Launched in 2013, the High Tide Summer Scheme offers 16 and 17 year olds the opportunity to undertake two weeks of work experience with different businesses in and around Teesport.

This year the Scheme offered 32 young people from across Teesside placements with 18 different employers, ranging from PD Ports and Casper Shipping to RBS, Wilton Engineering and David Fox Transport.    

Four young people also travelled on a working container ship to St Petersburg,  courtesy of  Finnish logistics company Containerships Ltd Oy, spending 11 days en route to Russia’s second city and back, via Rotterdam, Helsinki and Riga.

Speaking at the event on Monday evening, High Tide’s chairman, Kevin Shakesheff, boss of Middlesbrough-based Casper Shipping, said  “I’d like to congratulate all our young people for completing their placements – we know it’s quite a challenge to give up two weeks of the summer holiday to take part,  but we also know that the experience they gain on the Scheme can be invaluable for their future careers.  We are particularly grateful to all our member companies who supported the Scheme this year”.  

A number of students received special awards for their achievements. Gohar Raza, currently studying A levels at Middlesbrough College, was nominated by Sembcorp for her positive attitude and   for contributing actively to problem-solving within Sembcorp’s laboratories at Wilton.  Gohar carried out a study of site effluent using  ion chromatography during her week-long placement with the company. Graham Taylor, Sembcorp’s Training & Development Manager, said “We were impressed by Gohar’s attitude and enthusiasm during her placement.   We hope that the experience will help her in her future career”.

Jake Whitfield, 16,  from Macmillan College spent a week with the Corporate team at RBS.  The bank’s Regional Director John Dryden said that Jake had impressed all the team with his positivity, thirst for knowledge and ambition and went on to say that “High Tide should be very proud in putting students like Jake into the business world”. 

High Tide will be looking to recruit a new cohort of students for 2015. For more details visit www.hightidefoundation.co.uk