Launch of Graduate Placement Scheme for Pendle employers
Published Thursday 8th April 10
This week sees the launch of the Graduate Placement Scheme, which provides Pendle employers the opportunity to recruit local university graduates to work within their business at a subsidised cost.
The scheme, which is funded by Pendle Council and facilitated by Pennine Lancashire Enterprise Trust, allows local businesses to employ a graduate, from a variety of degree backgrounds.
They would carry out a specific project in the business or fill / replace a role within the organisation for a 6-12 month period.
The scheme, which is new to the area, will provide local businesses with an excellent opportunity to invest in home grown skills or up-skill their workforce.
A grant subsidy is available within the first six months to assist the businesses with the cost of employing the graduate.
And the expertise of the Placement Team will help to produce a job description, market the vacancy to graduates and produce a shortlist of suitable applicants to interview.
Colne based Gibson's Garden Machinery (GGM) took a similar step last year, when they recruited Adam Braithwaite, also from Colne. He graduated from Newcastle University with a Marketing and Management degree.
GGM, which sells commercial mowing and ground maintenance equipment, have been established in Colne for 10 years and currently employ over 20 staff.
Adam joined GGM as a student on a work placement and the business was genuinely impressed with his enthusiasm, commitment and hard work. This led to them offering him a full time graduate position within the business.
Chris Gibson, MD of GGM says: "Adam has been invaluable to our business since he joined us on a student placement.
"We'd recommend a Graduate Placement Scheme to any organisation requiring a high quality, well educated student to deliver an important project.
"The Placement Team helped me to finalise a job description to recruit graduates, then provided me with a shortlist of candidates to interview.
"This took a lot of pressure off the business and stopped me from getting bogged down in the recruitment and admin process.
"Overall the whole process was very straightforward from start to finish."
Local businesses can receive more information on taking part in the programme by contacting Pennine Lancashire Enterprise Trust on (01282) 872350 or e-mailing graduates@pennineenterprise.co.uk
More articles in the news archive.
