As the costs of attaining a University degree continue to rise while the prospects of finding a good job upon graduating are uncertain, school leavers actively explore alternative options to get them onto the career ladder. In addition to these worries, when you are fresh out of school it may be difficult to know what disciplines are appealing enough for you to dedicate three-to-five years to study them.
A good alternative to pursuing a University degree is to take up an apprenticeship with a local business. Even better if the company has a global reach and multiple positions that would allow you to trial and explore different business functions to see what you prefer and excel at doing.
Belzona Polymerics, a Harrogate based manufacturing company, is offering two bright local school leavers just that.
Commencing in September 2017, within its first year this two-year Belzona Training and Development Programme covers hands-on experience in several departments including Research and Development, Quality, Marketing, UK Sales, Export Management, IT, Business Development, Corporate Development, Engineering, Finance, and Operations.
Year two of the apprenticeship kicks off with an opportunity to visit and work in one of the company’s offices in Thailand, Miami or Canada. The remainder of the second year will then focus on defining a career path dependent on what area of the business is best suited to the candidate. Part of this plan will also be to decide what type of qualifications could be gained that will help develop the necessary skills for their role; this could be anything from an Open University Degree to the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
To top it all off, Belzona Training and Development Programme comes with a salary of £12,000 p.a. and a range of other benefits which include life assurance, private health cover, Cycle to Work scheme and much more.
Belzona says it believes in rewarding talent and promoting from within. Laura Smith, who together with the management team put this amazing scheme together, has developed a lasting successful career with Belzona. Laura initially joined the company as a Marketing Assistant, eventually progressing onto the Marketing Manager role and then the Head of a newly formed Corporate Development department.
Laura commented: The Belzona Training and Development Programme is a great opportunity for those that are motivated to get straight into the job market, to gain first-hand experience in a truly global business whilst at the same time, potentially working towards a qualification. As a local business, we want to contribute to the community- there are many young talented individuals and we want to attract and retain those within our business to be the bright stars for the future!
For more information and to apply for the Belzona Training and Development Programme, visit Belzona.com/careers.
Closing deadline for applications is Friday 24th, February 2017.
