Challenge of getting graduates ready for work
More than 70 leading North East England exporters have been given the low-down on boosting the region’s skills base.
NBS chief executive Richard Waterhouse outlined the importance of giving people the right skills and experiences and the difficulty of recruiting those who can help grow the business at a North East England Chamber of Commerce event.
The firm is a leading global provider of technical information, specification and BIM tools to construction industry professionals and is committed to growing its North East roots base as it continues to expand overseas.
MrWaterhouse told the meeting about the importance of preparing young people for work: “There is no such thing as an ‘oven ready’ graduate,” he said
“We need to attract skilled employees with a passion to learn and be innovative. Our ideal team members are often not from a standard route into our business or from a standard route through education.
“The challenge is how can businesses help influence the workforce of the future and anticipate what that might look like.”
Julie Underwood, Chamber International Trade Director said: “NBS is a tremendous example of how our region is blazing a trail in the export field and digital innovation as a whole.
“As a Chamber we were created to support business growth among members, and the sharing of creative solutions to our future workforce needs at this event, has been a great example of us still doing this.”
Giselle Stewart OBE, UK Corporate Affairs Director at Ubisoft, introduced the new University Technical College (UTC) being built in Newcastle, with a focus on STEM teaching and intended to generate the talent needed for the digital and health sciences sector.
It will be open to students from the across the region and provide employers with a unique opportunity to participate in, develop and benefit from the education f the 14-18year-old students who attend.
Giselle commented: “The UTC will give its students a unique experience to work with industry throughout GCSE and A-level, where we intend to challenge the ‘norms’ of traditional learning.”