1. business and industrial

3
THE JOURNAL FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE NORTH EAST
‘A fantastic place
to live, work, visit
and do business’
T
HE North East is a proud,
passionate, outward-looking
region that has really made a
name for itself – for all the right reasons
– in the past decade or so.
Time and again, those of us who
know and love the area hear comments
about the wonders of the place,
invariably from a johnny-come-lately
and usually beginning, “I can’t believe
it’s so ... lively/beautiful/creative/
entrepreneurial” – the list of possible
descriptions is endless.
Employment, formerly a cause of
huge concern, is now on the up, with
data from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership showing that a record
number are in work.
And the LEP statistics also bode well
for the future, with nowhere else in the
country getting a greater percentage of
students achieving five A*-C GCSEs last
summer – from 50.3% in 2005 to 88% in
2012. We’ve been topping this table
since 2008 which, combined with our
productivity and income advantages,
means a greater future for those in
employment in the North East, the
organisation said.
There are many good reasons why it’s
great to live and work in the
North East – in fact, we
truly believe it’s the
best place in the UK
for a whole range
of reasons.
Our houses are
more affordable,
eating out and
entertainment are
cheaper here and
our commute is
shorter – why would
you want to be
anywhere
else? We have unrivalled countryside
just a short drive from our main towns
and cities, fantastic shopping opportunities, World Heritage Sites on our
doorsteps and our coastline is famed for
its natural beauty.
And the locals are the friendliest in
the country, approachable and helpful,
as well as being hard-working, motivated and versatile.
It’s this committed and flexible
workforce that has made the North East
so attractive to a host of household
names. From Nissan to Hitachi, Virgin
to Formica, these global brands are
finding that a local presence makes
good business sense.
The region is also a burgeoning hub
for the renewable energy sector, with
onshore and offshore wind farms, oil
and gas and biomass firms – and their
related supply chains – employing
hundreds of people from the Scottish
border down to North Yorkshire, in all
aspects of renewable energy provision,
from designing and building the
components to marketing and selling
them and delivering them via the road
network or into our thriving ports.
Thousands of students flock here
every year to take advantage of the
quality learning on offer from our five
universities, and many of them stay to
become part of the workforce, creating
a skilled pool of graduate talent that
enriches all kinds of employers at every
level of the organisation.
Mark Stephenson, North East
Chamber of Commerce policy and
research manager (pictured), said: “The
North East is a fantastic place to live,
work, visit and do business. It has a relatively low cost of living, high quality of
life, less congestion and pioneering
businesses leading the way in
some of the best-performing sectors of
the UK economy. We are also fortunate
that real wages, that is wages taking into
account the cost of living, are higher in
the North East than most other parts of
the country.
“As a region we have the capacity for a
great deal of expansion, strong international links and ability to sell overseas,
the water reserves required by many
large businesses and the embedded
skills and incredibly high productivity
levels, particularly in engineering and
manufacturing, that many firms are
crying out for. All we need now is to tell
everyone else about it.
“Through our Bringing Business to
the Table report, NECC highlighted the
important role our regional firms can
play in attracting inward investment.
There is a recognition among our
members that more support is required
for attracting foreign direct investment
and also a desire to work alongside our
partners in the public sector to deliver a
more joined-up approach to bringing
overseas companies to the North East.
“We know through our own quarterly
economic surveys that our members are
recruiting faster and investing more in
their staff than at any time since before
the recession. This bodes well for
individual professional progress, which
in turn creates happiness in the
workplace.
“I think this is reflected in our
employment statistics, which currently
show we have more people in employment in our region than ever before,
and our GVA is among the fastest
growing in the country, albeit from a
lower base.”
This supplement showcases just some
of the businesses which are proud to
call the North East their home.
4 THE JOURNAL FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE NORTH EAST
Why free-range staff breed success
Giving team members the freedom to innovate and thrive is
fuelling growth at Newcastle software business Bede Gaming,
explains chief technology officer ALEX BUTCHER
>>Bede Gaming chief
technology officer
Alex Butcher
within strict parameters. It’s no wonder
that the chance to roam free and innovate
is too tempting to pass up.
