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Apprentices praised at Veolia awards event

By 08/09/2017News

The vital role apprenticeships play within Veolia was recognised this week in its National Apprentice of the Year Awards ceremony, at the House of Commons.

Apprentices young – and older – were praised on Wednesday (6 September) for their successes in a range of workstreams with the company, and a number of individuals were presented with trophies to mark their achievements. This was the third year running in which the event has been held.

With 300 apprentices across the business, Estelle Brachlianoff, senior executive vice-president of Veolia UK & Ireland, told the audience, which included MPs from across the political spectrum, that apprenticeships were “in the DNA of the organisation and have been for decades”.

And, she added that “the good news is, looking at the calibre of people undertaking our own apprenticeship programme the talent is out there to be harnessed.”

Mrs Brachlianoff also explained to the apprentices and guests how the role of Veolia had changed into becoming a resource management company, rather than waste management: “We are the ones coming to our customers saying we can help them to be more resource efficient, closing the loop.”

Veolia apprentices 2017

Veolia UK and Ireland staff and apprentices. (Back row, l-r): Matt Pitt, head of people development; Abigail Poole; Chelsea Massarella;  Marguerite Ulrich, chief human resources officer; Kim Bailey; Andrew Mcphee; Ryan Gumley; Adam Clayton; Ben Dickenson;  Steve Taylor. (Front row, l-r): Taylor Halsey; Robyn Donaghy; Maureen Dowen; Amber Slacke; Estelle Brachlianoff, senior executive vice president; Sam Bird; Charlie Knight; Chloe Arries; and Gareth Paisley.

This message was important for the apprentices, said Mrs Brachlianoff, emphasising to them: “you can see that what we do has a meaning and a purpose”.

Commenting in more detail on the importance of apprenticeships generally, the senior executive vice president said: “It’s extremely encouraging to see that apprenticeship participation now stands at a record high.

Brexit

“As well as seeing apprenticeship uptake steadily rise for both genders, it’s great to see how apprenticeships have helped to attract 7% more females into STEM roles too; however, there is so much more to achieve and especially in Brexit times it is important employers find and develop the talent they need to grow their business.

” I honestly believe apprenticeships hold the key to success of industry across the UK and if we’re to close the predicted skills gap businesses across the country must keep pushing to deliver the homegrown talent we need.”

And, in terms of Veolia, Mrs Brachlianoff said the apprenticeships scheme had been carefully designed. “For some time now, Veolia’s objective has been to have more than 300 apprentices in the business and we’ve also developed our apprenticeships in-line with the passions and interests of millennials in mind. As a result, our apprenticeships aim to expand the career horizons of this generation, while tackling the skills gap.”

Veolia Apprentices Westminster

Centre: Taylor Halsey – Apprentice of the Year 2017, with Estelle Brachlianoff, senior executive vice president and Matt Pitt, head of people development, Veolia UK and Ireland

The awards ceremony saw Taylor Halsey (27), lead eEngineer based in Greenwich and Veolia’s Apprentice of the Year winner, comment: “Being an apprentice has changed my opinion of learning, not only because I’m now fully immersed in what I love doing but the programme is helping me build my skillset and giving me the opportunity to become a specialist in my chosen area.”

And, he told letsrecycle.com that young people often think “negatively about the waste industry” but “it is not what it might seem. Working in it would be a huge benefit to them and they can build a set of lifeskills.”

Skills

The event was opened by senior Labour politician Barry Sheerman MP who praised Veolia for “being a vigorous campaigner for skills and apprentices for a long time.”

And Mary Creagh, also Labour, who is chair of the Environmental Audit Commtitee, said there was a need “to rebrand waste as resources with resource efficiency protecting our natural capital.”

“The industry needs to be seen as inspirational to get people into the green jobs we are creating”


Mary Creagh
Environmental Audit Committee

And, she reasoned that the “industry needs to be seen as inspirational to get people into the green jobs we are creating”.

The MP also criticised the sector for punching “below its weight” politically, saying “I don;t think ministers are aware of the contribution of the resource economy”.

‘Passionate’

The apprenticeships event also heard from Nick Ellins, group chief executive of the sector body Energy & Utility Skills. He said for businesses that “investing in apprenticeships brings far more than the sum of the parts.”

And commending Veolia’s work, he said: “Veolia is a passionate advocate for ensuring a safe, skilled and sustainable workforce. It has played an important part in ensuring the whole utility sector is ‘Levy-ready’, and contributes energetically to the development of new and ever higher standards in competence, assurance and safety, including a leading role in the development of a new Sustainable Resource Apprenticeship Standard.

More information
Much of the apprenticeship training is through the Veolia Campus in Four Ashes, Staffordshire which was created in 1999. (For more information: Veolia Apprenticeship Programme.) 

 

The vital role apprenticeships play within Veolia was recognised this week at its third National Apprentice of the Year Awards ceremony at the House of Commons.

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