GRAND OPENING page 5
Q&A
page 11
Issue 2 - January 2012
Apprenticeship event Are you an employer looking to grow your business? Have you thought about recruiting an apprentice? Join us for an APPRENTICESHIP EVENT during National Apprenticeship Week
Tuesday 7 February th
6pm - 8pm @ Bournville College
The event will enable you to… •
find out why apprenticeships offer a cost-effective way of growing your business
•
learn about the benefits to your organisation
•
share expertise with other employers
•
listen to the guest speaker - Mark Linton, Managing Director of the Business Growth Show; Mark will discuss how apprentices have helped to grow and support his company
•
enter a free business card draw to win a prize
Light refreshments will be provided.
For more information on becoming involved or to book your place, contact Michael Chambers on 0121 477 1419 or michael.chambers@bournville.ac.uk
Talk. 0121 477 1419 | Write. michael.chambers@bournville.ac.uk | See. bournville.ac.uk Visit. 1 Longbridge Lane, Longbridge, Birmingham B31 2AJ | Sat nav ref. B31 2TW
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Welcome to the latest issue of Vision... This newsletter has been designed to keep our stakeholders and customers posted on the developments at Bournville College.
Contents... Our New Campus ....................................................... p4 Grand Opening ........................................................... p5 Birmingham Post Awards............................................ p6 Kraft of training at Bournville College .......................... p7 DHL ............................................................................ p8 Jaguar Land Rover...................................................... p9 Birmingham Women’s Hospital.................................... p10 Q&A Train to Gain........................................................ p11
Publisher Vision is published by Bournville College. To contact Bournville College: Talk. 0121 477 1400 Write. bdt@bournville.ac.uk See. bournville.ac.uk Visit. 2 Devon Way, Longbridge, Birmingham B31 2TS Editor. Stephanie Jones Talk. 0121 477 1384 Write. stephanie.jones@bournville.ac.uk
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fter an exciting start to the academic year with the move to our new £66 million campus in Longbridge we are pleased to bring you the latest news regarding Birmingham’s newest college.
Our new campus features outstanding facilities that are some of the best in Europe, providing a realistic training environment for business partners, apprentices and students. Turn to page 4 to find out more. We are also pleased to announce our shortlist for a Birmingham Post Business Award in the category for the People Development: Recruitment & Training Award, featured on page 6. The shortlist recognises our dedication and quality of our provision in the field of bespoke training, development and business growth packages to organisations. Finally, we bring you the latest news from around organisations that we worked with and an interview with Eyad Hanash, Training & Contracts Manager about an update on Train to Gain funding. May we take this opportunity to wish you a happy and prosperous New Year. We hope to continue a good working partnership with your organisation. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss any training or development packages for your business. This is your magazine and so if you have any feedback or would like to recommend a topic for a discussion in future editions please feel free to let us know by emailing stephanie.jones@bournville.ac.uk.
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OUR NEW CAMPUS We have now moved! After watching the college take shape since 2009 on the old MG Rover site in Longbridge, we have a brand new £66 million state-of-the-art campus! The new college is the first phase in the regeneration of the former MG Rover car production plant in Longbridge. This now means we are able to offer more to our employers – including state of the art facilities for your employees to study, leisure and sports facilities and Learning Zone. Not only do we have amazing facilities but we also have a number of business outlets, including Starbucks Café as well as a number of sponsorship opportunities for your business. The development will see the rise of a new town centre for South West Birmingham. In addition to Bournville College, the new town centre will offer places of mixed use, including a range of shops and restaurants, food store, hotel, commercial offices and residential accommodation. The Learning Zone is located at the very heart of the College, this fantastic facility will offer over 300 computers with the latest software, thousands of books on all subjects, e-learning materials, journals and magazines, internet access and expert staff to help with research, assignments and coursework. Linking the Learning Zone to the main building is ‘The Street’. This is the very hub of the College, with a refectory and a deli bar, as well as a Starbucks Café. Urban Fitness accommodates up to 70 fitness stations and is equipped with a sauna and a steam room. Gym membership pricing starts from £19.95 per month. The extensive sports hall has courts suitable for basketball, netball and badminton as well as facilities for a 5-a-side football. We also have Urban Elegance and Urban Serenity, our commercial hair and beauty salons with the latest industry standard equipment giving the students the chance to enjoy relaxing therapies and makeovers. The golden cladded part of our campus, the Conference Centre doesn’t fail to make a statement. It operates as a self-contained facility with access to the Business Centre and offers outstanding resources in order to provide an excellent platform for any conference, for up to 200 delegates. To enquire about hiring the Conference Centre, please email Catherine Hepton conferencing@bournville.ac.uk.
