College’s clients shortlisted for business awards

Smart Electrical apprentice Jordan Melia with Director Margaret Sykes

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Two of Hopwood Hall College’s business clients have been shortlisted for ‘Apprentice Employer of the Year’.

Numerous local businesses entered and out of the three that have been shortlisted to enter the finals, two have recruited their apprentices through the College’s business arm Training@Hopwood.

The winner will be announced at next week’s Rochdale Business Awards. The College’s two successful clients are Smart Electrical and Happy Jacks, both family run businesses and both based in Littleborough.

Family run Smart Electrical have been connected with Hopwood Hall College for over two decades. They know exactly how well apprenticeships can work, as the Managing Director Roger Sykes and his son Graeme Sykes (Director) both attended the College as apprentices 25 years apart. Their most recent apprentice, Jordan Melia, from Wardle, was Hopwood Hall College’s Electrical Installation Apprentice of the Year in 2010 and successfully completed his apprenticeship in 2011.

Established in 1995, the company now employs 65 people, including one of the few female electricians in the industry, Marta Hopkinson. Marta completed her apprenticeship in 2008 with Hopwood Hall College and has gone on make a successful career as a fully qualified electrician.

Happy Jacks, a childcare business, also has a long and successful track record of working with the College. Suzanne Dowd, the manager believes passionately in apprenticeships and says: “We share our passion with apprentices by teaching and guiding them in the right direction for their studies.”

Five local apprentices, who all studied childcare with Hopwood Hall College, have already passed through the ranks to become valued members of staff:

• Rebecca Jefferson, 41, is now a key worker for the preschool children. 
• Shelley Howarth, 31, is now Head of the Special Educational Needs Learning Programme. 
• Robyn Buckley first came to Happy Jacks as a placement student from the College, now the key worker for the ‘Tweenies’ (2-3 year olds). 
• Sally Burke, 24, has been at Happy Jacks for over a year and a half. 
• Rachel Connor, 22, has been employed for 6 years at Happy Jacks and is now a successful team leader for the ‘Tweenies’

They haven’t stopped there; they currently have two new apprentices who both started this year.

Suzanne is keen to employ more apprentices, “We are now exploring the possibility of employing a Business Administration apprentice to assist with the day-to-day administration of this busy environment.”

Commenting on the finalists, Michelle Green, Operations Manager, at Training@Hopwood said: “We’re thrilled that two of our employers have been shortlisted. We wish all the finalists in this category the best of luck but are obviously keeping our fingers crossed for Smart Electrical and Happy Jacks.”