As a company built by developers, we
have striven to mirror this liberated
approach in our business.
Like hackday pals, our staff work in
nyone unsure about a career in
small automated teams and – within
software would do well to drop into
reason – are left to their own devices to
a hackday near them soon.
tackle problems.
For here, amid the challenge busters
Team members can come from a variety
and innovators hammering away at keys,
of backgrounds as diverse as art, astrois where the power of creative software
physics and defence, just as a hackathon
truly comes alive.
squad might be made up of an eclectic
Hackdays, or hackathons, involve large
mix of skills.
numbers of people meeting for a day or
And the technologies we give them
two of collaborative computer coding.
access to are as wide-ranging and
Perhaps the most invigorating thing
Last year we held the biggest public
cutting-edge as they can possibly be.
about them is their unpredictability.
hackathon the North East had ever seen.
The result is continual invention, new
Throw small teams of passionate tech
Not only were we inundated with intern ideas and unhindered but considered
people together to collaborate and
and apprentice applicants afterwards, but, decision-making.
collectively break rules, and the results
having drawn people nationally and
We don’t have gatekeepers or a formal
can be astounding – or downright
globally, we also managed to snare a few
corporate hierarchy either, meaning
ridiculous.
talented engineers for our team.
anyone can push production at any time.
Our most recent public event, for
But the rise of the hackday phenomAs we’ve discovered in business, and as
example, saw dull financial and transacenon has shaped our business in other
hackdays prove, software engineering can
tional data being transformed into
ways too.
achieve great things when barriers and
organically created race cars hurtling
Swelling visitor numbers at hackathons restrictions are removed.
down a track. Others used it to give rail
around the world suggest a few things. Yes,
Bede Gaming builds software for the
commuters an animated way of venting
coders love free stuff, like hoodies,
global online gambling and gaming
their fury at delays and cancellations.
memory sticks and pizza. And a lot of us
industries and is actively recruiting
Hackdays are obviously supposed to be are just show-offs at heart and don’t need for software engineers and
fun, sociable and free of constraints, giving a second invitation to exhibit our skills.
creatives at its Newcastle
participants the chance to test their
However, they also show that developers HQ. Visit www.
abilities to the max.
relish the opportunity of coding and
bedegaming.com
But for companies like ours, they also
cracking problems unshackled.
for more info.
provide an ideal excuse to spot, attain and Many of them, in their day job, may be tied
develop the talent we need to grow.
to very specific projects and working
A
“My job at Nifco is really challenging,
exciting and varied. I manage
projects, and work closely with clients
to ensure they get the best level of
service from us. It’s a rewarding job.”
Ashley Tonner Project Engineer
Ashley Tonner, 24, from Stockton, studied Aerospace Engineering at the University of Leicester and joined Nifco in summer 2014 as a Project Engineer
Nifco UK is an award winning manufacturing company, based in Stockton on Tees.
Offering a range of exciting career pathways, Nifco UK is a key part of the Nifco Inc
group, a global supplier of functional plastic parts for the automotive industry.
The company is helping to put the North East on the map as a place for
manufacturing, and with an order book that is full for the next five years and an
impressive list of customers including Ford, Honda, Nissan and Toyota to name but
a few, the future is bright for this leading company.
To find out more about opportunities at Nifco UK, visit www.nifcoeu.com
• www.nifco.com • www.nifcoeu.com •
Global Functional Plastics
5
THE JOURNAL FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE NORTH EAST
Growing demand for
Accenture’s services
By Bob Paton
A
>>Bob Paton at Accenture’s Cobalt Business Park base
ccenture is one of the
world’s biggest employers
with more than 300,000
people worldwide. This global
management consulting, technology
services and outsourcing giant
continues to have a growing presence in the North East.
