Melissa Secures Job at Major Hartlepool Firm With Help of Orangebox Support

A major firm has taken on an ambitious new employee after she gained confidence from skills training.

Melissa Alfred, 31, recently moved to the North East from London after prices in the capital became too high.

Now she’s found her feet at TMD Friction, in Hartlepool, after taking on an Orangebox course in Level 2 Lean Organisation Management.

Orangebox runs a range of courses for Adult Education in our region with the help of funding from Tees Valley Combined Authority and its Adult Education Budget.

Melissa is now in full-time employment as a Production Operative – and the course helped her gain confidence.

She said: “It took me a while to get a job – I was getting the interviews but I just wasn’t getting the job.

“Then Orangebox came into the picture.

“The people there – the teacher and the staff – were lovely. They gave me loads of support, and support you wouldn’t necessarily expect.

“Even now, they check in to see if everything is going OK. The course was very helpful for brushing up on health and safety.

“Everything we did prepared us for the job role. When we came in for inductions, most of the things we’d learned at the course came up, so we were prepared.”

English is Melissa’s second language – and support was tailored to her and other people on the course.

“It was broken down in a way we could all understand,” she added.

“It was great. I loved the lady – she just made me get it and made the course easy for us to understand.”

Now Melissa is enjoying her time at TMD Friction and has her sight on more roles within the company.

“It’s good – the people are lovely and very supportive which I didn’t necessarily expect,” she said.

“At first, I was worried, but now I feel I’m comfortable and that’s credit to the staff and management.”

TMD Friction is a leading global manufacturer of brake friction solutions for all vehicle segments, from passenger cars to commercial vehicles. The company employs 350 people at its Hartlepool site on Oakesway Trading Estate.

Martin Haswell, TMD Friction HR Business Partner, said the firm had noticed a marked difference when it came to their retention of staff, and the quality of candidates applying for jobs from Orangebox courses.

“We’ve been working with Orangebox for years,” he added.

“In the past, we’ve focussed on health and safety training, mental health first aid, and training for our fire wardens. They’ve always tailored their approach and adapted to the needs of our business.

“Those links have been developed over years and they told us they were looking at employability training, as well as those completing their Lean manufacturing certificate.

“We were really interested, took a cohort through it and it’s been an excellent experience.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “We’ve laid the foundations for good quality jobs coming to Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool – and we know the hard work doesn’t stop.

“Ensuring people have the right skills employers need is vital for firms like TMD Friction – and it’s great to see our funding helping Orangebox equip Melissa with the confidence and right skills to secure work. I wish her well as she builds her career.”

James Heslington, Production Manager at TMD Friction, added: “It’s really important to us. Having a local workforce is key to having a strong culture here and the longevity of employment as well.

“We have a lot of strong candidates coming through Orangebox and we do have a lot of opportunities on the shop floor for career progression. It’s been great to see the new guys come through.”