Fast-track
Lee Buckley is on the fast track to a management position at international insulation manufacturer Recticel Insulation after completing a degree in Business Management at Staffordshire University. Since joining the company in 2012, he has also helped establish an undergraduate programme to give students industry experience during their placement year.
“I was keen to see us establish the programme because I can see the benefits it provides for students – something I didn’t take advantage of when I was a student,” Lee said. “Via this scheme we aim to generate a pool of graduates to replace those like myself, on the current Recticel graduate scheme, when we progress within the organisation.”
The Recticel undergraduate programme offers full-time positions completed during a student’s placement year in industry. Positions for the 2017 intake have been filled, but with the aim of further establishing and developing the scheme in years to come, positions for 2018 are likely to be advertised towards the end of this year. Staffordshire University students will be welcome to apply for roles across several departments.
Studying Business
Lee grew-up in Adderley Green in Stoke-on-Trent, where he attended Fenton Sixth Form College and took a keen interest in business. He said: “I’ve always been interested in business, particularly the area of management. I studied it at college and it was something I wanted to pursue.
“I chose Staffs to study for my undergraduate degree because the course suited what I was after. The University has a great reputation and it was local, so I could study and work part-time.
“I enjoyed being a student and all the varying modules of my degree. The accountancy part of the course was really interesting and creating a business plan was a lot of fun. I also made a lot of friends during my time at the University.”
“Later in life, I would like to setup a small scale property development business as a hobby as this is something I have always been interested in. But I firmly believe that Recticel is where my career lies and that I can achieve all my aspirations working for this organisation.”
During his time on the Business Management degree, from 2007 to 2009, Lee also worked as a customer administrator for Npower. He had been in the position since 2006 and continued to work for the energy giant after graduating, until 2012.
He said: “Npower offered me a full-time position after my study that provided an immediate and stable income. I worked hard to progress within the company but it didn’t support my goals and ambitions so I knew it was time for a change in career.”
Road to Management
In 2012, Lee made the move to Recticel Insulation, where he started as a sales administrator in their Stoke-on-Trent office based at Meir Park. Recticel is a Belgium-based business with offices around the world. It has four major divisions, of which insulation is one. In 2013, the Commercial Director started a graduate programme, which Lee was selected for in 2015 coinciding with his move to the technical department, in order to develop his knowledge of Recticel’s products and their various applications within the construction industry.
He said: “It was a good way of evolving as an employee and gaining additional knowledge as the role incorporated a lot of training. It was a complete contrast to internal sales.”
Lee now works as a technical assistant while he completes the three-year programme. During this time, he has been accredited under the BBA competent Person Scheme, which promotes the accurate calculation of thermal performance and condensation risk within buildings. This status provides reassurance to any customer that he has undergone a rigorous independent assessment. With that under his belt, Lee is now aiming to move into a management role once the graduate programme is complete.
He said: “I am well-rounded with both sales and technical knowledge so there are various routes I could take within the business, including international positions. The options are endless really, as it’s such a large organisation.”
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