The growing demand for Accenture’s business services has had a
massive impact on our North East
workforce which has more than
doubled in the last four years – rising
from around 200 to 450, and we are
continuing to grow.
Our Tyneside office has become a
key part of Accenture’s global
network of delivery centres, where
we offer technology support to our
clients around the world.
Our North East Delivery Centre is
Accenture’s only Technology
Delivery Centre in the UK – with the
North East being a real success story
for our company.
Furthermore we are continuing to
expand in the North East in line with
demand for more of our business
services from our clients. Our current
recruitment drive, where we are
looking for apprentices, graduates,
and experienced staff, is entirely
consistent with the North East Local
Enterprise Partnership’s strategic
economic plan for the North East –
More and Better Jobs.
A key aspect of our growth has
been the apprenticeship programme
we launched in 2012 and we took on
our first higher-level apprentices in
2013. We currently have 50 apprentices and we plan to take on a further
20 in August.
For our apprentice programme we
partnered with Newcastle College
and Northumbria University to
develop a bespoke three-year level 4
apprenticeship scheme that combines high-quality structured IT
training with on-the-job learning.
Upon completion, the apprentices
will also receive a foundation degree.
From day one, apprentices earn a
salary while developing the types of
expert IT skills that are in high
demand.
We are very proud of the programme and believe that the model
we have developed delivers an
apprenticeship scheme that reflects
the needs of 21st Century Britain. As
a higher apprenticeship in IT, it is
equipping young people to work in
the high-skill new economy.
Leading the way
in constructing
communities ...
linkedin.com/company/eshgroup
www.eshgroup.co.uk
0191 377 4560
@esh_group
facebook.com/eshholdings
One of our other key aims is to
attract more females into Accenture
and the wider IT industry. We have a
number of programmes which
demonstrate the many opportunities
there are for females within the
technology industry – and we start
with girls at school age.
For example, in January Accenture,
in conjunction with STEMettes, ran
the biggest Technology and Girls
event ever held in the UK. Held at
The Sage, Gateshead, it attracted 300
girls aged 11-13 from 30 North East
schools. The girls spent an actionpacked day being immersed in
technology.
The North East has so much to
offer. The region has a world-class
transport network, a lower cost of
living than most other regions,
beautiful countryside and coastline,
lower house prices, lower than
national employee attrition rates and
a great education system from
schools and colleges through to our
five excellent universities which offer
world-class teaching and research.
This is why Accenture are delighted
to be growing our only UK Delivery
Centre in the North East.
■■ Bob Paton is managing director
of Accenture
Savings and Investments | Mortgages | Financial Planning | Insurance
Your Local Society
The Newcastle is your local mutual building society. What does that
mean for you? With more branches than any other society in the
North East, it means we’re not too far away from you.
One of our local heroes – People’s Choice winner,
Berta, with our Chief Executive, Jim Willens.
throughout the North East and Cumbria in a variety of ways,
from carrying out fundraising activities and holding inbranch events to donating time from the working week to
help them out.
Our Cornerstone awards recognise and reward the
positive impact that individuals and groups have on the
places that they live through their energy, enthusiasm and
dedication. To date, we’ve celebrated around 140 local
people with awards.
Education
Additionally, financial education is very important to us and
our Boardroom Charity Challenge is the main arm of our
education programme. The six-week long curriculum-based
learning package teaches core numeracy and literacy skills
and has been developed by the Newcastle over the last
four years.
Brighton Grove Primary, winners of the 2014 Boardroom Challenge, with our NBS judges.
As a mutual, we exist solely for our members. This means
there’s no shareholders to pay dividends to and that we
answer to you. You’re not just our members; you’re part
of the building blocks of our Society.
Maximising profits is not our primary aim – any surplus profit
we make is put back into the organisation to benefit our
members. This means we focus on providing better savings
and mortgage products, for instance, we have consistently
provided competitive 90% and 95% mortgage products for
first-time buyers in the North East, during a time when many
institutions withdrew from such lending.
