Cleveland Bridge UK has seen its commitment to its skills endorsed by a national business initiative focussed on driving momentum into the recruitment of apprentices, graduates and sponsored students.
As a member of the 5% Club Cleveland Bridge becomes one of more than 250 UK companies committed to providing ‘earn and learn’ opportunities to develop the skills and talents people need for long-term careers.
The ethos of the organisation is to encourage members to ensure that five percent of its workforce is made up of apprentices and graduates within a five year period.
However, Cleveland Bridge is already exceeding that figure with a growing number of its employees involved in formal training programmes and will continue to grow the number as part of its strategy to develop a sustainable workforce for the long-term.
At the heart of its strategy is its commitment to apprenticeships. A group of eight new apprentices will join Cleveland Bridge in September, supported by Hartlepool College and Darlington College. In addition to trade apprenticeships in areas such as plating and welding, the new intake will include trainees working towards programmes in procurement, business development and IT.
Alongside its apprenticeship programmes, Cleveland Bridge also runs training programmes designed to promote business improvements for example a second cohort of students are working their way through lean manufacturing qualifications. It also regularly runs upskilling courses for its workforce in areas such as health and safety, and core English and Maths vocational qualifications.
Chris Droogan, Managing Director of Cleveland Bridge UK, said: “We proud to join the 5% Club, which shares our commitment to providing a broad range of skills and workforce development opportunities. The fact that we have exceeded the club’s five percent target before we joined is a clear indication of the importance of skills in our long-term sustainability strategy.”
Lady Cobham, Director General of The 5% Club said, “We’re delighted to welcome Cleveland Bridge UK into membership. The 5% Club provides a fantastic network of HR professionals, sharing and learning from each other. All our members share an ethos of creating a skilled workforce through ‘earn and learn’ development programmes, helping people develop meaningful career paths.”