SPONSORED BY MIDDLESBROUGH COLLEGE GROUP
TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS
FINALIST
SEMBCORP ENERGY UK
Recognition – Intelect ’ s Lily Brothwood ( left ) and Jordan Whelpton pick up the Training and Apprenticeships award from Zoe Lewis , CEO of category sponsors Middlsbrough College Group .
WINNER
INTELECT
For the past 25 years , apprentices have been a key part of Middlesbrough engineering firm Intelect .
The firm delivers engineering services to some of the leading operators in the food processing , utilities , renewables and pharmaceuticals sectors , providing unrivalled levels of customer service and remaining a market leader in the industry .
And since it began its apprenticeship scheme in 1998 – just a year after the company was founded – many people have benefitted .
Lily Brothwood , marketing and communications manager , said : “ For us , it ’ s all about progression . It ’ s about ‘ train to retain ’ and growing your own workforce , and it always has been since the business started .
“ All of our founding directors were time-served apprentices so they understand that apprenticeships work and can be key to growing an organisation into something bigger .”
Last year , Intelect – whose Teesside base is at Riverside Park , Middlesbrough – was ranked 17th in the Apprenticeships Top 50 SMEs , with 39 per cent of the management team stemming from the apprenticeship programme .
As proof the apprenticeship policy works , Lily was joined in the presentation ceremony by Intelect ’ s Jordan Whelpton , who started as an accountant apprentice at Middlesbrough College and is now doing a degree course in quantity surveying .
Lily added : “ We ’ ve worked with the college for over a decade and look forward to continuing to do so . It ’ s about giving the young people of Teesside the opportunity to have a career and aspire to whatever they want to be .
“ A lot of our apprentices come from the region and we like to think we give young people in the area an opportunity .”
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
Zoe Lewis , principal and chief executive of Middlesbrough College Group , said : “ Intelect are very worthy winners of this award – their ‘ train to retain ’ ethos runs right through the company , with a highly impressive 75 per cent of the workforce receiving training or conducting an apprenticeship last year . Their success as a business underlines the importance of training and apprenticeships in the modern workplace , something which Middlesbrough College Group helps to deliver to hundreds of businesses and thousands of people every year .”
A leading provider of sustainable solutions , supporting the UK ’ s transition to net zero , Sembcorp Energy UK has 351 employees at Wilton International , near Redcar , and a further 71 across England and Wales .
Its “ grow our own ” philosophy drives its apprentice programmes , which have produced impressive results over the years . Indeed , 42 per cent of the current shift operations team are former apprentices , and many managers also started with Sembcorp as apprentices .
Since the start of 2022 , 56 apprentices have been on the books and the programme is set to develop further as the firm continues to support the UK ’ s transition to net zero 2050 .
FINALIST
STOCKTON-ON-TEES BOROUGH COUNCIL EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING HUB
In February 2022 , Stockton Council created an Employment and Training Team to help address the borough ’ s employment and training needs , with a vision to provide a more collaborative and holistic approach towards supporting career progression and changes . In just over a year , the hub has changed people ’ s lives , helping 220 residents get jobs . It also facilitated recruitment of the council ’ s 40 apprentices in 2022 , which included hosting events , promoting vacancies , providing knowledge around apprenticeships and hosting team-building sessions .
But it ’ s not just about apprenticeships or those looking for work , as two-thirds of people using the hub are in work and looking to upskill or change career .
46 | Tees Business