Sian Morris, Head of Talent Development
First we had National Apprenticeship Week where we hosted an Apprenticeship open evening at our Barnstaple site in partnership with The Engineering Trust, our Apprenticeship Engineering training provider. Students from the local North Devon schools and colleges attended with their parents/guardians to gain an insight into what SEA do as a business, and what career and Apprenticeship opportunities are available to young people in roles across Business Support, IT and Engineering. We had a successful turnout of around 60 people who also experienced a site tour and had the opportunity to ask our current and ex-apprentices questions on their experiences.
SEA Apprenticeships start with a Level 3 NVQ qualification to gain practical experience, knowledge and skills, enabling people to earn whilst they learn and progress their career through funded qualifications. Apprenticeships are supported by training providers and academic college day releases, with internal Mentor and Buddy support programmes, to include in-house classroom training and development sessions. Our Business Support Apprenticeships provide rotations across areas including Marketing, Business Development, Project Management, Supply Chain, Finance, Commercial and IT, where after completing their 15-month programme they can choose to embark in a career in any one of those areas and study further professional qualifications, fully funded by SEA. Our Engineering Apprenticeships include a mix of electro-mechanical skills with the opportunity to work hands-on, building and maintaining our products for our UK and international customers.
Our annual Graduate Assessment centres also took place recently, where we invited a group of Graduates in to take part in a recruitment assessment selection process. Our candidates were given a logical task with an individual and group element and are subsequently evaluated on their skills and suitability for a role within our business. They were assessed on specific skills and competencies across teamwork, communication, influencing, leadership skills, organisation and problem solving, to see how they interact with one another to complete the task. The assessment centres were a great success, and we have identified the Graduates we would like to join our team this coming September at our Barnstaple site in roles across Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering and Business Management.
The SEA Graduate programme follows a rotational pattern where Graduates build their technical, commercial and soft skills with experience across wider business functions to include Production, Business Development, Finance, Commercial, and Supply Chain. The Graduate programmes also have Mentor and Buddy support and include in-house classroom delivered training across Technical Document and Report Writing, Presentation Skills, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement, Fundamentals of Project Management, and Finance for Non-Finance Managers. With the rotations, training and development, the Graduates build a rounded set of skills and experiences to further their careers professionally into specialist areas or managerial roles.
Our entire Emerging Talent team, comprising of Graduates and Apprentices were also taken on two offsite visits, providing them with real life industry experience to see different aspects of our supply chain. One of the visits was to a component supplier, Morris Engineering, based in Plympton, Plymouth. Morris Engineering undertake precision machinery using CNC Milling and Lathe machines. Our Emerging Talent team experienced quality manufacturing and processes first hand.
After the Morris Engineering visit, we headed over to HMNB Devonport, Plymouth, the largest naval base in Western Europe. They saw where our products are fitted onto Defence platforms such as frigates and submarines. Our hosts at Devonport conducted a site tour and we explored a decommissioned Type 23 frigate, which was a real highlight. The team were briefed on the importance of safety and kitted out with full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The visit gave our Emerging Talent team valuable insight and experience, understanding further how SEA provides equipment which contributes to the safety of our nation, and how our In-Service Support Engineers play their part in the installation of this equipment worldwide and maintenance and throughout its life. The visits were a real success, and provided our team with the opportunity to speak to expert Naval officers who defend our nation.
We believe these valuable, unique experiences provide a wider perspective for young, curious minds; understanding what role they play into contributing to the bigger picture.
All of our Emerging Talent development programmes offer permanent opportunities from day one with a support development framework in place enabling individuals to grow, progress their career and gain more qualifications within SEA. If you would like learn more about starting a career at SEA and about Apprenticeships, Graduate Programmes and work experience at available, please check our Emerging Talent page and check out our Vacancies for the latest opportunities.
