Helping young people make the transition from education to employment plays a big part in what we do, and it's keeping us busy just now.
We've been hosting work experience students, giving them a hands-on introduction to what we do, while our Marketing and Business Development Director, Dan Mounsey, and Assistant Marketing Manager, Kenika Gumbs, have been sharing our story with students at Oldham Sixth Form College.
The pair were among employers meeting young people at the OSFC's Futures Day, when they spoke to hundreds of students throughout the day.
Dan says: "We always welcome the chance to share who we are, what we do, and some of the exciting opportunities we offer for young people starting out in their careers.
"One thing that came across clearly: university is no longer seen as the automatic next step for many students. With growing awareness of the value apprenticeships offer, combined with financial considerations, more young people are exploring alternative, career-focused paths.
"While I personally had a great experience at university, I'm a strong advocate for apprenticeships in today's world. They can provide a strong start into the world of work, combining learning with earning."
Dan and Kenika's presence was the latest link-up between OSFC after we hosted students from the college for an insight into HPP, which included a factory tour, a presentation on our history, who we are, and what we do.
Dan followed up with real insights into the day-to-day challenges we face and what it takes to run a smooth, successful organisation.
To round off the visit, Kenika led a fun and interactive hinge demonstrator challenge - a perfect hands-on experience to wrap up a brilliant day!
We've also been providing work experience for Kaiden Smith from The Elton High School, in Bury, giving him a hands-on insight into the day-to-day operations of our engineering team.
Here is Kaiden talking about his experience:
Kenika says: "More students now understand the importance of gaining hands-on experience, especially as many companies are placing a strong emphasis on work experience and real-world skills.
"Accompanying Dan to OSFC, and being able to speak directly with the students, to encourage and inspire them to explore career pathways - and being able to give back to the community in this way - always feels incredibly rewarding."
And rounding off a busy time supporting young people, Dan's been back to his old school, Saddleworth, to spend a day conducting mock interviews with year 10 students along with representative from other Oldham businesses.
This is his fifth visit to his old school to help teenagers gain valuable interview skills and experience, as part of their longer-term guidance to make post-16 career and education choices next year.
Dan says: "It's always an enjoyable experience to support Year 10 students who are starting to think about their futures after taking their GCSE exams.
"Whatever options they choose - if it's sixth form, college, employment or apprenticeships - they are likely to be invited for an interview, so this helps them prepare for the real-life situation."
Almost 300 pupils took part in the mock interviews a week ahead of the school's annual college taster day, to give them an insight into what further education is going to be like.
Christine Dempster, the school's Business and Careers Lead, says "Mock interviews are a fantastic opportunity for our students to build on their communication skills and confidence, whilst allowing them to develop their experience of an interview.
"I can't thank our volunteers enough for their time and support. Many of them are parents/carers of students in the school, both past and present, or work locally within our community."