Career Insights: Vicky Skelton

Vicky Skelton (centre) with her trainees

Vicky Skelton is in her third year at SGS Packaging Europe and currently on secondment at Diadeis Mauritius, working as a Technical Trainer. She first began her career at our Bridgehead office as a Reprographic Artworker, a role in which she has thirteen years of valuable experience.

In 2018, Vicky spotted the opportunity to work for twelve months in our Diadeis office, which had been acquired by SGS in January of that year: “I was curious so I put my name forward but didn’t expect anything to come of it,” Vicky tells us. “Three months later, there I was, flying out to train local people in artwork and repro!”

Vicky’s partner, Dan, also hails from SGS, originally based in The Maltings. He joined her in Mauritius, where they’ve made the most of their love for the outdoors by mountain climbing, quad biking, scuba diving and seeing as much of their exotic surroundings as possible: “Hopefully kite surfing next! I really love to travel and it’s my 30th birthday this year, so I’m planning a trip to Japan. I also love music, gigs and festivals, and I’m really excited to check out the new Bonus Arena in Hull when I get back.”

Vicky is now in her ninth month of this exciting role: “It’s been a fantastic experience so far and I’ve met some wonderful people, but I do miss my colleagues at the Bridgehead office (hi guys!).”

We always like to hear what each colleague’s favourite part of the job is, as it gives insight into unique perspectives. For Vicky, it’s the trainees that she gets to work with on a daily basis: “I love sharing my knowledge with them, seeing their progress and how happy they are to learn new skills. It’s been great to watch my previous trainees become active members of their production teams. I’m very proud of them all. I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many new people from different cultures and backgrounds, they’ve taught me a lot in return.”

SGS works hard to provide inspiring working environments, multiple routes for career progression, an ongoing programme of community engagement events, and anything else that helps colleagues to feel confident, happy and motivated in their roles. But don’t just take our word for it, as Vicky has something to share on the topic too:

“SGS offers a great work environment. The Bridgehead office is bright and modern; the people are friendly and knowledgeable. I’ve made some brilliant friends there, which makes going to work even better. There are also all sorts of social and charitable events happening. Whilst I’ve been at Diadeis, my Bridgehead colleagues have kindly raised money and donated clothes and toys to a local orphanage here in Mauritius. It’s nice that there’s more to working here than just work, there’s a genuine community.”

Due to every role at SGS encouraging and enabling individuals to enhance skill sets and take on new responsibilities, a range of challenges and welcome surprises can also arise:

“When I left my previous role of ten years, it was a big decision. I was comfortable in my old job but I knew I needed a change,” explains Vicky. “My role at SGS started out quite similar, and at first I wondered if I’d made the right choice. But I quickly settled in and saw there were some great opportunities for growth and development. If I hadn’t joined SGS, I wouldn’t be working in Mauritius right now and would have missed out on so many fantastic projects and friendships.”

With Vicky’s time at SGS having already seen her temporarily relocate over 6,000 miles away, we asked her where she sees herself in a year’s time: “It’ll be March, so I’ll be in a big wooly jumper back in the UK! I should return to Hull in June this year, so I’m on the lookout for new opportunities within the business.”

“I’d like to put some of my new skills into practice. I’ve spent a lot of time here in a classroom environment, teaching up to 18 people simultaneously. I’ve never done anything like that in the UK and I didn’t think I would have the confidence to, so it’s been a real boost and I’d be interested to see if we could mirror something similar back at home.”

We also like finding out what existing colleagues would say to people who are considering a role at SGS. Vicky’s response made us all smile and nod in agreement: “Go for it! If you’re thinking about a change, you really have nothing to lose here. It’s a great place to work and there are so many opportunities. There’s something here for everyone.”
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There’s all kinds of activity taking place across SGS Packaging Europe’s offices, so keep up to date by following us on FacebookTwitterInstagram and LinkedIn. You can also view current vacancies and sign up to job alerts on our careers page.

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