If you’re looking to get on the property ladder,
come along to our first-time buyer mortgage
event at St James’ Park on the 14th May at
6pm-8pm. To register, or for more information,
email [email protected] or visit
newcastle.co.uk/firsttimebuyerevent
We aim to help build society by trying to support people in
developing the right savings habit. So, when the time’s right,
this will help people buy the homes they want.
Face-to-face
We also believe in offering face-to-face advice as we
understand that it’s important when making a financial
decision. That’s why we’re investing in our branch network
and offer financial planning advice through the qualified and
experienced Money Managers of our subsidiary company,
Newcastle Financial Services Limited (NFSL)*.
NFSL’s Money Managers spend time understanding your
longer-term financial needs and aspirations to create a plan
that’s tailored for you. They also work to make your money
go further, and can help you with investments, life cover and
inheritance tax planning.
This is a service that we’re proud to make available on
the high street, when many other organisations have
withdrawn; yet for us, providing advice for all, in an
asily accessible way, is something we really believe
in as a mutual.
However, we know there are also times when you may
prefer to use technology instead of visiting a branch, so
we’ve invested in our online services, such as developing
mobile-phone functionality and allowing branch customers
to access their account details online. This means you have
choice and flexibility in how you choose to deal with us –
there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach here.
As a local Society, we’re also heavily involved in the
communities in which we operate via a programme
called Cornerstone of the Community. This focuses on our
staff and branch network providing support to good causes
We’re very proud this has so far reached more than
1,400 children in our heartland area and they’ve learned
about managing money and becoming more financially
independent.
This learning starts with these children yet continues right
through to our staff, our most important asset. With a Talent
Management programme we aim to make our good people
great and through our Student Placement Programme and
Post Graduate employment opportunities, we aim to help
train the leaders of tomorrow. This support was recognised
recently though the attainment of our Investors In People
Silver accreditation (the first time we’ve achieved this status
after 18 years, and narrowly missing out on Gold!).
So, what does a local mutual mean to you? Hopefully, it
means a friendly face nearby to speak to, trusted financial
advice and straightforward competitive products for all
within the North East. It may also mean employment for
residents within our communities. It means using our
knowledge and supporting the communities in which
we operate and answering to you and not a group
of shareholders.
We believe what makes us, as a Society, is our local
heritage and our understanding of the needs of the
people. It builds a foundation for what and how we
do our business responsibly.
*Newcastle Financial Services Limited (NFSL), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newcastle Building Society. NFSL is a representative of Openwork Limited, a well-established financial services distribution company.
Local knowledge. Mutual understanding.
YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.
Newcastle Building Society introduces to Newcastle Financial Services Limited. Newcastle Financial Services Limited is an appointed representative of Openwork Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.Newcastle Building Society Principal Office: Portland House, New Bridge Street,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AL. Newcastle Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Newcastle Building Society is entered in the Financial Services Register under number 156058. You can check this on
the Financial Services Register or by contacting the Financial Conduct Authority on 0800 111 6768. Call 0345 734 4345 or visit us online www.newcastle.co.uk.
Savings and Investments | Mortgages | Financial Planning | Insurance
Building trust...
Building people...
Building communities...
Building Society since 1863.
From day one, our values have been firmly
rooted in the local community. And it’s
something we’re always building on. In fact,
we now employ more than 850 people and have
30 branches across the region.
Our products are designed to be straightforward and
provide good value, like our Sir Bobby Robson
Foundation savings accounts, which have helped
raise over £1million for the cause. We’ve also helped
thousands of people get on the property ladder and
we’re committed to making sure our members have
access to advice they can rely on.
We celebrate local heroes with our Cornerstone of
the Community Awards and have engaged with
hundreds of school children as part of our Financial
Education programme.
Through Solutions, our financial outsourcing business,
we’ve boosted profits and created even more jobs for
the North East. We care about our staff and we help
them to build their careers.