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college news Grand Opening!
Bournville College officially launches with an explosive event! 26th October saw senior officials, local government delegates and over 500 VIP guests join with staff of Bournville College to celebrate the launch of the £66 million campus which opened its doors this September. 6 years in the planning, the new campus which reached completion just a few weeks ago is one of the UK’s most technologically advanced colleges, featuring a broad range of facilities and equipment which will help educate and train students from both across the region and the globe through an extensive exchange programme. Playing host to up to 15,000 part time and full time students, the College boasts facilities amongst the best in the country, including a fitness suite, restaurant, cinema, kitchens, hair and beauty salons, art and music studios, science labs, motor vehicle and construction workshops and more. The official launch gave those who have been involved in the new build an opportunity to witness the magnitude of the new build in its full glory. Delegates were treated to a full evening of entertainment which included speeches from Principal, Norman
Cave, Chair of Governors Howard Saycell and a keynote from TV personality and radio star Chris Tarrant. Following the speeches, delegates were shown around the College’s new facilities and given the opportunity to interact with certain areas which showcase the new facilities. The evening was set to conclude with an elaborate fireworks display and further networking opportunity for guests. Principal for Bournville College, Norman Cave said: “2011 marks a new era for Bournville College following the move to our new multi-million pound facility in Longbridge. “The new campus will allow us to provide our students with the state-of-the-art resources, best possible support and a fantastic learning experience across a broad spectrum of subjects. “Our grand opening event gave us the opportunity to say thank you to those who have stood beside us during this 6 year journey. Whether it was the builders, architects, surveyors, funders or our own staff - to name just a few - we could not have done it without them.”
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college news Shortlist highlights Bournville College’s excellent work Bournville College has recently been shortlisted in the category for the People Development: Recruitment & Training Award at the Birmingham Post Business Awards 2011, highlighting its excellent track record of working with employers. Bournville College works with over 600 organisations both locally and nationwide to offer its expertise in business development and training solutions. It is able to offer a variety of training programmes as well as recruitment support for businesses. These include bespoke training and professional development packages, apprenticeships and vocational training, all offering flexible workplace delivery. In addition, Bournville College has teamed up with London based consultancy firm, Incisive Edge, to bring a unique business growth programme to the West Midlands. The Business Growth Academy already has an excellent track record in London, providing the SMEs and mid-tier companies with the expertise and advice normally reserved for the large corporates. The Academy has been designed specifically for the development of business owners and top managers to help them create the future they want for their business. Jenny Stokes, Assistant Principal - External Funding and Projects at Bournville College, commented: ‘We are delighted about our partnership with Incisive Edge and the development of the Business Growth Academy. We have a strong record of working alongside a wide range of corporate clients on developing flexible training solutions for their employees, for which we have received a nomination for the Birmingham Post Awards 2011 in the category of ‘People Development, Recruitment & Training’. The Business Growth Academy will give us a new opportunity to work directly with company directors on developing strategies for their business growth.’ This year is an exciting one for Bournville College, with the £66 million campus in Longbridge that opened in September. The College is looking forward to a bright and promising future and one that will bring even more opportunities to work in partnership with businesses from the UK and abroad alike. Nomination for the Birmingham Post Business Award in the category of People Development, Recruitment and Training only confirms Bournville College’s extensive expertise in this field. ‘More employers should take responsibility for the training and development of their existing or future workforce and with the right funding and training provider this can be easily achieved. Our working relationship with Bournville College is an excellent one and we’re looking forward to continuing the partnership’ commented Steve Stanier, Senior Human Resources Manager at Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust where Bournville College delivered a range of apprenticeships to 54 young aspiring individuals. For more information on how Bournville College can assist your organisation with training, development and growth opportunities, please call 0121 477 1400 or email bdt@bournville.ac.uk.
