“ IT ’ S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY - AND THE EARLIER WE GET YOUNG PEOPLE INTERESTED IN US , THE BETTER ”
Gestamp ’ s Gareth Bone and Alice Johnson celebrate the firm ’ s recent award . seeing some of the positive outcomes from it .” Students from the college often become valued employees at Gestamp , which has an excellent apprenticeship programme to offer promising young people .
The firm ’ s apprenticeship programme is “ one of our real plus points ” and Gestamp has got a really good retention rate of apprentices staying within the company for many years .
Gestamp currently has 50 apprentices and many will go on to become mentors to new apprentices , having gone through the process themselves .
“ We know how to look after our apprentices ,” Alastair says .
“ We challenge them and give them good opportunities to learn from experience and be constantly developing .
“ The UTC plays an important part in where we get our young talent from .”
According to a report by the Institute of Engineering and Technology , the UK science , technology , engineering , and mathematics ( STEM ) sectors are experiencing a shortage of 173,000 workers , and 49 per cent of engineering businesses are struggling to recruit skilled workers .
Therefore , as the technological world continues to evolve and advance , it is important that engineering businesses encourage STEM learning within schools and engage at an early age to effectively recruit the minds of the young into a future of engineering .
Gestamp is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and its work with the community and the aim to give young people in the local area the chance of a bright future is more important than ever .
“ It ’ s really important to us to be involved in our community - and the earlier we get young people interested in us , the better ,” Alastair says .
The firm was recently involved with a STEM ( science , technology engineering and maths ) day the UTC held for year five and year six pupils at Sugar Hill Primary School in Newton Aycliffe .
Pupils got involved with exciting activities such as how to design a car – and Alastair says it ’ s work like this that enables the firm to identify talent from an early age .
“ As they progress through college , we can invite them for work experience , mould them and monitor them and get them through whatever qualifications they might need as well as giving them valuable experience ,” Alastair says .
“ It ’ s great to be able to grow talent from our local area and we have a great opportunity for them to develop their career here with us .”
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 21