For more information, visit www.newcastle.co.uk,
call 0345 734 4345 or simply drop into any of our
30 Newcastle Building Society branches.
Local knowledge. Mutual understanding.
Savings and Investments | Mortgages | Financial Planning | Insurance
Newcastle Building Society Principal Office: Portland House, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AL. Newcastle Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation
Authority. Newcastle Building Society is entered in the Financial Services Register under number 156058. You can check this on the Financial Services Register or by contacting the Financial Conduct Authority on 0800 111 6768. Call 0345 734 4345 or visit us online
www.newcastle.co.uk
8 THE JOURNAL FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE NORTH EAST
Staff satisfaction
survey reveals
IT consultancy
is just perfect
By Andrew Robson
W
>>Andrew
Robson, chief
executive of
Perfect Image
hen I launched Perfect Image
in 1991, it was with the
intention of delivering
solutions and services to organisations
across the UK, helping them to improve
their businesses through the effective
use of IT.
Today, Perfect Image employs more
than 70 people, all based at our head
office on the Cobalt Business Park.
While there’s no doubt that the passing
of time has seen the business evolve
hugely, some things have remained
unchanged; we’re still committed to our
founding principle of being a provider
of high-quality end-to-end IT services.
Of course, the technology and tools
we use play a huge part in how we go
about supporting our customers, but at
the root of our success are the people
we employ.
At Perfect Image, while we’re
committed to providing our customers
with the very best service, we’re also
committed to the
people who work within
the business; we pride
ourselves on our skill,
expertise and customer
service, and this is only
possible if we have the
very best people in
place.
Each year we conduct
a staff survey to assess
the state of our
workforce, identify
areas for improvement
in staff satisfaction and
benchmark progress
year on year.
At Perfect Image we
strongly believe that a satisfied,
motivated and sufficiently challenged
team equates to a happy workforce
delivering work to the very best of their
ability. It’s in everyone’s interest – from
staff through to senior management,
stakeholders through to customers –
that our company is a place where
people are happy and want to work.
At the end of March we unveiled the
findings of our latest staff survey as part
of a company-wide presentation, and
I’m delighted to say that the results were
extremely positive. We asked all of our
employees if they were proud to work at
Perfect Image and a staggering 98% said
yes.
Reflecting on the comments from the
survey, staff highlighted the people, the
culture, feeling valued and working with
talented people as reasons why they
liked working at Perfect Image.
Another key feature of the findings
was that our team valued the career
progression and training and develop-
ment opportunities available to them.
We aim to recruit, develop and retain
the very best talent, so it’s no surprise to
learn that many members of the team
have been with Perfect Image for several
years. In fact, a number of our recent
promotions joined us on graduate
placements or in entry-level positions
and have progressed through the
business.
For example, William Donkin joined
the business as a graduate developer
and has worked his way up through the
positions of developer and senior
developer to be promoted to his new
position of team leader.
Similarly, Lyndsey Falcus joined the
company in 2006 as a receptionist and
since then has worked her way up while
retraining to become our head of
service desk.
Another reason why people said they
liked working at Perfect Image was due
to the exciting – and often challenging –
nature of our work.
We get to work with a wide variety of
clients ranging in size
and sector, from SMEs to
massive blue chips, and
each project is different
as well as an opportunity
for the team to exercise
their expertise, share best
practice and learn new
skills from their talented
peers.
Of course, working in
the IT industry, our
teams also have the
opportunity to work with
the latest tools and experiment with the newest
technologies, and this is
something that appeals
to our people too.
I’m pleased to say that year on year
our staff satisfaction scores are improving – people enjoy being part of the
team at Perfect Image.
Comparing the 2014/15 results to the
previous year, our employees feel that
all key areas attributable to staff satisfaction have increased – scores are up in
areas including communication,
teamwork and leadership – and the free
fruit and yogurt in the kitchen is a hit
too!
At Perfect Image, we truly believe our
company is one of the best places to
work in the North East, and the result of
our staff survey is testament to this.
