SPONSORED BY MIDDLESBROUGH COLLEGE GROUP
TRAINING & APPRENTICESHIPS AWARD
FINALIST
SOUTHERN ASSET MANAGEMENT ( SAM )
Triumph – Sembcorp ’ s HR business partner Graham Taylor was presented with the trophy by Matthew Telling of category sponsor Middlesbrough College Group .
WINNER
SEMBCORP
A belief in “ growing its own ” helped global giant Sembcorp clinch the Training and Apprenticeships prize at the Tees Business Awards .
And as if to prove the firm ’ s belief in nurturing its own talent , 19-year-old apprentice Joe Brown joined HR business partner Graham Taylor in picking up the coveted trophy .
Wilton-based sustainable solutions provider Sembcorp pipped Stork and Southern Asset Management to the Training and Apprenticeships title .
And for Graham , it was a welcome recognition of the firm ’ s faith in its future workforce .
He said : “ We invest so much in apprentices . We ’ ve got 35 apprentices at the moment and put them through Higher National Certificates ( HNC ), for example .
“ We ’ ve got apprentices now as senior managers , operations managers and engineers . We sponsor them to do degrees and things like that , so it ’ s absolutely brilliant to be recognised .
“ A lot of companies might see it as a big cost to the bottom line , but we take a more strategic view .
“ At the end of the day , if we haven ’ t got the people with the right skills for the job , our business will struggle .
“ The last few years have been quite difficult for all companies , but we take a long-term view – we grow our own and the fact is that yes , it is a cost , but we still manage to take them on that long-term view .”
Apprentice electrician Joe , from Brotton , has worked at Sembcorp ’ s Wilton 10 biomass power station for more than a year and says it ’ s “ great ”.
He said : “ It ’ s not just about getting through your apprenticeship and HNC , there ’ s so much more you can do – whatever you want , they ’ ll accommodate you .”
Collaborating with Stockton Council and Lavender NDT , SAM ’ s pioneering Non- Destructive Testing ( NDT ) apprenticeship programme has seen the enrolment of eight apprentices , breaking conventional norms by inclusively accommodating individuals of diverse backgrounds , ages and career stages .
SAM ’ s dedication to nurturing talent extends beyond mere numbers , however , emphasising quality training and mentorship .
The guaranteed 30-month commitment per trainee exemplifies SAM ’ s comprehensive investment in time and resources , with each apprentice personally mentored , including involvement from company founder Steve himself .
FINALIST STORK
With a Teesside facility specialising in Non- Destructive Testing ( NDT ), inspection and heat treatment , Stork provides opportunities to build upon its people ’ s transferable skills and confidence while they are in employment and gaining first-hand experience across multiple sectors .
In 2023 , Stork increased its Teessidebased apprenticeship headcount by 50 per cent . Overall , Stork ’ s apprenticeship / trainee numbers increased from 19 to 38 in 2023 , double that of 2022 .
SPONSOR ’ S REFLECTIONS :
Zoe Lewis , principal and CEO , Middlesbrough College Group “ Training and apprenticeships form a key part of our mission at Middlesbrough College Group to ‘ take people higher ’ in their career and life aspirations . The work that Sembcorp does to inspire , encourage and train the next generation is absolutely outstanding and the company was a very worthy winner of this award .”
2023 winner : Intelect
138 | Tees Business