Haughton Design are pleased to announce the addition of George Starkey as an apprentice into our Design Team. George has been working with us since Managing Director David Mills first met him at Black Country UTC, initially showing a drive and engineering talent that David knew would fit well with Haughton Design’s philosophy. Through on going work experience with our company, during school holidays and even term time, George has gained exposure to the industry and developed a passion for Design Engineering.
Like many talented people, George wanted to do a degree to facilitate his academic development and career ambitions but was reluctant to incur the associated debts of a traditional degree. As a design consultancy Haughton Design need to employ degree calibre staff but have sometimes found it difficult to recruit inexperienced graduates as their expectations and skill levels don’t stack up commercially for us. For a number of years we have been trying to work out how to overcome this dilemma, and with George, we feel we have finally achieved this through a Higher Level Apprenticeship matched to a formal HNC qualification. This scheme will provide George with a direct route through to a degree and allow him to qualify with the minimum of time and investment from both sides. The process of identifying a local provider who could match George’s qualifications and experience with a recognised apprenticeship has been far more difficult than most employers would stomach but our advice is to persist rather than let a talented potential employee pass your company by.
George says: “I have just completed my final year of Sixth Form at the Black Country UTC, I studied the Level Three Engineering Diploma which consisted of many different engineering projects from Materials Analysis to Product Development and Manufacture. Throughout my time at the UTC I enjoyed my work experience at Haughton Design, which gave me an in-depth look into the field of engineering, and how important it is to follow a carefully structured development process for all design projects that are undertaken.
I staunchly believe that my Apprenticeship at Haughton Design is going to allow me to develop core business skills and not just in the field of design. I am looking forward to getting involved with the wide range of design projects the company undertakes, this will build my design skills and also allow me to develop an in-depth knowledge of the manufacture of many products in different sectors. I have a passion for Technology especially for Apple and I am always eager to learn about their new technologies and products. I also have a keen interest in mechanical automatic watches, I am fascinated by the engineering involved to produce a handmade Swiss watch and how all the components fit together to produce a sleek product.”
Managing Director David Mills adds “Our expectation now is that George will finish his degree with a recognised apprenticeship, no debt and a number of years of practical design experience. This offers advantages to both sides and our client’s benefit too from working with a highly motivated individual who from an early age, fully understands the real world demands upon their businesses. I am certain that George will do a great job for Haughton Design and I wish him every success in his future career.”
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