If you’re interested in joining a
company that is not only committed to
its clients but to its people too, visit
www.perfect-image.co.uk/careers for
more information about the opportunities available with us.
■■ Andrew Robson is the chief
executive of Perfect Image
We believe that
a satisfied,
motivated and
sufficiently
challenged
team equates
to a happy
workforce
A jobs fair showcasing more than 100
new software vacancies in Sunderland
will take place over two days and at two
different venues across the city.
Evolve Business Centre
Rainton Bridge South
Business Park
Wednesday April 29, 2015
11am - 3pm
Sunderland
Software Centre
Tavistock Place
Thursday April 30, 2015
11am - 3pm
Register your interest or find out more at:
makeitsunderland.com/jobsfairs
We asked our staff...
Are you proud
to work for
Perfect Image?
98
%
said yes
We believe a satisfied, motivated and sufficiently
challenged team equates to a first-class workforce.
Last month we unveiled the findings of our latest
staff survey as part of a company-wide presentation.
The results speak for themselves.
... for careers we’re just perfect
Find out more at perfect-image.co.uk
or call 0191 238 0111
10 THE JOURNAL FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE NORTH EAST
Esh Group: Creating ‘win-win’
for company and colleagues
E
sh Group sets out to be an
employer of choice, a company leading the way which
people are proud to work for and
want to be part of.
Group chief executive Brian
Manning explains: “The hard work,
talent and commitment of Esh
Group’s people shapes our business.
As we’ve grown in size we’ve worked
really hard to make sure we hold on
to our friendly, family roots.
“We listen really carefully to make
sure we provide the right support
and opportunities at all levels
throughout the business.
“We share ideas and best practice
and our culture is to get issues on
the table and work out solutions
together.
“Our values – always acting
ethically and with integrity, teamworking being at the forefront of
what we do, forward-thinking,
innovative, dynamic and always
looking for improvement – really
underpin our business and our
brand and reputation is the beacon
for everyone in the business and lies
at the heart of the group.”
The company has made significant
investment in training and develop-
ment opportunities through Esh
Training Solutions, Esh Academy,
Esh Leadership– a talent programme
for potential leaders – and Investors
In People accreditation, now in its
12th year.
Communications channels
criss-cross the business, reaching
every business area, work gang and
level throughout the company and
include:
■■ ThinkChange – ideas sharing
software.
■■ Reward – ideas and innovation
prize for ideas delivering business
benefits.
■■ SharePoint – daily automatic
updates.
■■ Esh Academy and Future Leaders
programme leadership and knowledge sharing opportunities.
■■ In-house, Esh Training Solutions
manages training needs matrix for
whole workforce.
■■ Client post-project reviews – to
look at knowledge gained and
improvement opportunities.
■■ Project closedown meetings – for
every project.
■■ Monthly sector meetings – communications, health and safety, environmental – to share learning and
best practice.
■■ Toolbox talks – knowledge
enhancement and sharing.
■■ Transfers intra-group – to share
best practice.
■■ Annual plan briefings – delivered
to all employees by chief Executive,
Kaleidoscope publication, shares
company news.
■■ Team-building - intra-team
sports events and family fun days.
■■ Staff can be offered the opportu-
nity to become shareholders and are
invited to the AGM.
Esh Group is actively involved in
communities where it works.
Schemes such as Building My Skills
(for students) and Esh Communities
(for interest groups and charities)
enable employees to take part in
ways which appeal to them and – as
Esh believes in recruiting locally –
this involvement tends to reflect the
locality and both social and economic value is achieved.
The absence rate for the whole of
Esh Group (some 3,600 direct
employees and indirect workers in
total) is almost half the national
average.
In 2013 it was the equivalent of 4.3
days of absence per employee across
the Group. The national average is
7.6 days per employee.
Brian Manning said: “The
involvement of our people in our
business is at the forefront for Esh
Group. We’re all working hard
together and are committed to
becoming the best we can possibly
be – which means we need to be one
of the very best place to work.”
