College strikes deal with manufacturer
BARNSLEY College has added a leading local employer to its growing range of academy partnerships.
It now partners with a total of 20 local businesses following the deal with chilled food manufacturer Freshpak.
Based in Wombwell, the site cooks up to four million eggs every week for major UK supermarkets and food retailers.
The new academy will encourage students to consider work with Freshpak, helping upskill and develop their craft for the future.
David Akeroyd, Barnsley College principal and chief executive officer, said: “Academies are really important to us at the college – we pick our academy partnerships really carefully.
“We’re looking for organisations who are here for the right reasons to support our vision of transforming the lives of people in and around Barnsley.
“It’s also about allowing our students to see a clear flight path so they can see where their opportunities are.
“All of our partners are really integral in building that vision for our students.
“The added value we get from partnering with companies like Freshpak is showing students they could be an engineering operative, but they could also work in finance, they could be in procurement, human resources or IT – all within the same organisation and family of employees.”
Toby Brinsmead, CEO of Freshpak, added: “Having such an outstanding college so close to us is fantastic.
“By the nature of being a partnership, we both benefit – from the practical side, it gives our existing employees a route to improve and be promoted.
“It also advertises a potential career for students.”