The BITA Academy has recruited 59 apprentices since opening its doors in November last year, and leading forklift companies Atlet, Still, BJB, Crown and Briggs Equipment have already placed apprentices.
The graduates will be fully equipped to work with a complete range of forklift products on the market upon completion of the course.
Having welcomed its first students in January, the academy offers a three-year Higher Apprenticeship qualification and an Advanced Level Apprenticeship qualification achieved after a fourth year of study. Students who do the fourth year can progress through an academic degree course.
BITA was created in partnership with City of Bristol College and opened on 1 November 2011 by Jack Lopresti MP. It was established to attract engineering talent into the UK materials handling industry.
James Clark, secretary-general of BITA, says the forklift sector has displayed consistent recovery against the backdrop of recession it has endured over the past few years.
"With more promising economic indicators now appearing, the academy will help us maintain a strong corps of service engineers to ensure our forklifts keep doing their job reliably, efficiently and, above all, safely," Clark says.
Program training manager Karl Baum explains that BITA has proactively recruited high-quality apprentices to meet the industry's current and future requirements, "while providing a real career path for young people".
As part of its recruitment drive, the BITA Academy is significantly investing in promotions to future students, including sponsoring The Apprenticeship Guide, and preparing for a very active role at IMHX 2013 that will include announcing the winners of the 'Enduro Challenge' competition for UK secondary schools.
The Enduro Challenge will reward school-designed, school-built vehicles in three categories (endurance, design/innovation and entrepreneurship) with cash prizes totalling GBP10,000 (USD15,995) for winning teams.
Meanwhile, construction has started on the site where the academy is located. The City of Bristol College is modernising the site and the refurbishment work is expected to be complete by September 2013. This will result in a new Advanced Engineering Centre that unites the three departments of engineering, transport and aeronautics.