Northend Printers in Sheffield are backing the new 14-19 Diplomas. They are providing opportunities for Sheffield students to gain valuable knowledge and experience for this national initiative that aims to combine both practical and theoretical learning in schools and business.

Students from Myers Grove and Stocksbridge Schools recently visited the company for a practical day of learning about the use of IT and Communication Technology in the design and print industry.

Northend HR Consultant Dorothy Betts said ‘Young people are our future and we find that they often have much more to offer than they are sometimes given credit for’ ‘We have always supported initiatives aimed at developing young people’s skills and have invited work experience students for many years’.

Launched this year, 14-19 Diplomas are courses in Business and Industry sectors which combine school and work based learning, giving young people a qualification worth the equivalent of seven GCSE’s.

Northend will also be taking two more students on half-day work experience for six weeks giving them further hands on experience for their Diploma courses.

Ron Robinson, a Director of my-work-experience.com who has been involved in work related and enterprise learning for more than 30 years said: ‘Northend are our printer of choice not just because of the quality, price and delivery they offer, which is excellent, but also because our business is built around young people we naturally always prefer to work with companies who have the same ethos’.