PROSPER SPRING DIGITAL

COVER STORY: STARS OF THE FUTURE
We’re heading
for the top
‘To be able to work
while learning was
attractive to me. ...’
Georgie Newport
Future business stars vouch for
the benefits of on-the-job training
As businesses across the Black Country equip the next generation of employees with
the skills to capitalise on future opportunities, young people are making a positive
impact across a range of industries as they grow.
In this issue’s cover story, we celebrate the progress of the future stars who have
joined in entry level roles and are now established as team members with greater
responsibilities.
The Black Country Chamber is promoting training as the way forward for our
businesses as they adjust to the changes in their markets, impact of new
technology and the challenging economic environment. Our first ever Quarterly
Economic Survey Data Reveal event saw business representatives hear the
exclusive insights on the local economy from our most recent member research.
The survey showed skills and recruitment remain a challenge for members. Just over
half (57 per cent) of Black Country firms surveyed attempted to recruit during the last
quarter of 2023, down from 71 per cent in Quarter 3. A further 62 per cent of firms
across the Black Country experienced recruitment difficulties in Quarter 4, while
investment plans for training have increased for 24 per cent of Black Country businesses.
But as our four cover stars show, young people are ready to make the most of the
opportunities ahead of them. When given a chance, the next generation can play a
significant role in a business where they are offered the opportunity to grow and learn as
they earn.
Meet our four talented colleagues:
ABBIE DANKS, apprentice solicitor
with Talbots Law, based in
Stourbridge, is two years into a six
year apprenticeship with the law firm,
which has offices across the West
Midlands and Worcestershire, having
first joined in 2020. One of the first to take up a Level 7
Solicitor Apprenticeship with the firm, Abbie is client
facing and working on cases alongside colleagues,
making her a valued team member.
MATT JEAVONS, planning manager at
JJX Logistics in Kingswinford,
completed a Business Administration
Level 3 apprenticeship with the
leading haulage company in 2022.
Having started in the warehouse office
he has progressed to become a transport planner and
then a planning manager at the company, which serves
customers across the UK and all around Europe.
JOSEPH MOSELEY, engineer at Thomas
Dudley in Dudley, started with the
company in 2019 as a CNC pattern maker,
producing tooling for the foundry while
completing a Level 3 Metal Casting,
Foundry, and Patternmaking Technician
apprenticeship. He has moved up to a
degree-level apprenticeship and is working
towards becoming a Level 6 manufacturing engineer.
GEORGIE NEWPORT is employed by
Wolverhampton-based water safety and
legionella specialist Nant as scheduling
and communications manager, working
with field engineers serving sites across
the UK. She joined the business in 2017 as
a technical Level 3 Business Administration
apprentice and has since taken up training
opportunities to progress her career with the company.
26 PROSPER SPRING 2024