During National Apprenticeship Week (5-9th March) Accord celebrates its apprentices and the work they do at its factory in Barnstaple
Barnstaple, 6th March 2018
In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week (5th to 9th March) Accord is celebrating its ten year commitment to apprenticeships, and the work of apprentices at its factory in Barnstaple by championing the theme #itworksforus.
The factory’s eight apprentices who work within the Manufacturing and Pharmaceutical departments came together to celebrate the national week alongside their managers.
National Apprenticeship Week is focused on how apprenticeships work and how they benefit the apprentice,, businesses, communities and the UK economy.
Sandra Lee, Managing Director-Operations at Accord, says: “We value apprenticeships very highly and the contribution apprentices make to our business. In our opinion apprenticeships really do work; local talented young people gain exposure to working for a global company and develop a range of skills to progress their career in our business, and for us we gain from having young people with a unique skill sets which complements the needs of our business.”
“Our end goal is ultimately to nurture and mentor these young people through their apprenticeship and help them to secure a permanent position within the business, which we have successfully done over the past ten years with almost 80% of apprentices retained and still working in the business. We’d really recommend apprenticeships to other businesses as they definitely work for us.”
Sophie Harvey from Barnstaple is a former apprentice and now full time employee at Accord. Sophie Harvey, Documentation Officer at Accord, said: “It’s been a fantastic experience being an apprentice. After completing my business apprenticeship in 2015 I was offered a full-time job at Accord and now the company is helping me complete a degree part-time in Project Management. I think it’s a great route for people wanting to get experience of the workplace and get the qualifications. I also really enjoy being able to showcase real life examples in my degree work and to be earning a wage whilst I learn. It’s also wonderful to continue living in Devon and working for a global company.”
About Accord Healthcare
Accord Healthcare (www.accordhealthcare.co.uk) is one of the fastest growing generic pharmaceutical companies in the UK & Ireland and has an extensive supply chain through its four UK based sites, helping to ensure a consistent supply of life-saving medicines for patients, whilst supporting customers to react quickly to dynamic market conditions. Acquiring Actavis UK and Ireland in 2017 facilitates Accord’s aim to become the largest supplier of generic medicines in the UK & Ireland and a leading player in the industry at European level.
