Member Article

Georgia’s a C&A class act

A Teesside youngster who has progressed from a business apprenticeship to full-time work has been honoured at the Hartlepool Youth Investment Awards.

Georgia Thompson, 19, from Hartlepool, celebrated being shortlisted for ‘Apprentice of the Year’ after being nominated by employers C&A Pumps.

The engineering company employed Georgia through Hartlepool College’s apprenticeship scheme as an admin assistant in June 2013. Since then Georgia has risen through the ranks taking on many roles which are normally assigned to an office manager.

Georgia said: “From the beginning I loved working at C&A, there is such a friendly atmosphere and the full team made me feel so welcome.

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to progress through the company. I began being tasked with simple administrative roles such as answering the phone and taking sales calls and have now managed to take on more responsibilities, such as dealing with paperwork and finances.

“In the future I hope to stay with the company and keep progressing. C&A has offered me a career path which will allow me to advance to different positions and roles.”

On a typical day Georgia is the first point of contact to all calls to the business, fielding sales calls and ensuring employees get all the correct information. She organises the company diary, supports the engineering team with their tasks and also helps with finance and paperwork.

Alan Roberts, Managing Director of C&A Pumps, said: “Georgia has definitely stepped up to the mark and never failed to impress us during her time working here. It’s great to see her get some recognition for her consistent work.”

The awards ceremony celebrated the success of the Youth Investment Scheme, which has seen the number of 18-24 year olds unemployed in Hartlepool fall to 8.2%, the lowest figure in six years. However speaker and judge Peter Bowes, Managing Director of Hartlepool Firm Bridgman IBC stressed there is still more to do.

Alan added: “It’s so important that businesses step up and offer youngsters opportunities like this as it really allows people like Georgia to shine. There are so many schemes out there to allow businesses to grow and take on more staff and I would urge any business owners to go down the apprenticeship route.

“Georgia is now working with us on a full-time contract and we can’t wait to see her progress further.”

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