Regarded as one of the most dynamic and innovative players in the Point of Purchase (POP) industry, Simpson Group strives to be the clear market leader in cutting-edge, in-store marketing and high-quality point of sale campaigns. Achieving this through investment in pioneering technology and offering client-benefitting services, the company is well known in the North East for its impressive approach to business and its understanding of its influence on the surrounding community.

Development Director and a key member of the senior management team, Sarah Tishler said:

“We understand that, as a business, we can have an effect on a community and equally, we want to contribute to the heartbeat of that community.”

With young people at the heart of that message, Simpson Group fully understands the importance of bridging the gap between education and industry. That’s why senior group members signed up to the STEM Ambassador programme in 2017 and welcomed support from the North East Ambition programme, which is delivered by RTC North on behalf of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership.

Sarah Tishler has been a prolific STEM ambassador and has participated in one-to-one mentoring for eight year 10 students, speed mentoring sessions, CV building and mock interview sessions through Business in the Community. She has also taken part in many classroom-based ambassador events.

Taking part in Bring It On in 2019, Simpson Group worked with over 2,500 primary and secondary North East students, introducing them to the many and varied careers and businesses available to them.

Through this engagement, and in conjunction with North East Ambition, Simpson Group recognised the benefits to their business were wide reaching. The programme has provided the company with:

• Direct access to a skills pipeline and future workforce
• Supported staff development, training and retention through volunteering opportunities
• Helped build positive brand awareness to the next generation of employees and future consumers
• Supported the company’s CSR strategy by giving back to the community 
• Provided opportunities to network with other organisations and potential business partners 

Speaking about the support received through North East Ambition, Sarah said:

“Being part of the Hub has allowed me to work alongside some very talented students, who have amazing potential to achieve some great successes in their lives. It has been interesting to be able to get back into the school environment and see how modern teaching works.”

Summarising the importance of taking part in programmes such as North East Ambition, Sarah stated:

“I started down this route with the idea of not only helping the students but also developing myself as a person. The coordinated effort that is now going in to working with schools to help them achieve the Gatsby benchmarks is brilliant. Some of the students may not take all the contact and information on board straight away but a little seed is planted. We can only hope it grows.”

 

Find out more about Simpson Group here

 

About North East Ambition

North East Ambition is an education and skills programme delivered by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership that supports all schools and colleges in the North East to achieve the Gatsby Good Career Guidance Benchmarks by 2024.

Working in partnership with education and industry, it aims to ensure each and every young person in the North East has access to quality careers education so they can make more informed decisions about their future, identify routes to a successful working life, and be better prepared for the workplace.
 

For more information about North East Ambition and how it can help your company, contact neambition@rtcnorth.co.uk or the STEM team at 01915164400.