For opportunities at Esh Group,
please go to www.eshjobs.co.uk
Car parts maker puts careers on track
A
PPRENTICESHIPS are at the
heart of Nifco UK’s ethos,
with the company’s own
managing director and 11 of the
company’s 13 senior managers
having entered business through an
apprenticeship.
As one of the region’s largest
manufacturers, Nifco is aware that
the sector faces a potential skills
shortage and believes the answer
lies in entering into the skills debate
and to make it as simple as possible
to recruit and develop a skilled
workforce including graduates and
apprentices.
The man at the helm of Nifco,
Mike Matthews MBE, spoke about
his views on the role of apprenticeships in modern business.
“One word. Crucial. That is my
view of how important apprenticeships are to the North East’s
businesses,” said Mr Matthews.
“Companies across the board
need to get active and take on new,
fresh talent. It is not somebody else’s
job to train the next generation – it is
everyone’s responsibility. And it
starts now.”
Nifco is a company that has
apprentices working across each
department of the business.
The Japanese-owned business,
which manufactures plastic
components that are used in the
engines and interiors of cars
produced by Nissan, Ford and Jaguar
Land Rover among others, has 24
apprentices and has made a
commitment that each year it
>>Mike Matthews of Nifco
continues to recruit, it will add at
least six apprentices to its team.
“The skills gap that is so often
talked about is not a myth. It is
serious and we need a concerted
effort from the business community
to address it.” said Mr Matthews.
“Small businesses have a really
important role to play in this too. We
all need to ensure that the North
East has a skills pipeline that reflects
the sectors we expect to flourish in
the future.”
Nifco works closely with local
schools, colleges and training
facilities as well as universities to
ensure it plays a part in bringing
through future talent and is providing opportunities for young people
to find out about careers in manufacturing.
“We’re really active in this arena
now. We regularly visit schools. We
invite schools to visit us. We have an
open door policy on this – we want
to make our business accessible so
that people understand the career
options that are available within
Nifco.”
The business, which has a
significant office-based team, as well
as shop-floor staff, believes that
employers in the field need to do
more to demonstrate the breadth of
careers on offer at their facility.
Mr Matthews added: “Manufacturing – whether you are on the shop
floor or in the office – is a world away
from the grey environment people
imagine. We work in a clean, bright
space, with cutting-edge technology
and facilities.
“And we are working hard to
ensure young people have the
chance to come and see what we are
about, to challenge misconceptions
and to ensure we have the skills base
coming through to support our
growth plans.”
For more information about Nifco
UK, visit www.nifcoeu.com or call
01642 672299.
11
THE JOURNAL FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE NORTH EAST
First-class care, first-class staff
A
t Spire Washington Hospital
caring is our passion. Our
team share our vision to be
recognised as a world-class healthcare provider, and they show this by
being dedicated to delivering the
highest-quality patient care.
We know our staff have a wealth of
knowledge and experience, so we
encourage them to work together in
driving excellence and improving
patient outcomes, making it an
exciting, innovative place to work.
Our teams are proud of the high
level of responsive, compassionate
and dignified care they can deliver
in our hospital.
We invest heavily in both clinical
and administrative training, and
provide support on a continual basis
to help our people diversify their
skills under expert supervision and
mentoring.
Shelagh Alderson, hospital
director at Spire Washington, said:
“One of the most rewarding aspects
for me in my role as hospital director
is to see staff develop through the
ranks. It is important to me, and my
management team, to nurture and
encourage the continued professional development of those who
show ambition and share our values.
“I myself am a prime example of
Spire’s willingness to develop talent
from within, having joined the
hospital 19 years ago as a bank
physiotherapist and worked in many
different roles and departments,
including being theatre manager
and head of clinical services prior to
becoming hospital director.
“It is vital to me that staff engagement remains a priority to my
management team. I encourage my
team to operate an open-door policy
and we hold regular briefings which
all staff are welcome to attend on a
monthly basis to keep up to date on
changes and developments within
the hospital.
