Creative engineering trainees rewarded with own art exhibition

For the second time in three years, Rolls-Royce has used art as a powerful learning medium for its first-year apprentices. Shaping Ideas has been a creativity and innovation programme that built on the success of the first award-winning partnership programme between Rolls-Royce and Tate Liverpool in 2004.

		'Shaping Ideas' exhibition Click here to view

While a limited number of trainees - just 18 - were involved in 2004, all 60 trainees that began with Rolls-Royce in September 2005 took part this time - initially attending a four-day course under the guidance of artist Paul Needham and Tate Liverpool’s Naomi Horlock.

Exploration of general ideas and then of specific allocated theme words - Time, Transformation, Chance, Growth, Space, Distortion and Repetition - led on naturally to experimentation. The resulting 25 sculptures/prototypes are taking pride of place in a Shaping Ideas exhibition displayed for a week in May 2006 at the company's Learning and Career Development Centre.

Neil Fowkes, Rolls-Royce Learning Delivery Manager, said: "We see working with Tate Liverpool as an important way of meeting some of the apprentices’ development needs - using art as an exploration vehicle for developing the creativity and innovation we need in the business world."

Lindsey Fryer, Head of Interpretation and Education at Tate Liverpool, said: "Our programme for Rolls-Royce has grown out of a shared vision and sense of purpose to innovate and create new ways of working - bringing the worlds of arts and business together."

Artist involvement is key to training programmes such as Shaping Ideas in exploring ideas, materials and processes that are transferable to the workplace. Such new skills and perspectives, expressed through the team environment, can create positive change.

Paul Needham added: "One of the privileges of working with Rolls-Royce over the past five months has been sharing their thoughts and ideas. The trainees retained an essential sense of enquiry … and they discussed and shared their viewpoints, which lies at the heart of the creative process. The works they have created reflect this."

One of the trainees taking part was technical apprentice Owen Lyon. He felt that the development of a team approach - and the increased willingness to voice his opinions in this collective environment - was one of the key skills he can take away from the Shaping Ideas project.

"The visit to Tate Liverpool, and working with Paul Needham, demonstrated that people have very different ideas about how to get ideas across, and find different ways of doing so," said Owen, whose sculpture, developed and built with Joe Pepper, has the intriguing titled 'To the Drinks Machine (via the Workshop) and Back Again'.

"I've learned not to take everything at face value - and that team discussions, where everyone is encouraged to express their opinions and ideas, are more likely to generate the best solutions. I feel more confident now to contribute in a team environment, and am a better all-round team player," added the 21 year-old, who hopes to be a designer when he completes his apprenticeship.

Claire Baldwin, 17, said: "I'd never been to an art gallery before, and at Tate Liverpool we were encouraged to look at a wide range of art, and discuss and question the concepts on display - to consider all the options, not just think the obvious. The project also got me outside my comfort zone - as I worked with different people and in different situations than before during my training - and to think creatively."

Both Owen and Claire were among 14 volunteers from the overall group that volunteered to stage the presentation event.