Helping a new generation of careers take off

Dave’s main job is as a business account manager, specialising in the trucks division, at the Cummins plant in Darlington. But he is also at the centre of the company’s intensive programme aimed at inspiring the next generation of employees.

And yet, Dave admits that he didn’t have any clear view of his own future when he was growing up on the North-East coast at Redcar, and attending Huntcliff Secondary School, at nearby Saltburn.

His dad, Chris, was a multi-skilled process technician at ICI, while his mum, Deborah, worked in NHS administration, but Dave lacked real direction until he started chatting with a couple of men who used the local leisure centre where he was gaining work experience.

Dave Hodgson, business account manager, specialising in the trucks division (Image: Cummins)

“One was a Royal Marine who drove speedboats, and the other was just coming out of the RAF, and I loved the sound of what they’d done in their careers. That was the spark I needed,” recalls Dave.

He joined the RAF at 17, started a technical apprenticeship, and went on to spend seven-and-a-half years as an airframe and propulsion technician, working on fast jets like the Tornado and Harrier.

“Looking back, I’d always been interested in how things worked, and built my own bike when I was 12 or 13, but joining the RAF was life-changing,” he says.

“Sending jets off, loading operational missiles, and travelling the world was just so exciting for a young lad. It opened my eyes to what’s possible – and it all goes back to the inspirational conversations I had with those two guys in the leisure centre.”

After the RAF, Dave spent two-and-a-half years as a mechanical engineer at Lackenby steelworks, close to his roots, and played a part in the mothballing of the site when Teesside’s biggest employer headed for closure.

Dave could see that there was no future in the steel industry, so he circulated his CV, and he was invited for interview by Cummins.

“We used Cummins’ engines on aircraft ground equipment in the RAF, so I was aware of the company, but I researched more about them before the interview, and quickly saw what an incredible business it was, making an impact worldwide.”

Dave joined Cummins in 2010 as a service engineer for new products, and opportunities soon opened up. He moved into the “On Highway” bus business as a technical support engineer, becoming customer-focused, and that led to account management.

His main responsibility is managing Cummins’ relationship with a major truck manufacturer, but he is also passionate about his voluntary role with the Community Involvement Team.

“Cummins is a company that believes in giving back to the local areas where it operates, helping to build more prosperous communities, and empowering people to improve their lives,” he explains.

Indeed, it’s an ethos instilled in the business by its founder, Clessie Cummins, who built his first steam engine at the age of 11 and launched the Cummins Engine Company in February, 1919. As well as being a truly great inventor and entrepreneur, Clessie was determined to have a positive impact on the local communities his business touched.

Today, the Community Involvement Team at the Darlington plant has three main areas of focus – education, environment, and equality of opportunity – and Dave leads on education.

“Thousands of young people pass the site every day, but probably won’t know a great deal about what goes on there, and the tremendous opportunities there are. It’s not just about engineering, there’s the full spectrum of every job and function you can imagine,” he says.

Therefore, Dave is committed to getting out into the community to inspire youngsters to take part in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities, in the hope that some will become future Cummins’ employees.

“It’s about opening up their eyes to see how industry works, and how it links to their everyday lives. All it takes is a spark to make them consider a career in this kind of business.”

Inspiring the next generation

Amit Kumar, centre, receives his STEM award from Antonio Leitao, Vice President Off-Highway Engine Business, left (Image: Cummins)

Cummins immerses itself in a range of events and initiatives aimed at identifying and nurturing young talent.

A great example was the International Women’s Day event staged by Cummins on March 8 as part of the company’s huge focus on diversity and gender equality. Pupils from Carmel College were brought onto the Darlington site for a question and answer session with female members of staff about their roles.

It’s part of a programme of global events, staged by a Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN), which has an impact on 27 million women and girls across the year.

“Even when Covid was still having an impact last year, a virtual event ended up with 480 employees answering questions across the Cummins network. It was really inspirational to see how many people wanted to be involved and that’s the ethos we have in the company,” says Dave.

Cummins is also a powerful advocate for the Greenpower Education Trust, a charity that inspires young people about STEM subjects by challenging them to design, build and race electric cars.

Technical advisor, Amit Kumar, leads on the Greenpower Challenge for Cummins, and his dedication, along with his overall contribution as a STEM Ambassador, earned him a special recognition honour at the North East STEM Awards in Newcastle, last December. Amit was unable to attend the ceremony, but he was presented with the award at the Darlington plant by Antonio Leitao, Vice President Off-Highway Engine Business.

“Amit is so passionate about what he does with Greenpower and it’s all voluntary,” says Dave. “During the pandemic, he took it upon himself to make sure the initiative could continue virtually.”

Cummins also places great emphasis on work experience, with opportunities for schoolchildren and college students to come onto the site after a risk assessment. The aim is to start as early as possible, so 120 primary school children came onto the Darlington site during March.

In addition, the company opens itself up to gap-year university students, with 51 placements in 2022, and another 57 this year.

For those who are successful at university, there’s a two-year graduate programme, with 31 graduates on site last year.

The business also offers apprenticeships and advanced apprenticeships across multiple disciplines, including engineering, health and safety, finance, and marketing. Apprenticeships are offered on two levels – Level 3 over three years, and Level 6 over four years – and there were 35 apprentices on the Darlington site last year.

Cummins staff at the STEM awards (Image: Cummins)

“The apprenticeships are open to all ages – not just young people, but older people who may want to retrain and try something different. They can move around different parts of the business and, at the end, they can apply for vacancies for some fantastic opportunities,” says Dave.

It speaks volumes that over the past three years, every apprenticeship at the Darlington site has led to a job and, with another 11 apprentices starting in 2023, the success story is continuing.

Enthuse Partnerships are another way that Cummins supports the STEM agenda. Starting last year, and picking up steam in 2023, 10 schools, with the potential to reach 4,000 children, are being targeted in the Darlington area for a two-year programme in which teachers and teaching assistants are given the knowledge and skills to raise aspirations for STEM careers.

And, as if Cummins’ commitment to STEM needed underlining any further, the company is headline sponsor of STEMFEST 2023, which takes place at the VERTU Motors Arena, in Newcastle on July 4, 5 and 6. More than 40 North-East businesses will deliver hands-on activities for around 3,000 schoolchildren, while showcasing the range of careers available in the STEM sector in the region.

“It’s fantastic to see the personal experiences and conversations that take place across all those events and activities,” says Dave. “I’ll never forget the impact those conversations at the leisure centre had on my life and, if I can point even one young person in the right direction, then it makes it all worthwhile.”

• Cummins is a partner in The Northern Echo’s Level Up campaign, aimed at showcasing the region’s strengths, and calling for a fair deal from Government funding. The company will be taking part in the next Level Up event at the Spectrum Business Park, in Seaham, on March 30, when the theme will be jobs, skills and education.

To find out more about careers with Cummins, go to: cummins.com/careers