HETA harnesses milestones for campaign to tackle skills shortage
Esther Damary-George (centre) with colleagues (from left) Mike Ahern, Charlotte Hogben, Adam Wilson, Lucy Jessop and Eve Ridley.
HUMBERSIDE Engineering Training Association (HETA) is adding to the impetus of back-to-back milestone years by rolling out a strategy to strengthen its links with employers and education.
HETA celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and will move into a new headquarters in the summer. It is seizing upon the interest generated by both landmarks to raise awareness in schools of the opportunities presented by apprenticeships and to secure the support of more businesses as the UK tackles skills shortages.
HETA’s vision is for the new centre to improve the company’s facilities and services to support young people embarking on careers in engineering and to meet the needs of mature workers, including helping people make the change to engineering from other sectors and enabling employers to upskill existing workers.
The drive to build partnerships extends across both banks of the Humber, with HETA’s site at Stallingborough and a Scunthorpe centre which only opened three years ago adding to the range of high-tech facilities and tuition on offer.
The initiative is being led by Esther Damary-George, a Sales and Marketing Manager who joined the company last year and brought experience of working in education and liaising with employers.
Esther moved from the role of Marketing Manager at North Lindsey College in Scunthorpe, having previously developed an extensive network of corporate contacts in the region during 18 months with the Bondholders.
She said: “We are showcasing the scale and quality of HETA’s services and facilities in readiness for relocation to the new site. We are a really close-knit team and that reflects everything about HETA. The moment you arrive you feel you are part of something. There is a great work ethic and a great family feel, and the company is based on success, knowledge and integrity.
“We are more than a sales team. Our approach enables us to support our business partners in developing their workforce and bringing apprentices through with comprehensive training plans. We recognise that every company is unique and we aim to be a part of their organisation, identifying the skills that they need now and in the future.
“We work locally, regionally and nationally – industry is changing so fast and the jobs that students are going into are changing as well, so we are looking at what is happening nationally and ensuring that our work is relevant and appropriate.
“One of the reasons I really wanted to come here is that engineering is facing such an exciting time and HETA is able to contribute so much. The country needs 186,000 people with engineering skills every year until 2024 and it is vital that we provide that supply of engineers.”
Iain Elliott, Chief Executive of HETA, added: “This has been a momentous year for HETA as we have celebrated our golden anniversary, and we will follow it with another milestone in the history of the business as we open our new building during the summer of 2018.
“But what matters most is that we harness the growing interest in our work and use it to attract more young people into careers in engineering, whilst also strengthening our links with employers to ensure they join us in providing more training opportunities and investing in the future of UK industry. The strategy behind that will ensure we seize the benefits which will be generated by our higher profile.”
