JAS KAUR
Age : 30 Job : Early careers advisor
Education : Acklam Grange Secondary School / Prior Pursglove College / University of Brighton / Teesside University
Qualifications : A-levels in chemistry , biology and maths . Degree in Chemical Engineering .
Career path to date : LINX ( youthwork ), Ramsdens ( pawnbroking ), EE ( call centre ), Reed in Partnership ( recruitment ), Uni of Sunderland ( outreach ), Gosforth Academy ( Post-16 tutor ) are so many operational roles for people who like being hands on .
But that ’ s not all – there are lots of engineering roles and jobs in warehousing , planning , health and safety and learning and development , to name a few , that all contribute to the success of the business every day .
OUR APPRENTICESHIPS ARE OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MIDDLESBROUGH COLLEGE AND TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY
Of course there are also back-office roles , based in our Middlesbrough headquarters , across finance , commercial , legal , insurance , estates and communications – ports aren ’ t only about hi-vis and working on the dock .
Then there ’ s the Harbour Office – where highly-trained maritime officers keep the thousands of boats that move up and down the river safe , just like air traffic control . And our conservancy team , who keep the Tees safe by surveying and dredging the riverbed every day of the year .
Our apprenticeships are offered in partnership with Middlesbrough College and Teesside University and we ’ re revamping our offer to make sure we have the best outcomes for everyone who takes the first step with us .
New roles are coming up all the time , advertised on our website and our social media @ pdports , and they ’ re a great way to get a quality job that could lead to so much more – check out the career profiles of some of our team on the next two pages to see the progress and job moves they ’ ve made in their time with PD Ports .
What do you like about working at PD Ports ? There is such a wide variety of roles within the company and there is so much they do that I had no idea about .
I ’ ve only been with the company for three months so I ’ m still learning , but so far I ’ ve loved being a part of the team . I have a great manager who supports and trusts me and I have the freedom to try out new ideas .
What do you wish you ’ d known at 16 ? I wish I ’ d known that it ’ s okay to not have your whole life planned out . It ’ s difficult to know if a job or course is right for you without doing it yourself . It ’ s okay to try new things and you don ’ t have to stick with something that doesn ’ t bring you joy .
Any advice ? There is more to life than money . You ’ re going to spend a long time at work , so make sure you enjoy it ! Don ’ t be scared to change your mind . I ’ ve had a lot of jobs and changed the course I was studying and the university I was studying at . And , as difficult as it was , I definitely made the right choice .
Best advice I was ever given ? Take care , be safe and make good choices
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