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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