Katie Clements,18, from Selly Oak, and Greg Toomer,16, from Castle Vale have joined the ICC to work in various parts of the technical department, and will experience a wide range of conferences, events and exhibitions, whilst gaining a qualification in a related area, on day release at college, starting in September 2006. The programme has been designed to allow trainees to study and complete their chosen qualification, in preparation for a junior technical position within the industry in two years.
Clements, who has recently completed three A-levels at Shenley Court Specialist Arts College, says: "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I am thoroughly enjoying working at The ICC. It's great to have such hands-on experience and everyone has been so helpful here. I'm looking forward to combining hands-on work with studying at college. I start a course in electrical engineering at Matthew Boulton College on 28 September and will be studying for a B.Tech diploma national certificate."
Toomer will begin study for a GNVQ in electrical installation at Sutton Coldfield College. He says: "I have recently passed my GCSEs from Castle Vale school, so having the opportunity to start my career at The ICC is brilliant. This is an amazing experience, and I'm learning so much every day."
Eleanor Ballard, head of technical, The ICC, says: "This is a fantastic opportunity for us to support local young talent to embark on an exciting career in the technical field and to develop their skills at this leading venue in the heart of Birmingham city centre. Investing in people and training is fundamental for our business and the industry as a whole. As well as offering our trainees hands-on experience in a well-established, world class venue, we have given our trainees the opportunity to choose from a wide range of professional courses related to the job, to encourage further qualifications and development in specialised areas. We are delighted to launch this new scheme, which is a great way for The ICC to develop close links with local schools and local people to reinforce the venue ' s position as an employer of choice, and we hope to repeat it again next year."
Clements and Toomer were selected for the job, after attending an interview at The ICC and spending time with the venue's technical crew. They demonstrated a natural enjoyment for working within the field and showed aptitude and flair for areas such as theatre lighting, PA systems and sound, staging, and video and computers.
(Chris Henry)
