Apprenticeships scheme will leave a lasting legacy
Jul 27 2010 by Jez Davison, Evening Gazette
A £2.1m scheme is aiming to provide vital support to local apprentices affected by the downturn. But are Teesside companies prepared to buy into it? Jez Davison reports.
Corus crisis hit Tom's prospects - but now he hopes to be back on track
APPRENTICE Tom Boardman will complete his two-year Student Engineering Programme at TTE’s South Bank Training Centre this summer.
When he joined TTE from Bydale School in Marske, Tom secured sponsorship from Corus Teesside Cast Products (TCP).
But when the steel maker announced the mothballing of the TCP site the 17-year-old, was among around 65 apprentices to lose this support.
“If I still had sponsorship from Corus I would be getting ready to start work on site this August,” he said.
“Even a year later I am really gutted to have lost the sponsorship, but thanks to the support of the people at TTE and the new fund I really hope to find a new host company.”
He added: “TTE, and in particular Gerry Loughran who helps organise sponsoring companies, have been working their socks off to sort something out for me and some of the other apprentices.
“I really want to be an electrician and I have ambitions to work my way up into a team leader role.
“I know I have a big future in front of me if I can just get the opportunity to prove myself working in a company.”
Tom says the TTE programme has been “really worthwhile” and he is now focused on a career in industry.
He added: “I’ve worked alongside adults and picked up excellent team working skills, which I’d never been able to offer an employer if I was applying for industry jobs straight from school.”
Keith Leslie, TTE apprenticeship business director, said: “Tom is an example of the talented and motivated apprentices we have at TTE that are desperate to forge a career in industry.
“We have been able to find sponsorship for a number of apprentices who lost support in the last two years, but there are still a few very capable individuals like Tom who need the backing of local companies.
“The TVAP funding gives companies the opportunity to offer these apprentices the chance to gain the important on-the-job experience they need to complete their apprenticeship training, which will help them secure future employment.
“The skills and qualifications they earn on their apprenticeship make them far more attractive to potential employers.
“Sponsoring companies also have the benefit of hosting apprentices that know the working practices of their business, which is a distinct advantage if they are looking at recruiting new people.”
