Serving the Teesside Business Community | 41
Apprentices Emma Ward
and Ben Harris with
Ultimate Grooming’s
Anthony Andrews. The
firm works closely with
Northern Skills Group.
NORTHERN
LINE
Diversity of apprenticeship
programmes creating
robust future workforces
for Teesside businesses
T
he diversity of opportunities for
businesses and young people through
apprenticeships is being highlighted
by the impact of training being delivered by
Northern Skills Group.
The training and apprenticeship arm
of Middlesbrough College has become
the largest apprenticeship provider in the
North-East, serving a significant number of
industries, which has also led to Northern
Skills Group supporting companies based
outside of the region.
Since it was launched in 2016, Northern
Skills Group has worked with more than
2,000 employers across the North, which has
led to the organisation training a substantial
cohort of more than 2,500 apprentices. Of
that group, 137 apprenticeships are being
delivered at management level.
Peter Wilson, director of Northern Skills
Group, explains: “The large group of
businesses we work with understand how
vital apprenticeships are to securing the
future of their companies.
“As the economy, on a regional, national
and international level, becomes increasingly
competitive, the ability to develop future
generations of skilled and motivated
employees who can be quickly and
effectively integrated into the workforce is
vitally important.”
One of the strengths of Northern Skills
Group’s training provision is the breadth of
disciplines and industry sectors in which it
delivers apprenticeship training.
In addition to those industries considered
synonymous with the training of apprentices,
such as engineering and construction,
among the 21 sectors it serves, the
organisation delivers programmes in a
wide variety of specialisms ranging from
Project Management, Credit Management
and Dental Nursing to Leadership and
Management, Business Administration and
Health and Care.
One Tees Valley employer that is embracing
the personal development opportunities
provided by Leadership and Management
training is Darlington Building Society. The
organisation, which has branches across the
area, has used the apprenticeship framework
model to help a group of 12 staff gain skills to
further their careers.
“Apprenticeship training is a proven route
to arming both young people and adults with
the skills, competencies and experience that
can transform them into valuable members
of their employer’s workforce,” said Peter.
“This has led to a demand for the
apprenticeship model from a wider portfolio
of sectors, which we have helped to drive at
Northern Skills Group.”
Northern Skills Group’s in-house sector
specialists work closely with employers to
develop tailored, bespoke apprenticeship
programmes in addition to advice on
maximising the opportunities provided by the
Apprenticeship Levy and utilising the funding
available. They also offer a full recruitment
service to help companies identify suitable
candidates.
This support and the diversity of its
provision enables Northern Skills Group to
provide a cross-section of apprentices into
Geordie Devany of Appamondo is working with
two apprentices via Northern Skills Group.
individual businesses.
This includes technology services provider,
Appamondo, which has two apprentices at
its base in Boho House working towards
Business Administration.
In addition, as a result of Teesside’s
industrial heritage and its contemporary role
in sectors such as energy, manufacturing and
process, Northern Skills Group is highly-
active in engineering-based markets.
This includes partnerships with British
Steel on Teesside for the training of 22
apprentices in Performing Manufacturing
Operations and County Durham-based
manufacturer Hitachi Rail Europe, where it
has a current group of 60 apprentices training
across Performing Manufacturing Operations
and Leadership and Management.
Northern Skills Group also supports
small and medium-sized (SME) businesses
throughout Teesside and the North-East with
apprenticeship programmes in a number of
sectors.
On Teesside, this includes Ultimate
Grooming in Yarm, which currently has two
barbering apprentices.
“The rich diversity of apprenticeship
programmes we offer demonstrates that
businesses of all sizes and sectors can
engage with vocational training to add value
to their operations and prepare for the
future,” added Peter.