Arco Teams up with Hull KR Foundation to Fund Apprenticeship

Safety specialist Arco has teamed up with the Hull KR Foundation to fund an apprenticeship at the Super League club's official charity.

Arco has agreed to transfer levy funding to the foundation to pay for a Level 5 operations manager apprenticeship.

As well as having its own strong apprenticeship programme, Arco regularly makes funding available to local organisations who want to recruit new apprentices or offer apprenticeships as development opportunities for existing staff.

The 140-year-old Hull-based company has previously funded apprenticeships for Martin House Children's Hospice in 2022 and building repair and maintenance contractor KWL in 2023.

Darren Ford, Arco's head of organisational development and learning & development, said:

"At Arco, we pride ourselves on giving back to the community and supporting great causes.

"Apprenticeships are a great path for people starting out or looking to change careers and for employees looking to further develop their skills and expertise.

"It's great to be able to support the Hull KR Foundation in this way, and we're confident the apprenticeship will be a great success."

The Hull KR Foundation provides people in Hull and East Yorkshire with opportunities to improve their lives through community programmes across four areas: employability and skills, health and wellbeing, social inclusion and sports participation.

Paul Hamnett, CEO of the Hull KR Foundation, said:

"Connecting with Arco has enabled us to support the development of the foundation's staff.

"We want to be able to provide the higher-level development opportunities, and linking into the levy funds is a fantastic way to enable this.

"I am grateful that Arco wanted to support us and look forward to establishing a strong relationship between two Hull-based organisations"

Arco launched its Future Experts apprenticeship programme in 2015 as a key part of the company's talent development strategy.

Its apprentices benefit from a blend of on-the-job training and formal education, with 100 per cent of Arco apprentices having secured permanent positions within the company after completing their training, and 75 per cent remaining employed at Arco for at least 12 months after completion.

Ian Fenton, general manager of Arco's National Distribution Centre in Hull, recently completed a Level 5 operations manager apprenticeship.

He said: "The course was very informative and the sessions I had where other people from other businesses were present really helped me to understand and learn what happens in other businesses, not just Arco.

"I learnt new skills and refreshed myself on skills I already have, which gave me confidence along the way. I would recommend an apprenticeship as it develops you as a manager, a colleague and a person, which will hopefully allow me to progress in my career."

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