Zenopa is the UK’s leading recruitment firm specialising in the commercial side of the healthcare industry, but the biggest draw of this Buckinghamshire-based business is undoubtedly its commitment to nurturing future talent. It won the Apprentice and Young Person Employer of the Year Award at the 2022 Buckinghamshire Business Awards, annually offers five different apprenticeships across resourcing, recruitment, account management, business development and leadership, and was the first SME in the county to facilitate a teacher encounter.
As ASK's 2023/24 delivery partner, it’s our responsibility at Bucks Skills Hub to increase awareness of apprenticeships, so we welcomed Zenopa’s offer to host several teachers at its offices in Penn for a second time.
Jayne McCarthy from The Misbourne School was part of the most recent group which benefited from the recruitment firm’s one-day industry crash course – discovering the career paths open to her students and the skills required to thrive in them. “I was really impressed with everything Zenopa does – it's no wonder they are so successful.”
John Hampden Grammar School’s Head of Business and Economics, Ed Olhausen, was equally inspired by the encounter, saying: “I’m so glad I took up the opportunity to spend some time at Zenopa. The presentations were very engaging and much of what I heard could be linked back to the AQA A-Level business specification, so I was scribbling lots of notes and ideas to use back in school.”
As well enriching his lesson plans with real-world examples around big data and AI, Ed has utilised the contacts he made during the experience to create opportunities for students to hear from employees, so they can be “more informed about their options.” Max McGarvie from Zenopa is due to visit the school soon to talk about the business and its apprenticeship programme, before launching an ‘Applicant of the Year’ competition which will closely mirror the real application process – providing valuable insight and experience.
When asked why he commits so much of his time to these partnerships, Max explained that “not only can we see first-hand the impact and learning that the teachers gain, but for them to be able to go back to their students and discuss degree apprenticeships and the opportunities that we offer is helpful to the students and for our recruitment.”
The teacher encounter scheme also has the proven advantage of flexibility, as working closely with a local business allows each session to be tailored to the school’s individual needs.
Ed had worked in a commercial business for 16 years prior to starting a career in teaching but notes how he learnt much from his trip to Zenopa. “Before the visit, Zenopa took time to understand what I wanted to get from the session and what content would be helpful, which ensured what they covered met my expectations.”
It’s no surprise then that Ed’s parting message to any colleagues considering attending a teacher encounter is: “Do it!”