North East higher Apprentice of the year and North East macro employer of the year: Procter & Gamble, North Tyneside

A LEADING North East employer is celebrating after its highly-acclaimed apprenticeship programme received a double accolade.

Consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) – which has three North East sites at Cobalt Park, Seaton Delaval and Longbenton – has just been named as the North East Macro Employer of the Year and one of their talented apprentices, 20-year-old accounting apprentice Lori Douglass, has been awarded North East Higher Apprentice of the Year.

P&G’s innovative three-year apprenticeship programme – in partnership with Kaplan Financial – combines a full-time role in the finance and accounting department with part-time study for a professional qualification with the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and an optional degree in accounting and controls. It provides the company with a pool of talented and highly-skilled young professionals employed at the company’s Global Financial Service Centre based at Cobalt Park.

Joanne Evans, cost accounting team leader, said: "Both the business and our apprentices benefit from the programme. It leads to experienced and loyal employees who are able to work to a very high standard and we have seen a host of fresh ideas introduced to the business as a result.

"It is extremely rewarding to see apprentices like Lori succeed and fantastic to have our programme recognised." Award-winning apprentice Lori Douglass, from Cramlington, is on the third year of the P&G Apprenticeship programme. She impressed the judging panel with her positive attitude and commitment to excellence – continually going above and beyond expectations to deliver innovative solutions and tangible benefits to the business.