National Timber Systems’ Catterick site has a longstanding relationship with Darlington College, and this summer four students have joined the team straight from their courses.
Three of the new employees are qualified to NVQ Level 2 in joinery and are now production operatives. The fourth new employee holds the veterans’ charity Building Heroes construction skills certificate and is now a cassette fabricator.
Sam Poland, Instructor in Carpentry and Joinery at Darlington College said: “I am very pleased we have been able to place students straight into work with such a good firm.
“It’s also well-deserved as they have all shown a great deal of skill and commitment during their courses.”
The Building Heroes course offers military personnel a five-week introduction to various trades, from bricklaying to joinery, and health and safety training. It is run on behalf of the charity by Alan Gibson, Senior Lecturer in Multi Skills at Darlington College.
Alan commented: “One of the best ways to inspire our students about potential career paths is to take them on site. On a recent visit to NTS the team gave us a full factory tour and shared insights about their organisation.
“It’s a really valuable experience for all of us. We find it useful as well for making sure our syllabus is up to date and includes new developments in modern methods of construction alongside traditional skills.”
Steve McCrossan, NTS Production Manager (Catterick) said: “Working with the college we have people with very different life experiences coming in.
“There are the younger generation who have completed their education and skills training at college, who have put in the hard work and deserve that next step into the employment world. We can provide the opportunity to progress into a position that lets them utilise and develop the skills they have acquired.
“Also there are the veterans of the armed forces looking to make the transition to civilian employment. This can be difficult for some, any support network that can help promote and assist the process should be welcomed with open arms. Given our location at Catterick we have provided many opportunities for ex-military personnel.
“As part of our local community we’re proud to be involved with Darlington College and Building Heroes.”
