In the press: Princess Royal award win for Northumberland manufacturer Essity

by Aug 27, 2019Alumni news

One of Northumberland’s biggest employers, the Essity tissue mill, has won a prestigious Princess Royal Training Award for its apprentice programme – the first ever for a manufacturer in the region.

As president of City & Guilds Group, Princess Anne established the awards in 2016 to recognise employers with outstanding training and development programmes that have a direct impact on business performance.

Nasdaq Stockholm-listed Essity employs around 400 people at its mill in Prudhoe – its largest UK manufacturing site – making leading brands such as Cushelle, Velvet and Tork. Since introducing its apprentice programme in 2004 it has seen 150 youngsters forge a career in manufacturing.

“Within five years of completing their apprenticeship, eleven have gone on to become area technicians, seven are crew leaders and five appointed as area leaders. To have this kind of career progression, with this number of under 30-year-olds all in management roles, was beyond our wildest dreams when we set up the scheme,” said mill manager Tony Richards.

Read the full article on the Bdaily News website: https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2019/08/27/princess-royal-award-win-for-northumberland-manufacturer

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