News and Views

Jackie McClintock, Capability Manager at Sellafield Ltd, is an Enterprise Adviser at Richard Rose Morton Academy. Jackie shares her career story and what she finds most rewarding about volunteering with Cumbria Careers Hub as an Enterprise Adviser.

Tell us about your day job… what does it involve?
My day role is Capability Manager. The role is busy and varied involves working with senior stakeholders to identify resourcing, training and education strategies for the Business Profession. The overall aim to ensure we have sufficient capacity and capability to meet the immediate and future needs of the business.

What is the best thing about your job?
The work is really varied and challenging. Most of all I enjoy the interaction I have across the business to develop solutions that can help individuals grown in their roles. For example, over the last couple of years, the profession has introduced Graduate Trainees. Its been extremely rewarding welcoming them into the business and providing them with support as they progress through their training scheme and into permanent roles.

Tell us about your education and career history…
I have worked at Sellafield Ltd since 1986. My first role was in Training Admin and from there I progressed into a supervisory role. I then worked across several roles in HR Shared Services and HR department, gaining experience in Industrial Relations, Recruitment, Compensation and Benefits and Talent Management. I stepped out of HR and became a Capability Manager which allows me to focus on a specific profession and still use my HR skills. Becoming professionally qualified was important to me. I achieved my Business Management Degree via part time learning and then applied for Chartered Status with the Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD). I later achieved Fellow status.

If you could pick any person or organisation to get involved in working with young people, who would it be and why?
I think there are many inspirational people. One person who stands out to me is Malala Yousafzai. Malala was the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head and neck and point blank by Taliban gunmen. Since this event she has gone to inspire people worldwide, specifically girls seeking education. I think she is has shown grit, determination and a maturity well beyond her age and is a fantastic role model for young people.

What do you enjoy most about being an Enterprise Adviser?
I went into the role with slight reservations. Would I fit in; would I have the right skills and experience to make a difference? Its been a fantastic experience so far and I am amazed at the amount of support and guidance there is on careers and guidance. It’s allowed me to network with a wide range of people across the county – if you don’t know, someone else does! The biggest thing for me is been able to give something back to the community to help young people make informed careers decisions.

What would you say to someone else about the value of working with young people or being an Enterprise Adviser?
Value can be measured in many ways and schools hold many statistics to demonstrate exam results, benchmarking results and inspection report feedback. For me, the value is about getting young people to make that informed choice. Providing them with opportunities to explore options and have conversations about the world of work.

What would you say to any young person thinking about their future?
Develop your employability skills. To give yourself the best opportunity think about how you develop yourself. Skills like teamwork, communication, organising and planning are really important. Think about how you can develop these through volunteering, part time working or team sports.

Find out as much information as you can about jobs that are linked to the things you like doing. For example, if you like helping people a job in health sector or customer service may suit you well, if you like maths, there are many opportunities in careers such as engineering or the finance sectors. Attend careers talks to see if anything captures your interest – sometimes jobs are not quite what they seem to be. Take the opportunity to have discussions with careers professionals. In other words, do your research!

Finally, remember, your first job is just the start of your working life. As life progresses you will have opportunities to apply for different roles in other Companies, to study for additional qualifications or train and get experience on the job.

There is a range of opportunities in Cumbria for business-people and organisations to engage and benefit from partnership with local schools and colleges.

We are looking for employers to share their career story and inspire the next generation through videos, virtual work experience and engaging with school career events; The Enterprise Adviser Network – which Jackie is a part of – involves business volunteers working with a specific school or college to strengthen and support career programmes; and becoming a Cornerstone Employer allows businesses to represent their sector and give a Cumbria-wide view. Together, they aim to ensure all young Cumbrians are prepared and inspired for the world of work.

If you’re interested in getting involved, or would like more information, please email Craig Ivison, Cumbria LEP Skills Manager: Craig.ivison@thecumbrialep.co.uk.