On Friday, 7th September, Critical power product and services provider Dale Power
Solutions (Dale) officially received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Promoting Opportunity 2018. A Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is one of the highest recognitions a business can receive in this country and Dale was one of only 6 organisations to receive the award for Promoting Opportunity this year.
The presentation was held at the Scarborough head offices. Following the reading of the citation by David Kerfoot MBE, the Chairman of the LEP, Deputy Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, Tim Wilkins CEO at Dale received the award from Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Peter Scrope.
The award was given in recognition of the very successful apprenticeship programme that the company has been operating for a number of years. The programme aims to communicate the benefits of apprenticeships, promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and work within the local community to provide accessible training, career opportunities, and an alternative to further education.
David Kerfoot MBE, the Chairman of the LEP, Deputy Lieutenant for North Yorkshire commented, “In my role as Chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership, I was privileged to hear first-hand from some of Dale’s apprentices at our recent Annual Conference. These two, local young women, who are building their careers as engineers, were an inspiration to us all. Now in my role as Deputy Lieutenant I am honoured once again. Dale Power win the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity. As a business they are a model for our region, identifying challenges and finding solutions that benefit the business whilst creating opportunities for young people. They are absolutely deserving of this award.”
The Vice Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Peter Scrope, presented CEO Tim Wilkins with the award on stage saying, “It is a huge honour to be here today. Barry Dodd [the late Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire who tragically died in May] wanted to see this award given to this company.
“Winning the award twice before speaks volumes of what you have achieved here. The opportunities you create for young people to come into the company is remarkable; 238 awards have been given out in the UK and Dale Power is one of them.”
Tim Wilkins, chief executive officer at Dale Power Solutions responded, “It is a great honour to receive a Queen’s Award, especially one that recognises our work in the local community. Our apprentices work tirelessly with local schools and training organisations, providing information and advice to young people, parents and educators. Our training programme is synonymous with our growth strategy. By investing in apprentices we can continue to grow a healthy, successful and sustainable business.”
Mark Carter, Business Support Manager at Dale explained the significance of this award. “Scarborough is one of 12 areas identified as having the worst levels of social mobility in the country. Many young people are either unaware of the opportunities available to them or lack the support to enable them to reach their full potential. Our award is recognition for our commitment to supporting social mobility in our locality, in particular the work our apprentices and STEM Ambassadors undertake within schools and the wider community, to raise awareness of the opportunities available to young people”.
To celebrate the event Dale invited a number of local dignitaries including Mayor and Mayoress Joe and Margaret Plant and MP for Scarborough and Whitby Robert Goodwill, along with representatives from training agencies to join staff at the presentation. The event was led by apprentices who conducted tours around the site, talking about their own experiences as apprentices and their involvement in schools and careers events.
