From conversation to National Skills Initiative in five years

Industrial Cadets has since developed into a national accreditation for work experiences, emphasising skills development and knowledge of career opportunities. Industrial Cadets is now growing extremely rapidly, with recent support from government and leadership drawn from many of the UK’s top manufacturing and engineering companies.

His Royal Highness is meeting Industrial Cadets and Jon Bolton at an event at the Redcar Community Heart today, celebrating the achievements over the past five years in turning an idea into a nationally established Industrial Cadets initiative.

Industrial Cadets started in 2011 as a workplace experience programme run by Tata Steel in the North East of England and developed from this so that in 2013 HRH The Prince of Wales was able to announce the national launch of the programme as an employer led initiative, under the management of education charity, EDT (the Engineering Development Trust). In 2014 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced funding for the further development of Industrial Cadets. There are now more than 3500 Industrial Cadets, drawn from over 1000 schools. More than 200 companies have run Industrial Cadet accredited programmes and over 400 employees have been trained as mentors.

The strict quality control of the Industrial Cadets accreditation has delivered impressive impact for the young people involved. Over 95% of Cadets identify an improvement in their work relevant skills such as team work, critical thinking, communication and organisation and planning. Importantly for the vision of Industrial Cadets, 70% of the Cadets taking part feel they are more likely to go into industry as a result of being an Industrial Cadet, a key objective.

Jon Bolton says: “It is a privilege to have been part of the development of an initiative which is so important for the future of UK industry. Industrial Cadets allows young people to see the industries in their local area, understand the careers that they offer and it takes the first steps in providing employability skills which will equip them for those careers. From that first conversation with HRH The Prince of Wales five years ago an organisation of substance and great value has emerged. Industrial Cadets is growing quickly to make an important contribution to UK Skills.”