1. Company Overview

hydraPower dynamics is a large hose and tube manufacturer based in Birmingham. It partners with a broad spectrum of industries to offer a comprehensive hose and tube manufacturing service. Seamlessly bridging innovative design with precise production and manufacturing techniques, it delivers world class solutions by accurately identifying client-specific requiremeInitial Business Neednts and challenges.

2. Challenge or Opportunity

Initial Business Need – Many young people in the college’s local area, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, struggled to transition from education into meaningful careers. Despite completing vocational courses, they often lacked the practical, real-world experience – crucial for securing jobs in competitive industries like mechanical engineering. As part of an international company, in a sector with high replacement demand, hydraPower dynamics’ values include innovation and long-term growth.

Skills Gap or Workforce Issue:

hydraPower dynamics faced a significant replacement demand for skilled workers, with a gap between academic learning and industry requirements. By co-designing this programme and offering significant placement opportunities, they are building a skilled, diverse pipeline, demonstrating a commitment to corporate social responsibility and investing in the local talent.

3. Collaboration with Further Education

Employer-led skills development, providing over 20 students from The Sandwell Colleges with industry placements, leading to six securing full-time employment as engineers. hydraPower dynamics’ continued commitment has included expanding opportunities for 60 new Engineering T Level students, as well as supporting BTEC Engineering and Construction learners through work experience.

hydraPower dynamics provides industry expertise and investment through valuable three-month industrial placements – significantly longer than typical work experience models, hands-on mentorship from experienced staff, and a pathway to full-time employment and careers in engineering. This collaborative, co-designed approach ensures the curriculum is directly relevant to industry needs, setting it apart from generic training programmes.

Key Activities: 

Our initiative is a collaborative programme of industrial placements and work experience for T Level and Level 3 vocational students, developed jointly by The Sandwell Colleges and hydraPower dynamics. The programme provides unparalleled access to the mechanical engineering sector. The Sandwell Colleges’ role is to provide essential preparation, including talks on workplace behaviour, professional expectations, and how to make the most of opportunities, ensuring our students are not just academically ready, but also personally and professionally equipped for the workplace. This extensive, hands-on experience allows students to work with experienced professionals, learning modern skills that are directly relevant to their future careers. While the placement is part of their course, it also serves as an extended job interview. For those who do not secure a job, the placement is still vital as it helps them complete their course and provides a strong foundation for progressing to university-level engineering or STEM courses, or into higher apprenticeships. During the design phase, consultation with hydraPower dynamics’ engineering managers and HR team was crucial in shaping the placement content. They helped identify specific skills and competencies required in the modern mechanical engineering workplace, ensuring the training provided by The Sandwell Colleges is directly relevant to current vacancies and industry standards, making our programme far more responsive than generic training courses. In the implementation phase, experienced engineers at hydraPower dynamics serve as mentors for our students. This hands-on guidance is invaluable, providing students with first-hand insight and making them feel part of the team. The college’s careers advisors and vocational tutors provide initial guidance and ongoing support, ensuring students are well-prepared for their placements and have a clear pathway for their future careers. hydraPower dynamics provides students with access to its facilities, machinery, and ongoing projects. This is a crucial investment that allows hands-on, real-world learning for our students.

4. Outcomes and Impact

Initially the programme was part of hydraPower dynamic’s corporate social responsibility effort, and so the benefit was being able to invest in the community and help young people. But during the placement they found they have been able to offer students the opportunity to learn a wider range of skills, to apply what they have learnt on their T Level courses and also to give them the insight of what work life is like, boosting their employability and confidence to excel within their career pathways.

The collaboration initiative has helped with recruitment due to T Level students already having a good foundation of knowledge, and the college assessing them for suitability as potential employees. Having students on site has provided some of the established workers with an opportunity to become mentors, and some supervisors are now being further developed. Experienced engineers have taken great pride when mentoring the next generation of talent. This hands-on involvement is a powerful motivator.

Helping the next generation is worthwhile and ethically rewarding. By specifically targeting disadvantaged youth, the programme also helps to create a more representative and diverse workforce that reflects the local community. There are bottom line advantages as productivity levels increase for the 45 days students are on site. Recruitment becomes more effective so there is a clear return on investment a lot sooner than expected.

Our programme has profoundly impacted participants’ lives, fostering meaningful change, boosting employability, and raising career aspirations and confidence. We have seen young people from challenging backgrounds, who might otherwise have faced significant barriers to entry, now thriving in a highly skilled sector. The fact that six candidates have secured full-time permanent jobs at hydraPower dynamics as a direct result of their placements is a powerful testament to the programme’s ability to create genuine, sustainable employment. For those who don’t immediately secure a job, the impact is still transformative. For example, one student, who was unsure about university before the placement is now pursuing a Higher Apprenticeship in Engineering.

By creating a direct pathway to employment for disadvantaged young people, hydraPower dynamics is positioned as a socially responsible and forward-thinking employer and has been recognised with an Excellence in Skills Partnership Award by Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire.

6. Testimonial 

Sonia Smalling, HR Business Partner, hydraPower dynamics

Our partnership with The Sandwell Colleges is vital for developing a pipeline of skilled engineers who meet the needs of today’s industries. It’s a privilege to collaborate on shaping the next generation of engineering talent. We have had high quality students from The Sandwell Colleges. There is no better way to grow your workforce.”

“Partne Patrick Browne, Managing Director, hydraPower dynamics

Partnering with The Sandwell Colleges has been instrumental in helping us develop a skilled workforce, providing students with real-world experience and opportunities for long-term careers. As we continue to expand our support for T Level and BTEC learners, we look forward to strengthening our collaboration and ensuring the industry remains innovative and future-ready.”