DavyMarkham - News
Manufacturers urged to back skills initiative

DavyMarkham Joins $Billion Indian Infrastructure Group IVRCL

Full details:click here

What Katy Did Next - Marketing

Full details:click here

Manufacturers urged to back skills initiative

Full details:click here

DavyMarkham Picks Up Three Top Business Awards

Full details:click here

Manufacturing Critical To British Economy, Says Richard Caborn

Full details:click here

Apprentice Scheme Approved By Institution Of Mechanical Engineers

Full details:click here

DavyMarkham Participates In One-Day Coal Conference

Full details:click here

£2.7m cutterheads for railroad tunnelling project in China

Full details:click here

DavyMarkham Wins $20 Million Canadian Contract For Gold Mine Hoists

Full details:click here

Austrian technical students gain work experience in Sheffield

Full details:click here

Manufacturers across South Yorkshire are being urged to give their backing to a new initiative to enthuse school children about a career in engineering and help them to gain the basic skills they need to train as apprentices. The Passport to Work programme is the brainchild of a number of leading local industrialists, led by Kevin Parkin and Vince Middleton, managing directors of Davy Markham and Newburgh Engineering.

They have teamed up with Business & Education South Yorkshire, the Industrial Trust, the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) and Sheffield City Council with the aim of raising the standard of work experience for pupils and guaranteeing to industry that any youngster with the Passport will have the basic skills they need.

Speaking to an audience drawn of senior executives from engineering, Kevin Parkin said there was a "massive" shortage of school leavers training as apprentices in industry.

"There are many pupils whose parents and grand parents haven't worked. We want to change that. We want to give them a chance and an opportunity," said Mr Parkin.

"We want to get their confidence levels up - they are very confident in their own environment but as soon as they move out of their own environment they won't look you in the face.

"When it comes to listening and questioning, they are too shy. They don't understand how to ask questions - or to ask for help. A big, big problem with young people is they won't ask for help. They just need to get over this barrier and we need to help them to do it."

"They need to get a positive attitude to going to work."

The Passport also aims to show school children there was a route to a degree that didn't involve going straight to university - a route to work which Mr Parkin believed was going to become prohibitively expensive in future.

"We want to give pupils a chance to gain a degree, perhaps by the time they are 24 or 25, having earned money and without ending up with massive debts," said Mr Parkin, who made a point of praising trade union Unite for the work it had done with DavyMarkham apprentices.

The pilot Passport to Work programme aims to provide work experience for up to 300 pupils, aged from 13, when they would just be making decisions about subjects to study that could lead to a future career.

Jackie Freeborn, chief executive of Business & Education South Yorkshire, says the programme isn't intended to replace existing successful programmes, but will give businesses a single point of contact and advice on work experience and related schemes.

"We are offering business a coordinated approach and a commitment to come in at least once a year to plan with you, say what the opportunities are and see where you need help," she told guests at the launch in the Cutlers' Hall.

For more information about the Passport to Work programme, contact Business & Education South Yorkshire, tel: 01709 336700, e-mail Jackie.freeborn@be-sy.co.uk.

Issued: January 2010