SKILLS
Middlesbrough Colleges urges Tees businesses to take advantage of apprenticeship opportunities
New recruits – engineering firm Starkold has recruited apprentice twins Leah and Kayla Turnbull through the Northern Skills Group .
Local employers are being encouraged to take part in the latest apprenticeship initiatives by using Middlesbrough College ’ s free recruitment service .
Additionally , Tees Valley SMEs who recruit a 16-18-year-old apprentice within a priority sector could benefit from two separate grants – an employer grant of £ 3,000 from the Tees Valley Combined Authority and £ 3,000 from government .
This means employers could earn up to £ 6,000 for hiring a young apprentice – a great way to give your business the edge .
One local business benefitting from these initiatives is County Durham-based construction and logistics specialist Starkold Building Services .
The engineering firm was left doubly delighted when twins Leah and Kayla Turnbull applied for the same job and impressed so much that roles were created to accommodate both .
They will work with the main financial controller , learning how to do evaluations and general accountancy , and from November , Leah and Kayla will be on dayrelease from Starkold , completing their AAT Accountancy course over the next 15 months .
The construction firm found the twins through the free recruitment service offered by Northern Skills Group , the training and apprenticeship arm of Middlesbrough College .
Darren Grooms , managing director at Starkold , said : “ We ’ ve always had a good relationship with the Northern Skills Group , who have supported us with the recruitment and training of a number of
UP- SKILLS
apprentices throughout the years . “ When we met Leah and Kayla , they explained that they were twins and both came across really well in the interview . It was hard to offer one the job and not the other , as they were both amazing candidates showing great qualities – so now we can help them both develop their skills across a broad range of work .”
Coveted scholarship on offer to boost construction skills And it ’ s not just apprenticeships on offer to local trainees .
Middlesbrough College has been chosen by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board ( ECITB ) as the only centre in the North-East to deliver a coveted scholarship programme in project controls .
The ECITB Project Control Scholarship for 16 and 17-year-olds is designed to give young people the skills to manage and deliver industrial projects as project controllers – a job in demand across Teesside ’ s growing construction , engineering and process businesses – increasing industry opportunities for young people locally .
Launching this month , the scholarship gives students the chance to earn while they learn through a mix of hands-on workshop training and online learning , and will see learners paid an allowance of £ 140 per week in term time .
Steph Coleman of Northern Skills Group said : “ This is a unique opportunity for school leavers who want to put a first foot on the career ladder , in a highly skilled area of work .
“ This scholarship will feature work experience with some of the businesses that Middlesbrough College works with closely , and will also feature visits to different workplaces so learners build an understanding of the opportunities open to them .
“ Our partnership with the ECITB builds on the strong links we have with employers on Teesside and further afield .
“ At Middlesbrough College our aim is to provide high quality learning that is the doorway to good careers – this scholarship is another addition to our wide choice of programmes .”
Middlesbrough College works with Northern Skills Group to deliver more than 100 types of programme to around 2,700 apprentices across the North-East and Yorkshire .
For more information visit northernskills . co . uk
The voice of business in the Tees region | 99