Chesterfield business offering debt-free degrees to school leavers
Three Year 13 school leavers are being given the chance to gain a debt-free university degree by Chesterfield-based Blachford UK.
The company, which is part of the global Blachford Group, is looking to recruit its senior managers and board directors of the future through its graduate apprenticeship programme. As well as a providing a fully funded degree, the successful applicants will also be paid a salary throughout their apprenticeship.
Based in Holmewood, the UK arm of the company is a leading European manufacturer of acoustic and thermal insulation components.
As part of the company’s succession planning programme, it wants to attract school leavers who have recently completed their A Levels and who have a passion for maths and chemistry and who want to follow careers in design engineering, chemistry and process engineering.
Interested students should have a strong track record in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.
Successful applicants will embark on a degree apprenticeship with Blachford UK.
To raise awareness of the degree apprenticeship opportunities, the company is holding a recruitment open day for people interested in applying for the positions. The open day will take place at the company’s premises on Thursday 27 June from 11.00am – 2.00pm.
The day will involve a tour of the company – both the factory floor and behind the scenes, where you will get to meet employees, ask questions and see for themselves the variety of permanent job roles available and routes for progression within Blachford. There will also be some activities on the day for students to display their problem solving, communication and maths skills.
Jason Lippitt, Managing Director of Blachford UK explained: “Manufacturing is an exciting industry and Blachford is no exception. I am a chemist myself and have had an amazing career with Blachford. I have travelled the world and been part of teams that have created ground-breaking products. I now want to give that opportunity to three young people.”
Launched by the government in 2015 and studied over the course of one to six years, degree apprenticeships are designed to propel students into the world of work and fill high-level skills gaps by tailoring learning to specific business needs.
A degree apprenticeship combines full-time paid work and part-time university study to offer candidates the opportunity to gain a full Bachelors or Masters degree while undertaking practical, on-the-job training. Degree apprenticeships are created by partnerships between employers and universities or colleges.
He added: “Apprenticeships are very important to the future of Blachford as they give us the opportunity to mould and develop individuals to the business helping it progress and grow. We invest in all our apprentices, so it’s important to us that they enjoy long careers with us. My hope is that the young people who join us as degree apprentices will ultimately lead and shape the direction of the company.”
Blachford UK have also agreed to take part in the Made in Chesterfield project which looks to promote opportunities in STEM careers across North Derbyshire. The Initiative is coordinated by Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Education Business Partnership.
To attend the Blachford UK Degree Apprentice Recruitment Open Day, please register your interest on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/blachford-uk-degree-apprentice-recruitment-open-day-tickets-61787937384 or by emailing Joanne Kisgory at Joanne.Kisgory@blachforduk.com.
Find out more about apprenticeship opportunities in Chesterfield
Find out how your business or school can take part in Made in Chesterfield