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college news Kraft of training at Bournville College Bournville College have been working in partnership with Cadbury – Kraft Foods to help unemployed people return to work. The eight week pre-employment programme – ‘Manufacturing Routeway’ is the third training package that Bournville College delivered to prepare candidates for vacancies with Cadbury in the past two years, showing the strength of Bournville College’s business training solutions.
The support I received from Bournville College was second to none
The intensive programme of preemployment training enabled twentyfour individuals to gain new skills, tailor-made to the needs of working at the iconic chocolate factory based in Bournville. The programme enabled them to develop and improve their skills in relation to manual handling, communication in manufacturing skills, problem solving, food hygiene, teamwork, health & safety and assertiveness. Successful completion of the programme guarantees each individual a job interview at Cadbury – Kraft Foods and a prime chance of gaining employment. Jonathan Perrins (33) from Selly Oak was one of those taking part in the training programme. He was made redundant as a tool maker for LDV and being unemployed brought his confidence down to freezing point. The right opportunity came when he came across ‘Manufacturing Routeway’ training offered by Bournville College. He said: ‘After
bournville.ac.uk
being left unemployed, I wanted to do something different. The eight week programme has given me a confidence booster I desperately needed and I am now hopeful of gaining employment with Cadbury’, he said. With Jonathan’s previous workrelated skills and experience he was able to put them to good use in the ‘Manufacturing Routeway’ programme. ‘I already had transferable skills but I wasn’t sure how to use them. This programme has helped me to do that and the support I received from Bournville College was second to none’, added Jonathan. John Glover, Continuous Improvements Manager at Cadbury – Kraft Foods who will be overseeing work of successful applicants, reflected: ‘This has certainly been the best cohort that we’ve had so far. As an organisation, we knew what we wanted to achieve and Bournville College were able to deliver all requirements’. If your organisation has vacancies to fill, Bournville College can help you deliver tailor made training before the employment starts. To find out more about business training packages that Bournville College can offer, contact Richard Nicklin on 0121 477 1505 or email richard.nicklin@bournville.ac.uk.
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college news
Apprenticeships delivered to DHL staff A variety of apprenticeships offered in partnership with Bournville College, including those in logistics operations management, customer service, business administration and management enabled 25 employees at DHL Freight in Dunstable to learn new skills closely related to their day-to-day work. DHL Freight staff and managers were in support of apprenticeships from day one. They embraced the scheme at every level and where they were unable to offer an apprenticeship, they opted for an NVQ in a relevant subject, again with the aid from Bournville College. Cathy Kirk, Customer Services Manager at DHL Freight has been influential in ensuring that appropriate training was available to office staff based at Dunstable depot. She said: ‘Apprenticeships are an excellent idea! They enable us to shape up the skills of our employees in the way that suits our business. Apprenticeships don’t only lead to nationally recognised qualifications they also help apprentices build their confidence and serve as a proof of knowledge that they can do their job. All in all, skilled employees help to raise standards within a company itself and so I’d encourage more employers to sign up for apprenticeships.’
Jennifer Johnson, Apprenticeship Programmes Manager at Bournville College, reflected: ‘This is a clear example of how apprenticeships are meeting the needs of industry. Innovative delivery is ensuring that each learner and employer we engage with benefits as much as possible from the apprenticeship scheme.’ Recent employee appraisals at DHL Freight indicated a 100% positive response to apprenticeship and NVQ training with Bournville College which resulted in their commitment to offer every employee an opportunity to undertake one of these training packages.
Do you want your organisation to benefit from skilled, committed and motivated workforce, just like DHL Freight? Whatever the size of your organisation, Bournville College specialises in delivering apprenticeships within a range of industries such as logistics, railway engineering, manufacturing, business administration, healthcare, construction and many more. To discuss the requirements of your business, call Jennifer Johnson, Apprenticeship Programmes Manager at Bournville College on 0121 477 1413 or email apprentice@bournville.ac.uk.
Laura Freeman (21) from Dunstable who works as a freight agent is one of those undertaking training in the area of logistics operations management. She’s been working at DHL Freight since April 2010 and cannot fault her employer for giving her the opportunity to develop her skills. ‘I thoroughly enjoy what I do and being able to learn practical skills linked to my job role is perfect. I feel I’ve developed a whole new range of skills that enable me to deliver a more efficient service to our customers and fellow colleagues and therefore give something back to my employer for investing in me,’ said Laura.
