A manufacturer of carton board packaging products is addressing the sector’s skills shortage with a series of educational partnerships designed to encourage more young people into the industry.
Glossop Cartons’ initiative involves working with secondary schools in the Stockport area to provide work experience placements, mock interviews and careers talks. As well as supporting the future of the packaging industry, the programme also helps to prepare local youngsters for the world of work.
The company’s joint managing director, Jacky Sidebottom-Every, is on the board of the British Printing Industries Federation, and the Glossop Cartons initiative supports the BPIF’s goal of promoting careers in the sector.
She said: “Glossop Cartons’ educational partnerships are a great way to promote the industry to young people - especially those with an interest in manufacturing and engineering.
“I would strongly urge other companies within the packaging sector to consider launching similar schemes, which can help to address skills shortages within their own plants as well as across the wider industry.”
Educational partnerships also provide an effective means of supporting communities, helping to educate young people about the job opportunities available to them, enabling them to make informed decisions as they prepare to leave school.
Glossop Cartons’ HR and procedures manager, Jane Brocklehurst, this spring participated in a careers fair at Marple Hall School, where she undertook practise interviews with students; pupils from the school also undertake work placements at the firm’s nearby factory.
Said the school: “We’re committed to ensuring that our students receive the best possible careers guidance, and partnerships with local employers such as Glossop Cartons help us to achieve this important goal.”
