Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 13
COLLABORATIVE
EFFORT BY
TRAINING
PROVIDERS
Training providers from across the
region teamed up to stage a North East
Apprenticeship Forum on Aycliffe Business
Park.
Organised by national firm Hit Training,
which has a regional branch on the
park, the forum was hosted by South
West Durham Training (SWDT) as part of
National Apprenticeship Awareness Week.
Businesses from across the North-East
mingled with industry experts about the
importance of apprenticeships, while more
than 50 local schoolchildren attended and
took part in some interactive workshops.
Aycliffe training provider ITEC was also
part of the forum, along with Group
Horizon, the NECC, BL Hairdressing, livin
and System Training.
“It was a great example of a number of
training organisations all coming together
to showcase what training opportunities
there are, said Simon Liversedge, Hit’s
”
area manager for the North-East.
Hit Training’s regional manager for the North-East Simon Liversedge with South West Durham Training business
development co-ordinator Kirsty Haden.
“We’re new to the region but it’s been
a great experience working with other
firms in the area and we’re hopeful it will
become an annual event.
”
SWDT chief executive Trevor Alley added:
“Some of the region’s key companies
are embracing apprenticeships and the
message we need to get out to employers
is that the apprenticeship route is not
a risky one, but one that will produce
a highly capable member of staff, with
exactly the right skills and experience
for their business.
“It’s vital that businesses in all sectors
have a succession plan, and training
up young people is a core part of that
planning, otherwise there will be even
bigger skills shortages and companies will
quickly find themselves with an ageing
workforce and having to fire-fight rather
than training for the future.
”
“What we want to do is train these guys
to the level we want so they’re competent
in electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics
and mechanical, so we get the best of
everything.
”
SWDT specialises in training courses for
the engineering and manufacturing sectors,
working with firms such as Tata Global
Beverages and Nifco UK Ltd, and has been
operating from the same site on Aycliffe
Business Park since 1967
.
It recently celebrated its highest ever
Apprenticeship success rate, which at 85%
is 12% above the national average.
Nathan says he has already learned a lot
during his tutoring at SWDT.
APPRENTICESHIP
BOOST AS
HUSQVARNA
TRAIN UP
Swedish firm Husqvarna is showing its
commitment to training up young people by
taking on six new Apprentices.
The world’s largest producer of garden
care equipment, which produces a range
of Robotic mowers along with the Flymo
range of products at its 45,000 square metre
factory on Aycliffe Business Park, has teamed
up with local training-provider, South West
Durham Training (SWDT), to take on two new
Apprentices every year for the next three
years.
It’s the first time Husqvarna – which employs
240 full-time employees and also has a
further 420 temporary staff on its books –
has taken on Apprentices in nearly six years.
Scott Maclean and Nathan Bresnen, both 18,
are already eight months into their ele