Skills Pledge 01

SkillsPledge www.theskillspledge.co.uk

IT’S TIME TO FOCUS ON THE SKILLS OF YOUR STAFF...

ISSUE NUMBER 01

Chairman of the LSC Chris Banks welcomes you to the first National Skills Pledge magazine, with his thoughts on the current economic climate, the importance of investing in people and developing ambitions

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Produced by Northumbria University 185550/10/06training and self development.

TO ISSUE NUMBER01

With the global economic downturn putting pressure on employers, we know it can be difficult to for businesses to maintain their investment in the skills and training of their workforce.

Yet the way to build resilience and provide firm foundations for future growth is to invest in talented, motivated and trained staff. Past research shows that firms that do not train their workforce are 2.5 times more likely to fail than those that do. And work by the Institute of Fiscal Studies suggests that an increase in the proportion of workers trained, is directly linked to a proportionate increase in value-added per worker.

Training has a positive impact on productivity, morale and staff retention.

All critical factors towards ensuring a successful business at any time, but particularly now.

To help employers we are putting more funding and flexibility into skills support for businesses through Train to Gain. Since its launch in 2006, this flagship programme has helped over 570,000 employees across England get training. Recently new flexibilities have been introduced to ensure employers, and employees, are able to benefit fully.

Employers can also show their commitment to training by signing the Skills Pledge or by speaking to a Train to Gain broker about Apprenticeships.

More than 11,000 employers have made the Skills Pledge, covering over 5.5 million employees. With many workers concerned about job security, signing the Skills Pledge demonstrates a clear commitment to investing in people’s talents.

There has never been a better time to focus on the skills of your staff and so I welcome Skills Pledge and its ambition to highlight the value of training.

Chris Banks Chairman, LSC

REGION KEY:

SkillsPledgenational:

CONTENTS 02.

08.

news shell step

“If you fail to get to know members of the team it may make them feel that their hard work is not appreciated”

l NORTHWEST 10. eddie stobart gets on board 12. i’d climb a mountain 14. award winning lynton group 16. tougher drugs policies l EAST MIDLANDS 18. west nottinghamshire college 20. job hunters warned to secure their cv’s

TEAM LEADERS SEE PAGE 44

l YORKSHIRE AND HUMBER 24. what is meant by ergonomics l NORTHEAST 28. how to develop good teamwork 30. northumbria university 32. tyne metropolitan college 36. profound services 38. baltic training services 40. mobile care qualifications 41. ncfe - a piece of cake 44. team leaders 46. county durham and darlington fire & rescue service 47. access 48. training helps beat credit crunch 49. keep trade local 50. visitTeesvalley 54. darlington college 56. directory 57. allied bakeries rises to the challenge www.theskillspledge.co.uk

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BRITS LOOK TO TRAINING AS GOING GETS TOUGH A new survey, conducted on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), shows that over half the country’s workers (57%) are worried about their job prospects as a result of the current economic crisis.

However the survey also shows that over half the country’s workforce remain confident that they would be able to keep their jobs and that they would be concentrating on training to improve their careers prospects and job security (51%).

“half the country’s workers are worried about their job ” The survey shows that the recent period, which has seen retail giants, such as MFI and Woolworths experience major crises, has not yet had the demoralising effect on the nation’s workforce many experts expected.

In fact,while the survey identifies the current economic problems to be the number one cause of the current insecurity in the workplace (42%); it also demonstrates that the current situation is inspiring many people to rethink their career paths in a positive way, with over three quarters of respondents (77%) recognising the room for improvement in their skill levels and indicating a willingness to seek advice about improving their skill base. Two thirds of workers actually stated they felt learning a new skill would help make them feel happier and more secure in their jobs (62%)

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200,000 WORKERS SET TO BENEFIT AS TOP FIRMS PLEDGE TO TRAIN STAFF Almost 200,000 workers are set to benefit from training as eleven top firms make the Skills Pledge.

Phones4u, Network Rail, BUPA, British Gas and others will commit to support all employees to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills and work towards their first Level 2 qualification – the equivalent of five good GCSEs – in the areas relevant to their business.

