Some of the region's best-known firms have been recognised for building a skilled workforce through apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are widely recognised by employers as a great way of upskilling the region’s business community. Not only do they help firms become more competitive by plugging skills gaps within the workforce, they also create rewarding career paths for dozens of young people.
That’s why Gateshead College runs its annual Edge Awards, to champion the value of apprenticeships and celebrate the achievements of company bosses and students who’ve benefited from them.
Held at the college’s Baltic Campus, this year’s prestigious event saw 15 awards handed out to employers and students who’ve excelled in a range of specialisms including construction, customer service, engineering and retail. Bus operator Go North East was named Large Employer of the Year for its successful apprenticeship programme, which has helped the company strengthen its position in the electric vehicles and hybrid technology markets. Now the programme, delivered in partnership with the college, is set to be extended with the launch of a new mentoring scheme that will allow the current crop of apprentices to support and develop new trainees within the business.
Also recognised this year were global automotive giant Lear Corporation, iconic food-on-the-go chain Greggs and Nexus, operator of the Tyne & Wear Metro.
Sylwia Skowronska was named Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year for her sterling work at Lear, a Detroit-based automotive seating supplier which is delivering a national apprenticeship programme with Gateshead College to help staff find ways of making the business more efficient. The programme has already enabled the firm to cut costs by £200,000 and increase productivity by 75% at its Coventry site.
The Retail of the Year Award went to Sophie Lomax of Greggs, which is providing retail services and retail management training to apprentices across the country in partnership with Gateshead College. Greggs launched this national programme to develop a new pipeline of skills that can support its future growth plans.
Nexus, too, was recognised in this year’s Edge Awards for its pioneering engineering training scheme, which covers all aspects of rail engineering including electrical and mechanical, signalling and communications training. Tech-whizz Paul Drummond was named IT Apprentice of the Year for his sterling work at the firm, which kick-started the programme with Gateshead College in 2013.
Apprenticeships have also helped smaller firms to strengthen their position in the marketplace. The Valley Nursery & Kids Club was named Small Employer of the Year for its ability to fasttrack the careers of staff and help them provide consistently high standards of care and support to children and their families. And Geoff Ford MBE of Ford Engineering received a special accolade for his outstanding contribution to apprenticeships, having piloted the growth of one of the region’s most successful firms in this sector.
The Edge Awards were backed by the North East England Chamber of Commerce and North East Local Enterprise Partnership, which both featured on the judging panel.
Judith Doyle CBE, principal and chief executive of Gateshead College, said: “These companies and students are living proof that apprenticeships can transform the fortunes of businesses and individuals. Our apprentices perfectly sum up the mission of Gateshead College: to produce the most highly prized students in the jobs market so that employers have the skills they need both now and in the future.
“In addition to gaining useful technical qualifications, our apprentices also acquire important employability skills and work-ready attitudes that any employer would want. “We’re now delivering apprenticeship programmes on a national level and some of our winners travelled from Coventry, Bury and other locations outside of the North East to collect their awards. This shows how much companies value this form of training and the benefits it brings to their business.”
