Tees Valley Logistics Academy Brochure by etcgroup

STUDENT SUCCESS

A network of possibilities.

WHAT A RESULT FOR JACOB! With a job in the pipeline getting the right result was all the more crucial for A level student Jacob. The 18-year-old had impressed bosses so much during a work placement he received a higher apprenticeship job offer. It meant that making the grade would see him go on to start work as an apprentice chartered surveyor with PD Ports, studying one day a week at Northumbria University. Lucky for him, the Bede Sixth Form student from Billingham got the result he needed.

‘‘I am ecstatic,” said Jacob, who got to take part in an extended work placement after signing up to the college’s Logistics Academy programme, alongside his full-time study programme. The Career Ready scheme aims to help raise young people’s awareness of the logistics industry by taking part in a series of workshop, masterclasses and site visits.

“I got involved because I thought it would be good for my CV and also get some experience.”

Jacob said:

For him, logistics was an industry that he had never previously given much thought. He said the programme opened his eyes to career opportunities in the sector. “I knew, as part of the programme I would get to do some work experience and I knew that had led to job offers before, but I didn’t think that would happen to me,” he said. Jacob was staggered to not only get a job offer but also to be given the chance to study at university at the same time.

“I 100% wouldn’t have got this opportunity without the Logistics Academy.” “It’s absolutely class,” he said.

After achieving two B grades and a C in media, business and economics at Bede Sixth Form, he will start work and university next month. “I was nervous waiting for my results but now I’m really chuffed,” he said. Choosing to study at Bede and signing up for the Logistics Academy was 100% the right decision for me.’’

PD PORTS RECRUITS LOGISTICS ACADEMY GRADUATE North East-based PD Ports has welcomed a new member of staff to its 1,000-plus strong team, following his successful completion of a programme delivered in partnership with Stockton Riverside College and the Tees Valley Logistics Academy. Michael Chapman was studying a BTEC Level 3 in Electrical Engineering when he decided to attend a workshop with the Logistics Academy, an initiative that PD Ports was integral to developing. Selected from a group of five students that interviewed for an initial internship, Michael spent four weeks at PD Ports’ Warehouse Operations in Billingham. During this time, he learned about the different skills required to work in a high profile warehouse and was involved with the Taylors of Harrogate contract, a company best known for its award-winning Yorkshire Tea.

“I was impressed with Michael’s enthusiasm and conscientiousness during his internship. So much so, the company offered him an Chris Leonard, Contracts Manager at PD Ports said:

apprenticeship so that he could continue to develop his skills and become a long-term member of our warehousing team.”

Michael completed his Warehouse Operative Apprenticeship with distinction in March 2019. He learned various skills including gaining fork lift truck licences, how to use the Red Prairie Warehouse Management System, working within confined spaces and fumigation awareness, in addition to RoSPA and BRC Food Safety training. Pictures courtesy of PD Ports

Since completing his apprenticeship, Michael has been offered a full-time Warehouse Operative role at PD Ports. He will be tasked with becoming more independent in his duties and demonstrating consistency, as well as having the maturity to help coach and support other new starters. Frans Calje, CEO at PD Ports said: “We’re delighted to welcome Michael to the company permanently. We have a firm belief in nurturing local talent and keeping it here in the North East, which will secure our future workforce and also support the thriving businesses in the Tees Valley. Michael

is one of many apprentices that have joined us on a full-time basis and we look forward to seeing him progress.” PD Ports fully supported the establishment of a Logistics Academy at Stockton Riverside College, initially instigated in conjunction with Think Logistics, a part of the Career Ready Charity. The Academy is managed through a Local Advisory Board, who membership is made up of representatives from the College, Career Ready, the Local Authority and the region’s Logistics sector.

APPRENTICESHIPS ARE INVALUABLE FOR REAL-WORLD

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS Our students go on to a variety of different destinations and career paths after they finish at SRC Bede Sixth Form. Emily, a former student of Ian Ramsey CE Academy, originally had intentions of going on to university to further her education, but when she was offered a degree apprenticeship at PD Ports she saw the opportunity to take a different route into her future career. Emily’s journey to this point began with her experience at the Tees Valley Logistics Academy. Through the Academy she was able to get a four-week internship at PD Ports and gain an insight into what working in the industry is like. Her internship was actually adjusted slightly from her original placement to more of an engineering-focused one, when Jim French, Chairman of the Logistics Academy, found out she was wmore interested in that area.

Emily said: “The four-week internship changed my mind about what type of engineering I wanted to do – I’d previously been totally set on mechanical engineering until I learnt more about things like material science.” During her experience shadowing the Group Civil Engineering Manager she learnt about report writing, surveying, conducting inspections, and health and safety procedures, and how civil engineering is directly linked and woven into all of those aspects of the logistics industry. Emily thinks the Logistics Academy had a great positive impact on her confidence as well.

“Don’t focus all your attention on university as the only option”

Delivered by Stockton Riverside College, working with PD Ports, SRC Bede Sixth Form, NETA Training Group and Career Ready, the Logistics Academy aims to raise young people’s awareness of the industry. Working closely with a variety of industry employers, those students selected are given the opportunity to undertake master classes, site visits, work with a mentor and a placement, all alongside their full-time courses. Emily said the organised visits to sites and places like KP Snacks and Bulkhaul, and talks from people working in different areas of logistics, like Cleveland Police, showed her the variety of jobs in the sector, and how different types of people can forge a career in the industry. Her apprenticeship starts in just a couple of weeks and she’s understandably a bit nervous. In fact, she was so nervous to begin with and felt so overwhelmed that she nearly turned the opportunity down. After spending some time talking it through with her dad, and Alice and Patrick at Bede, she started to feel less overwhelmed. She credits Alice, the Careers Co-ordinator, with really helping her put it all into perspective.

“There’s always someone to talk to for support at Bede,” she said. Emily puts that down to the fact that the sixth form college is small, she said the teachers and support staff really get to know you well and can therefore offer the best advice for each individual.’’ Emily also said that the subjects and courses at Bede are designed by the tutors to give students transferrable skills that they can go on to use in the real world. For instance, she feels that she was able to really develop her teamwork skills, especially in Music Tech, working in a group to produce a graded project together. “Bede is a really tight-knit community where no one is left out, and everyone speaks. It’s a really nice place to go – I felt like I was surrounded by like-minded people,” she said.

When asked what advice she would give other people considering a similar career to her, she said: “Don’t focus all your attention on university as the only option – think about opportunities like apprenticeships as they’re invaluable for real-world experience and skills. Girls in particular should not be intimidated – the stigma that engineering is a “man’s world” is not true, all the men I’ve met would like to see more women in the industry.” Emily plans to help with the Logistics Academy herself in the future, and wants to give other young people the experience and opportunities she’s benefited from. We can’t wait to see how she gets on with her apprenticeship, and look forward to catching up with her in the future!