Business leaders of the organisations will formally make the Skills Pledge at the ‘National employers, national solutions’ conference, convened by the National Employer Service in Whitehall, exploring how large employers can engage with and contribute to the Government’s strategy for young people, children and families.

Tom Shorten, operations director, Phones 4u, said: “It’s without question or hesitation that we consider skills a number one priority and this is why I am making the Skills Pledge on behalf of Phones 4u today.

If anything, current market conditions make it even more important for all our staff to be the best they can be. We know from experience that a better skilled workforce drives a more successful business.”

Skills Minister Lord Young said: “We have consistently said that now is not the time to cut back on skills and training, a view supported by the CBI, TUC and increasingly leading employers.

“I want to congratulate the employers who are making the Skills Pledge today; it’s great to see them making a commitment to the skills and training needs of their staff which will help them prepare for the upturn when it comes.

“The Government is investing nearly £4 billion in adult skills and training this year so that businesses and individuals get access to real help now. And we have made Train to Gain more flexible so that many more businesses can benefit from Government investment totalling £1 billion by 2010/11.”

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NEWS

National Skills Academy for Materials, Production and Supply approved Skills Minister, Lord Young has recently announced the expansion of the National Skills Academy network, with the approval for an eleventh skills academy.The National Skills Academy for Materials, Production and Supply is the latest addition to the national network of employer-led centres of excellence, and aims to address the process and manufacturing industry’s complex skills issues.

Although the process and manufacturing industry invests an average of £1,150 per annum on training each employee, up to a third of industry employers still recognise a vital need for improved skills.

The National Skills Academy estimates there will be a minimum requirement for 80,000people over the next 10 years, which includes 30,000 skilled operatives, 15,000 managers and15,000 technical staff. The skills academy believes this target can be achieved by investing heavily in skills training, qualifications and changing the overall public perception of the manufacturing sector.

The new skills academy will maximise access to its products and services through the development of a web-based portal, offering access to the widest possible range of skills academy information, products and services. The scope of its training will include building products, glass, coatings, extractive and mineral processing, printing, paper, furniture, furnishings & Interiors, white wares and ceramics sectors.

Leading employers supporting the skills academy include: Polestar UK Print Ltd, News Printers, Statex Colour Print, Heidelberg UK, Crown Paints, Sonneborn and Rieck, Ardagh glass, Autowindscreens and Safestyle UK. Employers will be engaged in every aspect of the skills academy including articulating the present and future skills needs of the sector,

providing facilities and support for the establishment of Employer Learning Centres, supporting the development of products and services, forming the Board to drive the skills academy, and engaging in Regional Training Clusters.

“THE LSC IS DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO FULLY APPROVE THEIR PROPOSAL AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL RAISE THE DEMAND FOR SKILLS FROM EMPLOYERS IN THE SECTOR AND MAKE A REAL AND VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY.” Lord Young said: “I am delighted to announce the approval of the National Skills Academy for Materials, Production and Supply. In the current economic climate when businesses are struggling it is especially important for employers

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to invest in skills and training. The National Skills Academy Network is led by employers and enables them to focus on developing the key skills needed in each industry to help drive it forward.”

Jaine Clarke, Director of Communications at the LSC said: “The network is part of a skills revolution to put employers in the driving seat and give them the resources needed to shape training for their industry. The NSA for Materials, Production and Supply presented a well considered and robust business plan that demonstrated a strong and enthusiastic commitment from employers and key stakeholders. The LSC is delighted to be able to fully approve their proposal and we are confident that it will raise the demand for skills from employers in the sector and make a real and valuable contribution to the industry.”

National Skills Academies have been created to solve potentially acute skills shortages in their respective sectors, enabling employers, Government and other stakeholders to design more effective solutions to training needs. There are now eleven approved skills academies in sectors as diverse as construction, food and drink manufacturing, creative & cultural, retail and nuclear, with a further five in business planning. The growth represents a major progress towards the Government’s target of having a skills academy in every major sector of the economy.

