Maddy Donaghy, Talent and Apprenticeship Partner at the Carey Group, a long-established construction business, believes that mutual respect and collaborative learning have been the key to the successful partnership the company has forged with MK College.   

The Carey Group has been working with the College for almost a year and half in a variety of ways, including recruiting apprentices, highlighting careers in construction through delivering guest talks at local schools, and more recently, proposing, developing and achieving a fully functional shared campus for benefits on both sides.  

Maddy said, “Working with the various people in the College in developing this agreement was incredibly rewarding and the collaborative approach ensured we learnt more about further education (FE) as the relationship developed; and I believe the College learnt more about our industry and in particular our business as a result.

She added, “What was refreshing, and I believe what makes the partnership work so well, was a mutual respect for the work each organisation does. We learnt and the College learnt along the way. The group that drove this collaboration were determined to make it work and whilst we met every Friday morning for an entire year, we kept that vision alive.”

Maddy places a lot of value on the professionalism and commercial acumen of the team at MK College.

She commented, “I would definitely recommend working with MK College. They are an ambitious, commercially driven organisation, whilst maintaining students’ best interests.”

In relation to any employers considering working with the College, Maddy advised, “Be open to the challenges you face as a business but keep your focus on solving industry skill shortages and your wider industry problems. Come to the table with an open mind – be open to learning about FE, be open to trying new methods of working, and think big!”

For more information on working with MK College, contact the Employer team on employerteam@mkcollege.ac.uk.