A NORTH East principal has been making sure her college’s apprenticeships are in the best health, after taking part in a job swap at a pharmaceutical company, for National Apprenticeship Week.
Ellen Thinnesen, principal and chief executive at Sunderland College, swapped her boardroom blazer for a lab coat yesterday [March 17] and lent a hand at fast-growing business Rokshaw to find out more about the training her students are receiving, as part of their apprenticeship programme with the firm.
Ellen, who was appointed to her role in January, took the opportunity to get under the skin of the college’s employer based training, learning more about Rokshaw and the way in which the college is supporting it to develop its people as it pushes ahead with planned growth.
The principal, who worked in the healthcare sector before moving into education, said that the experience has allowed her to better understand the way in which the college needs to engage with its customers.
Ellen said: “We’re committed to ensuring our apprentices receive the best possible training and experience to be work-ready after their studies. Not only are apprenticeship programmes preparing young people for the world of work by equipping them with the knowledge and skills employers need, but they’re providing employers with workers who can hit the ground running, with the specific skills they need to succeed in their industry.
“It’s really interesting to experience, first-hand, what an apprenticeship ‘feels like’ for the business and for the student, and that is insight I can use to really shape the support we give to both. Rokshaw is a business we have very quickly formed a strong working relationship with, and spending more time with them and better understanding their business and their plans for expansion has only served to strengthen that dialogue.”
Rokshaw was established by brothers Richard and Jonathan Hodgson in 2012 and has enjoyed rapid growth since securing approval from the Home Office and Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to begin manufacturing. The expansion of the company saw Rokshaw seek the expertise of Sunderland College’s recruitment and apprenticeship services to help train new staff and grow its team.
The college initially ran a pre-employment programme for Rokshaw, through which a number of candidates were recruited and given initial training in manufacturing, before being put forward to interview for the new roles.
Jonathan Hodgson, business development director at Rokshaw, said: “As a growing business, apprenticeships form an important part of our skills mix. We want to bring through the next generation of young business people, who can grow with our business.
“Working with the college to expand the team, and ensure we have the most skilled people possible, has been fantastic, and we’re delighted that Ellen is so committed to supporting us as we grow our business.”
The company has three apprentices, who are currently completing 18-month PMO apprenticeships, and once qualified, they will join Rokshaw’s skilled workforce as production technicians at their specially-designed laboratory in Rivergreen Industrial Estate in Pallion.
For more information about the services on offer at Sunderland College, email employers@sunderlandcollege.ac.uk or call the employer relationship team on 0191 5116484.