A foot on
the ladder
Wilton Centre firms on the
benefits of apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are growing in popularity again, thanks to the
highly regarded on the job qualifications now available. Following
many years of decline, the ever growing costs of university
studies have made apprenticeship schemes an attractive option
for school leavers.
But it isn’t just the apprentices themselves that benefit from these
schemes. There are also numerous advantages for companies
taking on apprentices. This article discusses some of the schemes
and opportunities on offer at Teesside’s Wilton Centre, outlining
the value for all parties.
M
odern apprenticeship schemes
offer broader opportunities
and greater flexibility than
traditional trade-based
apprenticeships, making them
well suited to a wide range of industries.
These schemes provide young people
with the skills and qualifications they need
to succeed in their chosen industry and
offer companies a unique opportunity to
develop valuable team members with the
exact combination of competencies and
proficiencies their business requires.
Ian Gemski, founder and director of
Wilton Centre-based industrial IT and cyber
security provider Tekgem, explains: “One
of our main challenges has always been
recruiting experienced staff with the right
skillset and that remains the case today.
“To overcome this, we’ve taken on a
number of apprentices in the last few
years. I think it’s very important for local
companies to give opportunities to local
young people - and apprenticeships provide
a job, training and qualifications without the
debt associated with university education.
“It takes time, effort and resources to
do this – so there is a strong incentive to
pick the right candidates and keep them
– but leads to us having a fully qualified
network of cyber security engineers at the
end of the process. Our aim is to take on
one apprentice every year, with an offer
of a permanent position on successful
completion of their Level 3 qualifications.”
Sarah Taylor, of specialist recruitment firm
Techconsult UK, agrees: “We have taken on
a number of apprentice administrators at
our Wilton Centre office, which we see as a
stepping stone into the recruitment sector.
“It gives people a chance to learn from
the grassroots about our business and
how we operate, understanding our ethos,
processes and policies. The administrator is
part of the everyday business conversation,
learning on the job alongside their studies.
“It is then a logical progression into a
recruitment role, which gives us the ability
to offer the same opportunity to another
apprentice. Our first apprentice joined us
in 2013 and successfully completed both
Level 2 and Level 3 Business Administration
qualifications before moving into a
recruitment role, where she has undertaken
a number of additional qualifications.”
CPI, which helps companies to develop,
Starting them young -
Tekgem’s Ian Gemski.
prove, prototype and commercialise
next generation products and
processes, has been based at the
Wilton Centre since 2004 and is a
leading provider of apprenticeships in
the area.
Hayley Carter, learning and
development business partner, manages
the centre’s apprenticeship scheme,
and explained their approach: “We
made a strategic decision around five
years ago to recruit more apprentices,
as we had a significant proportion of our
workforce approaching retirement age
within a decade and saw it as a way to
get a broader pipeline of talent into the
company.
“It also overcame the challenge
of being a biotech company in a
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