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Making a difference for copying specialist

(l/r) Victoria Burns, Sue Tomlinson and Jen Harvey

A company which supplies customers with copying equipment is investing in training to make a difference in a competitive market place.

United Carlton, believes the edge this gives its team has helped the company stand out from the crowd and achieve impressive growth.

Established in 1987, the Team Valley based business specialises in full colour and mono digital copier/ printers, scanning and document management solutions. Multi-million pound contracts with Sage and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council have propelled it into the North East’s fastest 50 growing companies list for the past two years.

And office manager, Jen Harvey, is convinced that training programmes delivered by Access have been a major contributor to this success.

“We’ve enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Access for

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more than a decade,” she said: “As a company whose staff take pride in delivering high quality service, we expect the same from our suppliers and this is what we receive from them.

“All in all, the courses are developing a more positive approach to work and we benefit greatly from the enhanced skill sets obtained. In the long term this results in benefits for our customers also.”

At present eight employees are undertaking training at various levels with Access – from departmental managers to office junior Victoria Burns, who is in her first administration job. The Business Administration course is developing the skills she needs to progress to greater things, while two Customer Service Advisors are expanding their expertise through Level 2 NVQs. In addition, an Accounts Administrator is working towards a Level 3 AAT qualification, two

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Supervisors are doing Team Leading to NVQ Level 2 and two Departmental Managers are studying for Level 3 Management qualifications.

Jen added: “All say the same – that the Access team shows them what they are capable of achieving and how much more they can do. It increases their confidence in their abilities, improving performance at work.

“We have also used Access to provide intensive one-to-one tutelage in targeted areas and have found that they can tailor course work entirely to suit our needs, with good effect.”

Sue Tomlinson, Skills Advisor with Access, said: “We are delighted to have been able to help United Carlton to improve and grow business over the years. Although the training we deliver often has uniform and nationally recognised standards, we always focus on the individual in order to help every employee reach their full potential.”

NEWS

EMPLOYERS TURN TO APPRENTICES IN TOUGHER TIMES Hundreds of employers have given Apprenticeships the thumbs up in a new survey in which 81% of businesses said apprentices helped to generate higher overall productivity.

The research, carried out to mark Apprenticeship Week (February 23 to 27), also reveals one in five businesses questioned are hiring more apprentices to help them through tougher times with 22% actively recruiting.

The survey’s other key findings include: n Two-thirds of employers believing their apprentices help them to be more competitive in their businesses (66%); n more than 82% saying they relied on their Apprenticeship programme to give them the skilled workers they need for the future; and n 92% of employers said Apprenticeships resulted in greater employee motivation and job satisfaction Apprenticeships Minister Lord Young, said: “This Government has rescued Apprenticeships having more than trebled the number of people since 65,000 in 1997 to nearly a quarter of a million today, investing nearly

£1 billion this year.The Prime Minister recently announced an extra £140 million to deliver 35,000 new Apprenticeship places.

“Today’s findings show just how well regarded Apprenticeships are by employers. They are rightly valued across Britain as a means of providing employers with a welltrained workforce which help their business to succeed.

They’re about businesses investing in their future, whatever the economic climate.

“An Apprenticeship offers a great deal to both young people and adults, giving them an opportunity to gain practical skills, a well-regarded qualification and invaluable on the job experience while being paid.

“The careers open to people who want to do an Apprenticeship are growing all the time - from the more traditional like engineering to film production and IT. All of this shows just how important it is to bang the drum for Apprenticeships which is precisely what we are doing this week.”

“An Apprenticeship offers a great deal to both young people and adults, giving them an opportunity to gain practical skills” In January the Prime Minister announced an additional 35,000 new Apprenticeship places across the public and private sectors backed by £140 million which builds on a commitment to increasing spending on apprentices in the next year to just under £1 billion. Ministers have also acted to make it easier for employers to take on apprentices by slashing bureaucracy.

Skills Minister Lord Young takes a masterclass in Apprenticeships Skills Minister, Lord Young, a former apprentice, will spend the day meeting and shadowing apprentices at BT’s Primrose Hill Telephone Exchange, London.

