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Young apprentices are set for bright futures

A YOUNG apprentice has been given the best possible mentor in his new job - a colleagure who has risen through the business after starting in a similar role.

Josh Robson is working towards an accounts apprenticeship at award-winning waste management company J & B Recycling. The 19-year-old has been made to feel extra welcome in his job thanks to J & B Recycling manager Ashleigh Sweeney, who herself served an apprenticeship with the Hartlepool-based business when she left school.

Ashleigh, who is now 24, has graduated through the business to the role of Quality and Environment Manager and a management career path is expected for Josh.

Josh said: “When I left Sixth Form College, I knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship because it offered a more direct route into employment.

“I have now been at J & B Recycling for a year and it’s a great environment to work in. Everybody is very supportive, particularly Ashleigh because she has been through an apprenticeship herself and understands the additional pressures that can bring when combining work and study.”

Josh, a former Hartlepool Sixth Form and Manor College of Technology pupil, is serving a three-year apprenticeship in accounts, accredited by the Association of Accounts Technicians (AAT). He was recruited through the North East Chamber of Commerce’s (NECC) apprenticeship scheme and hopes to eventually qualify as a chartered accountant.

Ashleigh left Dyke House School in Hartlepool in 2004 unsure of which career to pursue. But the offer of an apprenticeship at J & B Recycling has led to a post graduate Business Management qualification from Teesside University, as well as qualifications in recycling, transport and logistics.

Ashleigh has also been recently promoted to the role of Quality and Environment Manager at J & B Recycling.

She said: “When I came here, I did a little bit of everything. It was a very hands-on role, which involved everything from invoicing and filing, to working on the weighbridge. I have been with the company through the diversification from the coal industry into the recycling industry which in itself has been a very interesting experience.

“But I have worked my way through the business and qualifications and my role now is to ensure that the waste materials coming in and products leaving the business are of the highest possible quality.

“It’s a fascinating industry to work in because there is so much to learn but the company is very supportive to all its new recruits and there’s a rewarding career path for all of the apprentices.”

Vikki Jackson Smith, managing director of J & B Recycling, said: “We are a business that firmly believes in investing in the future by recruiting promising young apprentices and promoting from within.

“Ashleigh has proved that hard work and dedication are always rewarded and we are confident that Josh will prove a very valuable asset to the business in years to come.”

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