops spread across three campuses, and provides training up to the level of Higher National Diplomas (HNDs).

Richard Brooks, Director of the Faculty of Technology at Central Sussex College, said:  "We are very excited to be taking the Ford Masters Apprenticeship Programme forward in the South East and supporting the regional network of Ford dealerships.

"The partnership will further strengthen the college’s position as an organisation that can and does provide first-class training that meets the needs of the region’s industry, employers and trainees."

By Ryan Daff