As National Apprenticeship Week continues, Group HR Director, Rachel Smith, provides her thoughts on the opportunities available at Peel Ports
"It has been fantastic to take time out this week to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week. Skills development and lifelong learning are an essential part of people development and ensuring that we have the skills, capability and experience to futureproof our business. It is exciting to see the progress and difference that our current apprentices are making to the business and how this has sparked interest from management and leadership to start to investigate how we can utilise apprenticeships in other departments and business locations in the future in different ways."
"By joining the 5% club earlier this week, we are committing to increasing the number of apprentices in our business over the next 5 years. To ensure success, we are currently building an early careers framework which will include apprenticeships, graduate programmes and work placements (to support the introduction of T-levels). Our recent advertisement for early careers champions to support this activity has been a huge success so far. The team members who have applied will champion the opportunities that we have at Peel Ports Group within our local communities and to raise awareness of potential careers within the Port and logistics to local schools, colleges and universities. This is an essential to help to attract diverse talent for the future."
"It is important that our team also are aware of the extended opportunities that apprenticeships bring, they go much further than their traditional form. Apprenticeship opportunities can be sought within operations, professional development and management and leadership with programmes from NVQ level to MBA."
"This is such an exciting time to be part of the Peel Ports business with a clear focus on developing our people and myself and the HR team look forward to being an integral part of making this a success."