Partner Article

The mutual benefits of apprenticeships

Siobhan O’Brien, business manager of One Trinity Green, on behalf of Groundwork South Tyneside & Newcastle, gives her views on the mutual benefits of taking on apprentices.

For any organisation with a vision for the future, investing in the young is a priority.

After all, they are the workers of tomorrow and the more skilled they are the more productive and successful their employer will be.

Ensuring employers grasp this fact and provide opportunities - and that young people exploit each and every chance they are given - is vital.

As an organisation that strives to improve local society through programmes that inspire and teach, our actions should speak every bit as loud as our words.

And indeed they do, as our commitment is demonstrated through the training opportunities we provide and in the staff we employ and is evidenced in the high percentage of those who now work for us who arrived as volunteers or on work experience placements.

That they have progressed is testament in equal measure to their hard work, talent and dedication, and to Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle (STAN) matching all those elements.

We provide numerous opportunities through our placements and programmes at our centres across the region, as well as in our partnerships with likeminded organisations.

We see clearly the huge benefits these policies bring, and I know many other organisations – from the corner café to the largest PLC – already do too.

Young people in our organisation are helping us to achieve our vision of vibrant, healthy and safe communities where the environment is respected and where individuals and enterprise prosper.

Groundwork provides apprenticeships, work experience and voluntary opportunities, all of which give a skills grounding - and often a lot more - to enthusiastic and motivated individuals.

Our programmes have recently seen a teenage girl complete an eight-week work experience placement at our Green Gym, which encourages physical activity in and around water, and two others are now learning all aspects of reception duties on a six-month contract through a partner organisation.

We also employ apprentices to learn administration skills on reception at our Eco Centre in Hebburn, here at One Trinity Green and also at our West Boldon Lodge education centre.

One talented teenager, who worked as a project assistant within our Young People Portfolio initiative, has progressed on to studying for a Level 2 business administration qualification while gaining workplace experience.

So grown in confidence is she that she has taken up a peer mentoring role to assist on our support and mentoring project and has been nominated for an outstanding young achiever award.

Others work with us as catering assistants within South Shields Town Hall and at the Exhibition Park Café in Newcastle. Some had little practical experience but now work front of house and can cook. With placements of up to six months, many of those involved are able to be offered roles with us afterwards.

Our One Trinity Green business centre in South Shields has offered two young people eight-week work experience placements through the Job Centre, while another secured an apprenticeship in a health centre after volunteering with us.

We offer further support through programmes including Return to Form, a unique course designed to help 16 to 19-year-olds develop skills, gain confidence and get new experiences from challenging activities, while trying out different career and learning options.

We even offer placements to undergraduates, usually those on geography and environmental management courses at Northumbria University.

We are certainly not alone in trying to help young people and work closely with, amongst others, South Tyneside Council who are at the forefront of many initiatives in South Tyneside aimed at capitalising on the wealth of untapped talent that exists.

The Council’s ‘Apprenticeships – Skills for the Future’ initiative is on target to create 200 apprenticeships in the borough by March 2014. With 165 already hired it is great to see real proof that there is an increasing acceptance of the value of apprenticeships and other targeted vocational training schemes.

By giving young people the tools and skills to succeed individually, we are also benefiting society as a whole.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by One Trinity Green .