VEKA joins Unity College for speed networking event

VEKA UK’s head of sales support Colette Hunter spent an afternoon at Burnley’s Unity College for a session of ‘speed networking’ where Year 9 students quizzed respected businesspeople about their qualifications and career paths.

Colette joined representatives from other leading North West companies in sharing insights into their working lives and how they landed their positions, as well as answering questions about training and employment opportunities within their respective organisations.

Colette explained: "This event was a really fun and effective way to connect with students; it seemed like a great way to get them fired up about the many exciting career opportunities available across the North West.

"The ‘speed’ aspect of the event prevented it from becoming a typical ‘stuffy’ careers day and it certainly kept me on my toes! Each group had around 10 minutes to ask questions before moving to the next person. We discussed everything from further education and how best to keep your future career options open to how to write a 'stand out' CV, as well as all the benefits that come with working at VEKA. I hope the young people at Unity found it as interesting and informative as I did."

Unity’s assistant headteacher Zoe Hammond-Phillips said: “We were really grateful to Colette and everyone that took part in our quirky careers event. The students were lucky to welcome such a diverse range of organisations and really get a taste of what sort of jobs are out there.

"The speed networking idea meant that they could ‘cut to the chase’ and ask the key questions that are important to them. We appreciate our guests taking the time to talk all things careers, qualifications and day-to-day work life; the event was thoroughly enjoyed by our students and staff - and hopefully our visitors too!”

VEKA UK was one of 13 prestigious North West employers to take part, alongside the likes of Calico, Burnley FC, Forbes Solicitors, and the Ministry of Defence.

VEKA UK is proud to be an ‘Enterprise Advisor’ with The Careers and Enterprise Company, working with schools and colleges to help deliver careers activities such as this.

As a Burnley Bondholder and an official Lancashire Ambassador, VEKA UK is proud to champion the opportunities available in the region; including the fantastic career opportunities within VEKA UK’s 35 acre, 450,000 sq ft manufacturing plant. With almost 400 staff, VEKA UK is a leading employer for the area and is committed to finding the best talent for every department, from manufacturing to marketing, and everything in between. The family-owned global leader strives to provide such sought-after training and rewards programmes that staff remain fully supported, satisfied and sincerely committed to the company’s ongoing success.

To find out more about working at VEKA UK and the benefits available, visit veka.co.uk