Josh gets a helping hand

Apprentice shown the ropes by one who has been before

A Young apprentice has been given the ideal mentor in his new job – a colleague who has risen through the business after starting in a similar role.

Josh Robson is working towards an accounts apprenticeship at waste management company J & B Recycling.

The 19-year-old has been made to feel extra welcome in his job thanks to J & B Recycling manager Ashleigh Sweeney, who also served an apprenticeship with the Hartlepool-based business when she left school.

Ashleigh, 24, has graduated through the business to the role of quality and environment manager and a management career path is expected for Josh.

Josh said: “When I left sixth form college, I knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship because it offered a more direct route into employment.

“I have now been at J & B Recycling for a year and it’s a great environment to work in. Everybody is very supportive, particularly Ashleigh because she has been through an apprenticeship herself and understands the additional pressures that can bring when combining work and study.”

Josh, a former Hartlepool Sixth Form and Manor College of Technology pupil, is serving a three-year apprenticeship in accounts, accredited by the Association of Accounts Technicians (AAT).

Ashleigh left Dyke House School in Hartlepool in 2004 unsure of which career to pursue. But the offer of an apprenticeship at J & B Recycling has led to a post graduate Business Management qualification from Teesside University, as well as qualifications in recycling, transport and logistics.

Vikki Jackson Smith, managing director of J & B Recycling, said: “We are a business that firmly believes in investing in the future by recruiting promising young apprentices and promoting from within.

“Ashleigh has proved that hard work and dedication are always rewarded and we are confident that Josh will prove a very valuable asset to the business in years to come.”