Sep 23 - Gibtelecom Continues Employer Led Degree Programme
Gibtelecom is, for the second year running, offering students the opportunity to be supported during their studies and be considered for employment with the company on the successful completion of their degree.
Known as the ‘Employer Led Degree Programme’, this flagship scheme serves as a successor to Gibtelecom’s successful Sponsored Undergraduate initiative which has seen the Company take on 14 undergraduates over the past decade, with six having found permanent employment with Gibtelecom.
“Under the Employer Led Degree Programme, students will be assisted through approved technical studies related to core telecommunications skills such as internet networking or engineering with a communications or electrical element,” said Gibtelecom Chief Operations Officer Adrian Moreno.
He continued: “Once the students complete these studies successfully, they would have the opportunity of being taken on as part of Gibtelecom’s exciting and driven technical teams. In this way, we develop top technical expertise which is essential in this vibrant communications business whilst doing so in a way that nurtures and promotes home grown talent”.
Aimed at top students achieving good A-level results, Gibtelecom’s Employer Led Programme will see the Company supporting these students by offering work placements during their university breaks, a payment of £1,000 per term during their studies and a golden handshake of £6,000 on successfully taking up employment with Gibtelecom after having obtained at least a 2:1 honours degree.
Other than the Employer Led Degree Programme and Sponsored Undergraduate schemes, Gibtelecom also runs a number of other employment initiatives as part of its ongoing commitment to support the local community. For the past years the Company has been running a work placement scheme for students whose course requires them to undertake a year in an industry environment. Participating in the scheme this year are Nathan Nanwani and Doyle Gaskin.
Doyle mentions that “I feel privileged to have received a placement and be part of the Company for a year. I am looking forward to acquiring more knowledge in networking as well as working in the field, being able to see how this is put into practice with “hands-on” experience. I find that expanding my horizons and accepting new challenges is far more worthwhile and interesting than having no work experience at all, and I have Gibtelecom to thank for this opportunity.“
Nathan added that “undertaking a placement year at Gibtelecom is a really good opportunity for me to put some of the skills learned at university into practice.”
Gibtelecom also offers placements to university students over the summer – a very popular scheme which has seen 550 placements, representing 300 students, since its inception over two decades ago in 1993. Gibtelecom’s aim is to make students aware of the working environment and for the students’ stay at the Company to be an interesting and rewarding experience.
Gibtelecom’s Associate Director, Resources, Lesley Louise, emphasised the importance of this initiative for university students in terms of gaining invaluable experience in the working environment.
She commented: “Summer work experience is of great value to students as it helps to reinforce their studies and obtain life skills which will help them gain future employment. Gibtelecom has been able to offer students such opportunities for over twenty years, making the Company one of the first organisations in Gibraltar to do so in a regular and sustained manner. I am proud that Gibtelecom has been able to support the local community in such a way”.
In addition there is the Gibtelecom Apprenticeship Scheme, where sixteen apprentices over three intakes to date have benefited from telecommunications training and internationally recognised qualifications from Gibtelecom, in partnership with the Government of Gibraltar.
Five apprentices from the second intake have now completed their four years’ apprenticeship scheme and the BTEC Level 3 Diplomas in Professional Competence for IT & Telecoms Professionals. These apprentices are all currently employed with Gibtelecom. The eight apprentices from the first intake, who also completed their studies, are also employed with Gibtelecom.
Sean Recagno, a former apprentice from the second intake who has now taken up employment with Gibtelecom, says: "My apprenticeship has been a long and stimulating journey. During my time at Gibtelecom I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of areas from Data Centres to Customer Services and many more. In this time I have gained many skills and the constant change and evolution of the business means that I have been able to put into practice all the skills I have acquired. There has always been a steady level of progression and guidance during my apprenticeship, everything I have learnt to this point has been invaluable and I will take with me for the rest of my life. It may look like any other apprenticeship scheme from outside, but from the inside it evolves to be something much more.”
Jared Lavagna, also a former apprentice from the second intake who has also taken up employment with Gibtelecom, states that “the apprenticeship scheme has been a wonderful asset to my career in the telecommunications industry. It has helped me delve deeper into the telecommunications world and I now have a better understanding of the industry and infrastructure as a whole.”
After successfully completing their training programme, Sean and Jared are currently working in Gibtelecom’s External Plant and Customer Services sections respectively.
Gibtelecom’s aim is to ensure that Gibraltar trains sufficient young local talent to serve one of the main leaders of the local economy: telecommunications. The Company’s commitment to this ambition is manifested through the Gibtelecom Apprenticeship Scheme, the Sponsored Undergraduate initiative, Gibtelecom’s work placements and Employer Led Degree programme. Gibtelecom says it will continue its commitment to develop local home grown talent to meet its requirements in the future.
