Partner Article

Port of Tyne completes biggest apprenticeship recruitment drive in its history

The Port of Tyne has completed its largest apprentice recruitment drive in its history.

Young recruits have joined the Port in accountancy, marketing, port operations, security and warehousing roles.

Katie Radley aged 18, recently joined the Port as an Accountancy Apprentice and is attending college one day a week to work towards the ATT professional qualification (Association of Tax Technicians).

She said: “There was so much competition, but the boot camps organised by Zenith People were really useful in preparing me for the interview process.

“I always wanted to work with numbers and saw this opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. And the beauty of an apprenticeship is that the learning techniques that I get at college can be applied straight away, giving me more practical experience.”

Katie’s manager, Graeme Dixon, group financial controller, added: “Making a commitment to invest time and energy into training an apprentice is actually having a positive effect on the finance team.

“Katie’s enthusiasm is infectious, and brings fresh energy to the whole team.”

And it’s a similar story for the other teams and departments who have apprentices working in the business.

Callum Beig, 18, joined the Port as a Business Administration Apprentice based in the Engineering Department and he’s been busy helping to archive and catalogue plans and drawings.

While Jack Lloyd, also 18, one of the Port Operative Apprentices, has already been trained to drive forklifts, Shannon Teasdale, 17, a Warehouse Apprentice, is really enjoying working in the warehouse and learning new things every day.

Andrew Harkins is the Port’s first ever Security Apprentice and says that he’s already gained some training certificates in event cover, physical intervention and conflict management.

Andrew said: “I’m 21 now and in five years’ time I hope to develop my career through the apprenticeship at the Port of Tyne and overtime progress a lot further in the industry.”

Andrew’s manager Mick Robinson, security supervisor, says: “It is good that the Port of Tyne is responding to the difficulties so many young people face in finding a job by providing this step on to the ladder.

“Even though it’s an old concept, it’s very forward thinking.”

Sixteen apprentices are now employed in the business, the Port is planning to develop the current programme and make apprentices an even bigger part of its recruitment policy by recruiting a further nine apprentices in 2014.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .