TEN young people from Stockton Borough are now in a better position to find a job after attending a bootcamp with a difference.
Stockton Council worked with established youth recruitment agency, Rising Star, to carry out their acclaimed apprenticeship recruitment bootcamp.
It was held at Billingham Community Centre in partnership with Stockton Council’s Tees Achieve.
Rising Star and Zenith People Training Operations Manager, Lisa Waller, said: “It’s been fantastic launching our bootcamp in Stockton.
“The enthusiasm levels have been brilliant and the desire of each of these young people has really shone through.
“After the work they’ve put in and the progress they’ve made, they really deserve to achieve that final piece of the puzzle and find work – I’d recommend each and every one of them to an employer!”
Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Ann McCoy, added: “This innovative way of helping young people to develop the skills they need to succeed in the world of work has really captured their imaginations and I have no doubt that the knowledge they have gained will put them in good stead when they apply for jobs.”
The 18-24 year olds were put through their paces during the Logistics and Warehousing themed course which included site visits to businesses such as RPS Ltd in Maltby, Stockton-on-Tees and talks from employer guest speakers.
Owen Hines, General Manager at RPS Ltd said: “The young people that visited RPS Ltd during the apprenticeship recruitment bootcamp were very engaging and found that actually visiting a real working environment enabled them to make choices in the early stages of building a career for themselves.
“It is vitally important that in this region companies do as much as possible to encourage younger people in to the work place and with initiatives like the bootcamp, individuals and companies gain a better understanding of each other’s needs and requirements.”
Two of the young people who took part have already secured job interviews and Rising Star is continuing to support everyone who participated by organising visits to local employers.
Mitchell Davidson, 20, from Billingham attended the bootcamp. He couldn’t speak highly enough of his Rising Star experience: “I heard about the Rising Star Bootcamp through the Job Centre. I was unemployed and was really interested in getting an apprenticeship and going on the bootcamp seemed a really good way to get on the ladder.
“The bootcamp was great – there was so much vital information that I just simply didn’t even know I needed to know about.
“The on-site employer tour was the best part of the week in my eyes – it was interesting to see a real working environment.
“My interview style and technique improved most over the week and I felt really comfortable communicating with people by the end of it.
“I would definitely recommend the Rising Star Bootcamp – I met some really nice people and they seemed like they really wanted to help me to succeed.”
Rising Star, sister company of recruitment business Zenith People, who are based in South Shields, are a regional recruitment and training agency with a unique, proactive approach to engaging young people and employers in mutually beneficial partnerships.
Their apprenticeship recruitment bootcamp, which has also been run very successfully in both South Tyneside and County Durham, is designed to inform and excite young people about the benefits of apprenticeships and also to equip them with the skills needed to secure employment and enter a working environment with confidence and a professional work attitude.
To find out more visit www.zenithrisingstar.com