Serving the Teesside Business Community | 27
Creating a wave – pictured on Stockton’s
Infinity Bridge with High Tide’s Lauren Bywater
(second right) are the foundation’s members,
from left, Dean Benson (Visualsoft), Toby Joel
(Jacksons),Fran Cormican (Intelect), Mark Easby
(Better), Nikki Sayer (Casper Shipping), David
Wilson (PD Ports) and Ruth Conner (Active
Chartered Financial Planners).
“YOU DON’T HAVE
TO LEAVE THE
AREA TO SUCCEED
IN YOUR CAREER,
AND I’M JUST ONE
EXAMPLE OF THAT.”
talent coupled with enthusiasm, equipped
with the right level of skills and willingness
to work hard. There is a recognised skills
gap and it’s crucial that Tees Valley talent is
nurtured, developed and retained.
He said: “Helping to provide opportunities
and raise young people’s aspirations across
the Tees Valley is something very close to
my heart, and something the team at Better
take very seriously.
“My appointment is the start of a
programme of change and evolution for the
foundation, including its strategy.”
Mark said High Tide has an ambitious plan
to increase the number of programmes the
foundation delivers, which will align with a
new careers initiative launched by the Tees
Valley Combined Authority this year.
“We’ll be building programmes across
a more diverse range of business sectors,
creating further opportunities for rich
and rewarding work experience, from
accountancy to animation and mechanics to
digital marketing,” he added.
“We’ll also be developing additional in-
school activities to support young people
from year seven onwards to help ignite that
spark as early as possible.”
For more information about
High Tide Foundation, see
www.hightidefoundation.co.uk
Twitter: @hightidetees
HIGH TIDE BUOYED BY
TEES VALLEY BUSINESSES
S
ix industry-leading Tees
businesses have bolstered High
Tide Foundation by signing up as
corporate partners.
Taking advantage of a level of
membership offering considerable
benefits both to the Foundation and
businesses, Active Chartered Financial
Planners, Casper Shipping, Intelect,
Jacksons Law Firm, PD Ports and
Visualsoft will provide investment to
support the future of High Tide as well
as strategic insight to allow High Tide
to continue developing its life-changing
programmes.
Initially running for 12 months, the
corporate partnerships are intended
to become a long-term relationship
between these industry leaders and a
charity dedicated to providing unique
career insights to the young people of
the Tees Valley.
With values aligned with those of
High Tide, all six firms recognise the
requirement to secure an engaged
workforce to ensure a prosperous future
for the Tees Valley, making them ideal
partners to work with the charity in this
exciting phase.
Active’s Ruth Conner said: “We have
always had a passion for developing
the next generation, as ultimately this
will ensure our business continues
way beyond the horizons of our current
workforce.”
Fran Cormican, managing director of
Intelect, said: “My fellow directors and
I all started our careers as apprentices,
and now apprenticeships are a major
driving force in our business’s success.
“We couldn’t think of a better way
to support the young people of our
area, than to partner with a charity that
promotes the same values when it
comes to providing opportunities to the
youth of Teesside.”
Visualsoft CEO Dean Benson said:
“We’ve experienced first-hand some of
the challenges regarding recruitment,
skills development and retention in
Teesside, which is why we’ve come on
board as a corporate partner with High
Tide. We can’t wait to help inspire the
Teesside of tomorrow.”
Toby Joel of Jacksons Law Firm said:
“We hope our corporate partnership
will help the charity to grow its reach
and to present a wider cohort of young
people with an even greater choice of
opportunities.”
Casper Shipping’s Nikki Sayer
commented: “High Tide has changed
the lives of young people on Teesside,
raising awareness and aspirations and
genuinely creating opportunities.”
David Wilson of PD Ports added: “As
a founding member of High Tide, we
are incredibly proud to further reinforce
our commitment to the Foundation
as a corporate partner. High Tide has
been integral in our commitment
to developing meaningful career
experiences for young people across
Teesside and we are excited to help
shape and influence the region’s future
workforce.”
By supporting High Tide financially, the
six corporate partners will have access
to an exclusive package including event
tickets, marketing opportunities and a
media kit to support the businesses’
CSR activity.