Balfour Beatty partners with NMITE to inspire budding engineers
Balfour Beatty has announced that it has partnered with the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) – a new higher education institution that is revolutionising engineering degree education in the UK.
Based in Hereford, NMITE has designed its curriculum to mirror real-world working environments with students engaged in projects to enhance their practical experience, arming them with critical skills and industry knowledge. With an accelerated degree programme and flexible entry requirements, which includes no prerequisites of maths or physics at A-level, this is embedded within the curriculum.
Through the partnership, Balfour Beatty will actively contribute to the NMITE curriculum, ensuring a seamless integration of industry expertise with academia. The collaboration will see the company provide industrial placements for students on some of Balfour Beatty’s most exciting and inspiring projects across the UK, as well as host seminars that provide technical insights into the construction and infrastructure industry.
Paul Raby, Balfour Beatty Group, HR Director, says, “We are thrilled to join forces with NMITE and contribute to their ground-breaking approach to engineering education. By combining our industry expertise with NMITE’s innovative curriculum, we can empower the next generation of engineers to excel in practical skills and meet the evolving demands of the construction industry.
“With this partnership, we can open doors for a diverse range of young people to enter the construction industry by catering to a variety of learning abilities that equips students with a well-rounded skillset.”
James Newby, Chief Executive at NMITE, comments, “Our breakthrough, interdisciplinary model of higher education involves, at every stage, engagement with employer partners and work on real life projects. What better experience for our students to have than to hone their skills with a partner of the calibre of Balfour Beatty? Joining forces with this leading international group will be another fundamental part of shaping tomorrow’s engineers so that students leave NMITE not only work ready but as true game changers.”
This latest partnership is a further example of Balfour Beatty’s commitment to attracting the next generation of talent, with 6.5% of the company’s UK workforce now made up of apprentices, graduates, trainees and sponsored students as part of its membership of the 5% club – a dynamic movement of employers committed to providing ‘earn & learn’ positions.