Delivering success: Laura Freeman and Cathy Kirk
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college news
Jaguar Land Rover helps the unemployed Bournville College have been working in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover helping unemployed people in the community return to work. The one week intensive programme was the fourth preemployment training package to be delivered to Jaguar Land Rover by Bournville College. It consisted of a variety of tailor-made workshops designed to prepare job candidates for working in the automotive sector. Workshops delivered by Bournville College included problem solving, team building, communication skills and basic manufacturing. Michael Trewartha (47) from Halesowen was one of those taking part on the fourth cohort at Jaguar Land Rover. After being made redundant at LDV after 20 years, Michael had been out of work for 6 months before being recommended by Jobcentre Plus for the pre-employment training at the car manufacturer’s plant in Castle Bromwich. After successfully completing his Pre-Employment training and Work Trial he was taken on as an agency employee at the Castle Bromwich plant and is still employed there today. ‘The pre-employment programme, along with the work trial helped me to brush up on my previous skills and gave me an insight into what to expect from the role. I believe more employers should offer this training and I am very glad that I took part’, reflected Michael. Nick Hadley, Manufacturing Training Team Leader at Jaguar Land Rover, believes that the pre-employment training for large groups of potential employees can play an essential part in the recruitment process and more employers should consider this type of training. ‘The pre-employment training allowed us to provide more in-depth information, preparation and training to our recruits as well as being able to work alongside a specialist provider. We were able to provide more job-specific preparation and training, including communication, basic skills, IT and a work trial.’ ‘We received very good support from Bournville College. We worked well together and would be keen to become involved again in other opportunities,’ added Nick. If your organisation has vacancies to fill, Bournville College can help you deliver tailor made training before the employment starts. To find out more about business training packages that Bournville College can offer, contact Richard Nicklin on 0121 477 1505 or email richard.nicklin@bournville.ac.uk to discuss.
Success story: Michael Trewartha
I believe more employers should offer this training and I am very glad that I took part
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college news
Birmingham Women’s Hospital Birmingham Women’s Hospital is taking care of it’s staff development. Birmingham Women’s Hospital – a centre of excellence providing specialist healthcare for women and their families in the West Midlands, joined the national apprenticeship initiative in partnership with Bournville College to give young people a chance to gain practical employmentrelated skills. The scheme supported by the Department of Health enabled Birmingham Women’s Hospital to secure funding for a number of apprentices and get involved in training of the future clerical workforce of the health sector. As a result, fourteen apprentices joined the Hospital throughout 2010 on either the Apprenticeship in Business Administration or Customer Service. While on the course, apprentices learn to perform a range of clerical duties in departments across the Hospital such as Human Resources, Facilities, Histopathology, Medical Records, Clinical Chemistry and the Neonatal Unit. They are employed by Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust for the length of their apprenticeship and on completion they will be given an opportunity to apply for permanent posts within the Trust. Steve Stanier, Senior Human Resources Manager at Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust has been the driving force behind the apprenticeships and played a crucial part in setting up the scheme. He commented: ‘The Trust and the apprentices themselves embraced the scheme very positively. We involved individual departmental managers from the beginning of the process to ensure that the right candidates were recruited for their departments. The apprentices have settled in their roles and have been incredibly enthusiastic to learn and gain work related experience.’ The Trust is fully behind the initiative, working in partnership with Bournville College to ensure that everyone
involved is able to benefit from the scheme. The apprentices are regularly visited by assessors from Bournville College who support and monitor their learning progress. ‘More employers should take responsibility for the training and development of their existing or future workforce and with the right funding and training provider this can be easily achieved. Our working relationship with Bournville College is an excellent one and we’re looking forward to continuing the partnership’, added Steve. Charlotte Aspinall (16) from Sutton Coldfield who is on the Apprenticeship in Business and Administration with the Hospital’s Human Resources department is hopeful that the completion of the apprenticeship will open new doors of career related opportunities at the Trust. She said: ‘I wanted to expand my knowledge of business, having studied BTEC Business previously at school. The amount of new skills that I‘ve gained since starting the apprenticeship is unbelievable and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who’s eager to invest in their career while doing on the job training. My long term goal is to specialise in human resources by undertaking a range of qualifications with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development which will help me further develop my career at the Trust.’ Whatever the size of your organisation, Bournville College specialises in delivering apprenticeships within a range of industries such as logistics, railway engineering, manufacturing, business administration, healthcare, construction and many more. To discuss the requirements of your business, call Jennifer Johnson, Apprenticeship Programmes Manager at Bournville College on 0121 477 1413 or email apprentice@bournville.ac.uk.