“Our staff engagement levels are
measured on a yearly basis and I was
thrilled to see that last year Washington was second highest of all 39
hospitals within the Spire group.
“My plan for 2015 is to continue to
invest in both people and equipment to enable us to maintain
delivery of the excellent patient care
that we are known for in the North
East. I look forward to welcoming
new members to the Spire Washington team who will bring new energy
and ideas with them.”
The hospital provides many
different services ranging from
physiotherapy to complex surgery
>>A party at Spire Washington Hospital
and because we deliver such a wide
variety of clinical services, our
people find that their days are very
varied and they never stop learning
new skills.
Over the past year or so the
hospital has become busier than
ever and it is with this in mind that
we are continuously on the lookout
for ambitious people who share our
desire to deliver the highest
standards of customer service to join
our team here at Spire Washington.
Despite growing both in size and
patient volume numbers, the
hospital has maintained its familial
atmosphere, with staff socialising
regularly together both of their own
accord and through a lively calendar
of organised events. This atmos-
phere helps us provide the high
levels of customer service that our
staff pride themselves on and our
patients consistently comment on
the friendliness and positive attitude
of the staff who care for them.
From the administrative staff
member they speak to during their
first telephone call to make an
appointment, all the way through to
>>Spire Washington Hospital
the porter who helps them to their
car on the day they are discharged,
our patients remain at the heart of
everything we do.
Staff who are employed by Spire
Washington hospital enjoy a
substantial benefits package
including free car parking, competitive salary, private medical insurance, salary sacrifice gym membership, flexible working, staff social
events, eyesight testing and many
more.
Sharon Day, customer services
team lead, has worked at the
hospital since 2001 and said: “My
favourite thing about working here is
the people I work with and the fact
that every day is different.
“In my role I speak to patients
every day and provide help and
advice to them throughout their
journey.
“I get great job satisfaction at the
end of the day, and last year I even
got a formal qualification in
customer service which was
arranged by the hospital. I’ve been
working here 14 years and it is my
second home.”
100 new software jobs up for grabs
A
two-day jobs fair exhibiting
more than 100 new software
positions in Sunderland is
taking place next week.
The Sunderland Software Jobs Fair,
which will take place next Wednesday and Thursday, has been organised by Sunderland City Council to
give people interested in careers in
the software industry a chance to
meet potential employers and talk
about available vacancies, as well as
offering the opportunity to talk to
existing employees about their
experiences of working within the
industry.
The list of companies set to
showcase their latest career opportunities in IT and customer relations
includes home-grown success story
Leighton, internet shopping cart
recovery company SaleCycle and
global IT business Saggezza.
Saggezza, a technology solutions
provider headquartered in Chicago,
expects Sunderland talent will help
accelerate its growth and expand its
ability to support its growing client
base with technology solutions. Martin Williams, managing
director of Saggezza UK, said: “This is
a unique opportunity for people in
the city to meet businesses that could
be their employers. We’re really
looking forward to hopefully
unearthing some great new people to
bring into our business.
“We’d encourage anyone who fits
the bill to come along and I fully
expect some of those we meet will be
future Saggezza employees.”
The first event will be held at the
Evolve Business Centre on Wednesday, with the second at the city’s new
business base, Sunderland Software
Centre. Both events will run from
11am-3pm.
All of the businesses taking part are
based in the city and many of the
roles are open to candidates with no
formal qualifications in IT. There is
also an opportunity for people to find
out more about IT courses and meet
with education providers Sunderland
College and Baltic Training.
For more information about the
event, visit www.makeitsunderland.
com/jobsfairs. Those attending
should follow the link to register their
interest.
We are growing
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Flexible working
Staff benefits package
Rewarding environment
Free car parking
CPD available
ll
For more information ca
272
0191 415 1
gton.com
www.spirewashin
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@spire_newcastle
Picktree Lane, Rickleton, Washington, NE38 9JZ