Leyland Trucks has been awarded a 2026 Princess Royal Training Award for an apprenticeship programme developed in partnership with Preston College which aimed to tackle the skills gap and future-proof the company by boosting apprenticeship retainment levels.
The UK manufacturer of DAF trucks is one of 56 organisations recognised by the City & Guilds Foundation for its Assembly Operator Training Scheme (AOTS).
The bespoke programme combines classroom learning at the college’s engineering facilities with technical modules and hands-on rotations at the Leyland factory.
To balance apprentice development with live factory production, the traditional training timetable was redesigned around a block-release learning model.
The initiative has resulted in 83% of assembly operator apprentices remaining within the department, reducing the average workforce age in that sector by nearly five years.
The manufacturer currently employs 79 apprentices and has trained over 130 over the past decade.
For its most recent intake, the company received 1,393 applications for 25 available positions.
James Jepson, Leyland Trucks HR director, said: “This award means a huge amount to us because AOTS was created to solve a very real challenge facing our business – how we protect critical manufacturing skills and build the workforce Leyland Trucks will need for the future. The answer was to invest in our people.
“By working closely with Preston College, we’ve created a programme that gives apprentices the technical knowledge, practical experience and confidence to build long-term careers in manufacturing, while giving our business a sustainable pipeline of skilled people.
“As we celebrate 130 years of manufacturing in Leyland, developing the people who will help drive our business forward is fundamental to our future.
“This award is fantastic recognition for our apprentices, our training team, Preston College and everyone across the business who invests their time in developing our people.”
Jessica Leigh Jones, Chair of City & Guilds of London Institute, said: “The City & Guilds Foundation exists to champion skills, and this year’s 56 recipients show what that looks like in practice.
“In our eleventh year, and for the first time recognising programmes delivered beyond the UK and Ireland, we are proud to hold these organisations up as proof of what happens when skills are taken seriously. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients.”
The award will be formally presented at a ceremony in London in January 2027.
