Double delight for Northern Skills Group as local firm takes on apprentice twins

Double delight as local firm takes on apprentice twins through @NorthernSkills_ Group 

LOCAL twins took sibling rivalry to the next level when they went up against each other for the same apprenticeship at a leading construction firm.  

Leah and Kayla Turnbull applied for the same financial trainee role at Starkold Building Services Ltd, one of the UKs largest national construction and logistics provider based in Durham, and in doing so left such a big impression that they were each offered an apprenticeship at the company.

The construction firm found the twins through the free recruitment service offered by Northern Skills Group, the training and apprenticeship arm of Middlesbrough College.

The 18-year-olds’ CVs stood out thanks to their upbeat personalities and a great interview. As a result, Leah and Kayla now both have positions as Financial Trainees at Starkold.

They will work with the main financial controller, learning how to do evaluations and general accountancy, and from November, Leah and Kayla will be on day-release from Starkold, completing their AAT Accountancy course in Newcastle over the next 15 months.

Darren Grooms, managing director at Starkold Building Services Ltd, said:

“We’ve always had a good relationship with the Northern Skills Group, who have supported us with the recruitment and training of a number of apprentices throughout the years.

“We were recruiting for one Financial Trainee and when Leah and Kayla’s CVs came through, I thought they’d copied each other because there were so many similarities.

“Of course, when we met they explained they were twins and came across really well in the interview. It was hard to offer one the job and not the other really as they were both amazing candidates showing great qualities – so now we can help them both develop their skills across a broad range of work.”

Rachel Fieldhouse, skills development manager at Northern Skills Group, said:

“The team at Starkold know that they can come to us for apprentices who are workplace ready and can hit the ground running.

“This type of skill building – from the ground-up – can really benefit all parties as it adapts training to the needs of the business and builds loyalty with the young staff.

“We’re already helping many local businesses find the right apprentices through our free recruitment service.

“And with new funding opportunities available, now is a great opportunity for employers to bring new talent into their business. We’re on hand to offer advice or support to any employers interested in finding out more.”

Middlesbrough College works with Northern Skills Group to deliver more than 100 types of programmes to around 2,700 apprentices across the North East and Yorkshire.