The amount of new skills that I‘ve gained since starting the apprenticeship is unbelievable and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone
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Q&A With the Government announcing that Train to Gain was to close at the end of July 2011, we know many employers wanted to know how this would affect funding of their training schemes. Here we interviewed Eyad Hanash, Training & Contracts Manager, about how the changes may affect your business and what alternative funding options there are. Vision: Eyad, tell us more about your role regarding Train to Gain… Eyad: As part of my role as Training and Contracts Manager I ensure that we are meeting the government’s strict compliance / requirements when it comes to funding for employers. This included Train to Gain and now Apprenticeships. We also set up many programmes delivered from within Business Development to ensure the college remains as responsive as possible to employer demands and market forces. Vision: Why has Train to Gain come to an end? Eyad: Technically, Train to Gain hasn’t completely come to an end. The Train to Gain brand will no longer be used and the focus from 1st August 2011 has changed to Small Medium Sized Employers (SMEs). These are organisations with less than 250 employees. However, all employees, regardless of the size of the employer, will be eligible for full funding under the new model, as long as they do not already have a level 2 or higher (or equivalent) qualification. The era of free training is coming to an end during these difficult economic times, but opportunities still exist! Vision: What will happen to current Train to Gain learners? Eyad: Current Train to Gain learners will continue to be funded until they achieve their programme of study. For new learners that started a full Level 2/3 programme from the 1st August 2011, the new eligibility rules will apply (as mentioned above). Vision: What other funding will be available? Eyad: The government has a huge apprenticeship drive and Bournville College is able to offer an excellent service to employers; from advertising and recruiting an apprentice to on-site training and development. Some funding also exists for: • Leadership and management programmes • Training for those who have been made redundant • SME training programme
Training and Contracts Manager: Eyad Hanash
Vision: When will the allocated funding be available to businesses? Eyad: Funding is available from now and we enrol learners and employers throughout the year. Funding rules and eligibility change on a yearly basis. It is the role of the College to walk employers through this and explain which employees are eligible for funding and provide a total solution to training needs. One of the team would be more than happy to meet with employers and discuss opportunities further. For any questions on funding or any of the above, please contact me on 0121 477 1411.
We offer a large range of apprenticeships, QCF accredited courses, pre-employment and bespoke training to help meet the needs of your organisation, delivered by people who understand your business. If you would like to discuss individual learning requirements for your organisation, please call the Business Development Team on, 0121 477 1400 or email bdt@bournville.ac.uk.
Want to train your workforce to increase productivity, profitability and staff retention? We offer a wide range of qualifications to meet the needs of your workforce, including QCF accredited courses, Apprenticeships, bespoke training and ‘off the shelf’ short courses.
Short courses in the workplace We offer a range of ‘bite size’ courses that can be delivered at the employer’s premises. We also offer a tailoring service for training whereby we design a course to meet specific needs of an employer.
Apprenticeships Apprenticeships are designed to meet the needs of your organisation. This means that apprenticeship training is always relevant and it is tailored to the needs of your sector, by people who genuinely understand what you do. Training can be flexible, leads to nationally recognised qualifications and your staff will be supported to learn in the workplace. Apprenticeships last between one and four years dependant on which programme your employee undertakes.
QCF AWARDS We offer a range of QCF accredited courses which can be delivered in the workplace, to suit your requirements. Funding may be available towards all or part of the cost of the training, subject to eligibility.
Contact Public Sector, Engineering, IT
Business & Professional Services
Health & Social Care, Childcare, Housing
Who. Mark Farrant Talk. 07912 248 905 Write. mark.farrant@bournville.ac.uk
Who. Sharon Johal Talk. 07739 990 587 Write. sharon.johal@bournville.ac.uk
Who. Jessica Lewis Talk. 07702 369 023 Write. jessica.lewis@bournville.ac.uk
Talk. 0121 477 1400 | Write. bdt@bournville.ac.uk | See. bournville.ac.uk Visit. 2 Devon Way, Longbridge, Birmingham B31 2TS