Representatives from a leading North-East manufacturing company have gone back to school to support a local careers education initiative run by Tees Valley Combined Authority.
Established to help improve the quality of careers, enterprise and employer engagement programmes in schools and colleges, the Premier Tech Aqua UK (PTAU) team have been matched with Dyke House Sports & Technical College, Hartlepool, and are working with the school to deliver several employability sessions and work experience programmes.
Taking part are its managing director – Steve Joyce, marketing manager – Victoria Thompson and proposals engineer – Daniel Espley.
Steve Joyce, managing director of Premier Tech Aqua UK said: “Dyke House College are doing amazing work in this area and we were delighted to offer our support to enable the students to get more of an insight into the various careers available within an engineering business.
“Our business has been manufacturing products in the North East for more than 40 years and the region has a thriving engineering and manufacturing sector but for it to prosper we must invest in the next generation.”
Over the coming months, Steve and his colleagues will be taking part in various sessions which include everything from presentations on ‘having the right attitude to work’ to giving engineering students the opportunity to design and fit out a wastewater treatment plant.
Susan Sheldrick, career development manager at Dyke House College, said: “Our sessions are designed to support Year 9 to Year 13 students and encourage them to find a career path that suits them. I am really looking forward to working with the team from PTAU, as they are all very driven and have come up with some fantastic ideas to help the students find their own niche.”
In addition to working the Dyke House Sports & Technical College, PTAU have been running an undergraduate internship programme with Durham University and offering mentoring support to schools in the local area.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Careers advice and guidance is hugely important for children. It is fine for students to seek higher education in university, but that is just one route to success. Each possible pathway to a future career should be laid out to allow students to reach their full potential.
“Manufacturing, in particular, is hugely important to our region. In this way, the Premier Tech Aqua team are an excellent fit with the combined authority’s aims. Their wide variety of experience and different backgrounds shows students that no matter your interests, education level or abilities, there is something that you can excel in.”
Boasting a team of 76, PTAU is an industry leader in packaged water and wastewater solutions across the UK and Ireland. It specialises in the design and manufacture of innovative products for the residential, commercial, municipal and industrial markets. A member of the global Premier Tech group, PTAU also has facilities in Hampshire and County Cork, and works with a network of nationwide installation partners and service providers.
For more information about the Tees Valley Enterprise Advisor programme contact Tees Valley Combined Authority on 01642 524400.