Sixth form students at Ron Dearing UTC met staff from some of the region’s leading businesses to find out more about potential employment opportunities as they consider their next steps.
The school organised a Recruitment Expo primarily for Year 13 students who will leave in summer next year and Year 12 students were also given the opportunity to attend.
They met almost 20 of the school’s employer partners which are offering paid employment roles and apprenticeships and students can apply for the positions in the new year.
Alex Lee, Head of Marketing at Designs Signage Solutions, one of the UTC’s Major Partners, attended the expo with colleagues Rhianna Cavanagh, Assistant Project Manager, and Keland Sharpe, Design Team Member and a former Ron Dearing UTC student.
Alex said: “We’re very keen on developing future talent and we have two pathways into our business – manufacturing engineering and graphic design.
“We’ve created a trainee programme called Rising Stars which gives young people 12 months to see where their interests lie within the business.
“Sixteen Ron Dearing UTC students are going through our final interview process with a view to taking up full time employment with us in September 2023.”
Former Ron Dearing UTC students Josh Peck and Leoni Wilkinson, who are now employed by Reckitt, one of the school’s Founding Partners, also attended the expo.
Josh, a research and Development Apprentice at Reckitt, the world’s leading consumer health and hygiene company, said: “We can speak to the students from personal experience and talk about how we applied for our jobs. It gives them a really good insight before they apply.”
Staff from Ørsted, a renewable energy company that constructs and operates offshore wind farms across Europe and one of the UTC’s Major Partners, also attended the expo.
Harriet Farmery, Community Engagement Officer at Ørsted, said: “Many of the UTC students know what they want to do and they want information on how to do it.
“Next year will be our largest intake of apprentices in Ørsted’s history and we have 12 vacancies.
“The students are so enthusiastic and keen to know more about the company. They also want to know more about the educational opportunities we can offer them and it’s great they’re thinking long term.”
Year 13 student Alex Charlesworth, 17, said: “The expo gives you insight into careers you may not have considered. I’d like an engineering apprenticeship and I spoke to Spencer Group, Siemens Gamesa and Porsche Centre Hull about opportunities they’re offering.
“Ron Dearing UTC has great links with businesses which opens up so many opportunities for us.”
Year 13 student Tabby Argent, 17, also hopes to secure an engineering apprenticeship when she leaves Ron Dearing UTC next year.
She said: “I gathered a lot of information at the expo. It’s a great opportunity to make a good first impression and get yourself out there.
“It helps us to understand what companies are looking for and you can see where your skills fit.”
Glenn Jensen, Senior Assistant Principal – Employer Engagement, at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to our network of employer partners which support our outstanding employer-led curriculum.
“This year’s expo was designed to give the very best advice and guidance to our Year 13 students about the available routes into industry at the end of their studies.”
Employer partners who attended the expo are: KCOM, Reckitt, Siemens Gamesa, Spencer Group, the University of Hull, Advanced Plastics, Catch, Designs Signage Solutions, INEOS, IRISNDT, Northern Powergrid, Ørsted, Porsche Centre Hull, Ridings Consulting Engineers, Sauce, Smailes Goldie, The 55 Group and Wood Plc.