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A scheme to bring out the best of Guernsey’s home-grown talent and give them jobs has received support from the business community.
The 7% Talent Club, which is in partnership with the Guernsey Press, aims to fill a skills shortage in sales jobs. The goal is to grow at least 7% of talent from within Guernsey over the next five years, with around a dozen young people joining the programme, which will feature classroom and on-the-job training, every year.
‘Guernsey has a fantastic resource in its people, and we want to help bring out the best of the island’s talent to fill shortages in sectors such as sales and give young people jobs. Our aim was to find seven companies to be partners on the 7% Talent Club and we are delighted with the response from across the business sector. We will now be working with them to tailor the course to their needs and give talented young people the best start in employment,’ said Simon Le Tocq, chief executive of the GTA.
‘The course will be based around a BTEC level two qualification in sales delivered in conjunction with the Guernsey College of Further Education with experts teaching for two days a week and the student in the workplace for three days. Graduates of the scheme would get a qualification and be guaranteed a job with their matched employer at the end of the nine-month course.’
Cimandis general manager Philip Collinson said the company was proud to an inaugural member of the 7% Talent Club.
‘We are working with the GTA in investing in the community, providing a structured learning process with a career and stable job prospects at the end of the scheme. We will give the successful candidates a real life experience along the way which will be a huge benefit to Guernsey plc, Cimandis and most importantly the candidates themselves,’ said Mr Chalk.
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, chair of Skills Guernsey, which brings together politicians and business leaders to help set the island’s skills strategy, said the 7% Talent Club will help to boost the local economy through upskilling our sales workforce.
‘The 7% Talent Club will provide a fantastic opportunity to help students gain a recognised sales qualification and also offer them the opportunity to undertake paid work alongside their studies, putting into practice what they are learning, with the prospect of guaranteed employment on successful completion of the programme,’ said Deputy Dudley-Owen.
The Skills Guernsey chair added: ‘This is an exciting and important initiative which will help to plug a local skills gap and will also see the GTA University Centre and Guernsey College of Further Education working closely with industry to provide a great start for young people beginning a career in sales.’
The initiative is supported by the Guernsey Press and its managing director Mark Lewis said it wanted to train up sales staff with drive and enthusiasm.
‘We want to work with like-minded businesses, who need sales employees, whether that is selling a product or a service. It is a great initiative aimed at growing our own in an area in which there is a skills shortage, and delivering jobs at the end of it,’ said Mr Lewis.
Business interested in supporting the 7% Talent Club can contact Simon Le Tocq at the GTA by calling 01481 721555 or by emailing admin@gta.gg
