CAREER STORIES
Janice Pitchforth
Janice Pitchforth
Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards
Personality of the Year 2020 - Winner
Janice Pitchforth has been singularly instrumental in promoting and developing apprenticeships throughout the Heritage industry, as commenced by P&A Wood some years ago. It is a vital part of the work of the BHVC located at Bicester Heritage.
She has worked tirelessly to secure apprenticeship opportunities for people aged from their teens to their 50s. She has then gone a step further to engage with them to such a degree of success that she has been asked to open a second Southern centre for apprenticeship training at Brooklands Museum.
Janice's success with the Heritage Engineering Technical Apprenticeship programme has restored the faith of a disillusioned industry in the potential and commitment of a new generation of engineers.
When the motor industry is recording 90% fewer apprenticeship starts since last year, she has bucked the trend by matching 25 new employees with apprentices since the COVID lockdown in March. Janice’s work is ensuring the Heritage fleet will be supported by skilled, knowledgeable individuals for decades to come. She is also making a positive difference to human lives.
TRAINING PROVIDER
Heritage Skills Academy
EMPLOYER
SUPPORTED BY
Federation Skills Trust
The object of The Federation Skills Trust is the advancement of education by promoting, whether directly through financial or other support, the training and teaching of engineering skills and processes and by encouraging and supporting the development and transference of skills appertaining to the repair, maintenance, preservation and renovation of all types of heritage transport, historic vehicle and machinery.
The Trust was established as a product of the cooperation between the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs and The Galashan Trust around heritage engineering apprenticeships. We have contributed financially and in practical ways with the establishment of apprenticeship training providers including the Heritage Skills Academy.
A charity registered in England and Wales number 1192334
SUPPORTED BY
Bicester Heritage
Bicester Heritage is creating a revolution in historic vehicle ownership. The unique location is the UK’s only hub for historic motoring excellence and is the national centre for a £5.5bn per annum industry that employs over 34,000 skilled people.
Founded in 2013 Bicester Heritage has gone from a standing start to a home for over 40 specialist businesses, and growing, with a collective turnover of over £40m, making it the largest player in the industry and set to grow exponentially with a global reach. The unique ecosystem of businesses based at a beautiful 444 acre former WW2 RAF Bomber Training Station acts as ‘marina-like’ cluster, promoting skills and expertise, employment, qualified customer footfall, shared business incubation and aggregate growth. Collectively, Bicester Heritage is all about driving the future of the past.
“A STROKE OF GENIUS.”
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
SUPPORTED BY
Brooklands Museum
Brooklands Museum celebrates our amazing history of innovation in aviation and motor sport. We keep alive the struggles and achievements of the men and women of Brooklands, who accomplished things that had never been done before in their fields, through their inventiveness, expertise and sense of adventure. We ensure this remains relevant to today by encouraging people to think about and develop the qualities and skills they need to shape their future and meet the modern equivalents of the challenges overcome by people at Brooklands in the past.
Our mission is ‘to preserve and interpret the heritage of Brooklands, to use that heritage to inspire and educate and to provide a world-class visitor attraction accessible to all.’
SUPPORTED BY
Starter Motor
Our passion is to see the next generation of young people driving, maintaining and enjoying historic cars. We know that if nothing is done, the world of classic motoring will begin to change and even disappear.
We believe our old car world can provide a real haven in the digital age: enjoyment, adventure and community. It’s a place to belong; where friendship, common interest and mechanical fun are self evident; where things are repaired and not thrown away. StarterMotor is determined to ensure a big welcome to the historic motoring community for young people by supporting them in their ambitions and promoting access to classic cars.
StarterMotor is a Registered Charity no. 1171312 based at Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire.