RAISING THE BAR AWARD

Raising the Bar Awards AKD were nominated by Lowestoft College for ‘The Business Partner of the Year Award’ for the support given as a Company to the College and local Schools. See below nomination from Lowestoft College. AKD Engineering has been working with Lowestoft College for more than 17 years and are registered as one of the first companies to start working with the college. 　 Since 1997, a total of 158 learners have trained at the college as either Apprentices or students on short courses. 　　 AKD has remained committed to improving the skills and knowledge of their employees and regularly takes on new apprentices. This year, they have a total of ten working for them; five in Machining and five Fabrication and Welding apprentices. We have a good working relationship with AKD through Leila Mitchell who is head of HR. She, along with the relevant workshop supervisors, advise us each year of whether they are looking to recruit. 　We work with them to ensure they have all their candidates assessed here at college and feedback to them regarding the results of the assessments. The relationship is very much a partnership as we can rely on them to support us if and when there are any issues with apprentices. They’re proactive with their training and take on new young apprentices and grow their own engineers for the future. They are always helpful if Ofsted pay a visit to college and are more than willing to have them visit their site and sit in on reviews or talk to Ofsted on a one to one basis regarding employer engagement and any other matters related to the college. For the last few years Lowestoft College has held an engineering employer marketplace event. Students and Apprentices currently studying at the college are able to visit information stands run by employers in the engineering industry to find out more about careers/opportunities in the industry. AKD has been an active supporter of this event, regularly attending the sessions and are supporting the event once again this year. They are always interested and attend open days at college – keen to see the new facilities where their apprentices will be training. They have also been welcoming of groups of students who are not working in the industry – giving them tours of the workshops so they can see different engineering opportunities. 　 Judges received over 800 nominations in the first ever Raising the Bar Awards. AKD were chosen as finalists Leila Mitchell along with Project Manager Tim Crane attended the Awards, and are pleased to announce we were awarded 　‘The Business Partner of the Year Award’ which will now take pride of place in AKD reception.