THERE are many advantages to working closely with local educators. Schools and colleges close to your manufacturing business will welcome your support and you get placed ‘front-of-mind’ with the most promising students.
This is a message not lost on Burnley’s, if not the world’s, most famous refrigerated van converter, CoolKit. CoolKit has teamed up with Burnley’s Themis Academy to help discover and train skilled new recruits. The partnership between CoolKit and Themis has already proved successful – with four new recruits now employed by the company.
The innovative training model has been developed and refined over a 12-month period with leading East Lancashire employers, to fill their skill shortages and business development needs.
Employers are at the very heart of this training model. The skills taught are driven by employers’ specific needs, as well as sector developments. The focus is on providing employees who have not only the skills needed but the work ethic and commitment demanded by market leaders.
Themis Academy recruits gain nationally-recognised qualifications and have the proven skills to start work straight away. Recruits are trained in the essential skills that will make them not only effective but also reliable employees, with excellent time-keeping skills and a knowledge of health and safety.
Alicia Threlfall, operations manager at CoolKit, told Made in Britain, “Recruiting suitable employees with the correct skillset to fill vacancies is one of the recurring challenges facing employers in all sectors.
“We pride ourselves on the quality of our conversions, and the training of our staff. The relationship with Themis has helped us to recruit the right people first time, and people who are ready to hit the ground running.”
Simon Jordan, director of Themis at Burnley College, said: “We are proud to be working so closely with CoolKit, providing a training model that meets the needs of job-seekers and businesses alike.
“CoolKit has recognised the importance of training and recruiting a skilled workforce to maintain and develop its position as a market leader. Our Themis Training Academy recruits are now working at the heart of the business, using their skills and knowledge to help CoolKit excel in its field.”
If you can’t wait a month for another raft of CoolKit stories from Made in Britain, head on over to the membership directory page: and follow the link to the CoolKit website to read the news blog. It’s all there
By Made in Britain 5 years ago | By Made in Britain