As a former apprentice, Lord Young knows all about the great start Apprenticeships can give people in life. To mark the final day of Apprenticeship Week 2009 he is going back to the floor in the industry he began his career to see for himself the vital role apprentices are playing in today’s economy.

Lord Young will visit the Primrose Hill Telephone Exchange and shadow BT Openreach apprentices, Christopher Edwards and Joshua Maclean. He will learn about the work they do on the exchange’s main distribution frame and also get the opportunity to meet Nicholas Fan &

Sally Gentry, apprentices from BT Operate, along with several other first year apprentices who are onsite during the day.

Commenting on the day, Lord Young said: “For me, an Apprenticeship was the ideal way to learn transferable skills, not only for the industry that I began my career but also for life in general.

Spending the day with apprentices at BT is an enriching and encouraging experience as I get to see firsthand how the Government’s commitment to and success in the revival of Apprenticeships and the dedication of employers and apprentices have come together to make things happen.”

To find out more, employers should visit apprenticeships.org.uk or call the Apprenticeships helpline on 08000 150 600.

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SHELL STEP

Fresh and affordable talent Here’s how the Shell Step programme can help your company find highly skilled, fresh and affordable talent to work on short term projects.

Shell Step – the UK’s leading nationwide project-based work placement programme – brings together talented undergraduates, from universities across the UK, who want to gain valuable experience on real work placements and companies who want an injection of fresh ideas and enthusiasm to inspire and build their business.

There is no ignoring the current economic climate and its increasing impact on business and industry. However, the Shell Step programme could be one solution that many small business owners had not even considered.

Taking on a Shell Step student for an eight week period over summer allows new projects to progress and innovative ideas to be worked on, giving your company a boost while the rest of your team continues their work.

Students can carry out a wide range of projects. What’s more, Shell Step agents advise companies on what they can realistically expect the Shell Step student to achieve over the course of the project. For instance, the Shell Step student could work on: n Analysing your production methods n Researching and designing new product concepts n Designing and building websites n Developing marketing plans n Carrying out environmental audits

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n Setting up new systems including ISO 9000, ISO, 14001,

IIP, Health and Safety

n Designing company literature n Setting up IT and/or accountancy systems and much

more.

For more information on how a Shell Step student could be an inexpensive and invaluable asset during this time, please log on to www.shellstep.org.uk to find out more and register your business now.

Chris Haigh - winner of The UK’s Most Enterprising Student 2008 - picked up his award from Shadow Minister for Vocational Education, John Hayes MP, at the Shell Step National Final in London in October

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North West Region

SKILLSPLEDGENATIONAL

NORTH WEST

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North West Region

CASE STUDY

“630 members of staff have begun working towards their Driving Goods Vehicle NVQ at Level 2 and we have seen a 98% achievement rate�

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Eddie Stobart Gets on Board with the Skills Pledge

North West Region

CASE STUDY

Driving up Skills Stobart Group is the UK’s most famous transport and logistics company, with 4000 employees, a fleet of 1500 trucks, a rail freight service and a port operation across over 30 depots at locations around the country. Its head office in Cumbria coordinates activity for the company, offering a customer focused, flexible service for its clients.

Stobart recognises its provision of a one-stop solution for customers is only possible due to its committed pool of drivers and employees and their shared dedication to working towards a common goal. As such, Stobart has made public their commitment to investing in the development of their employees by making the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) Skill Pledge.

Achieving Success Through the Skills Pledge, employers undertake a commitment to support their employees and new recruits in developing their basic skills and working towards relevant qualifications to at least Level 2 – the equivalent of 5 GCSEs at grades A-C. The Skills Pledge may also encompass additional qualification levels, dependant on the priorities of each employer. As well as raising employee skill levels, the aim is to create a more committed and motivated workforce and in turn a more competitive and successful business.

Stobart is already reaping the rewards of focusing on staff training and development.

On making the Skills Pledge at a recent event held by the company’s training provider, System Group Ltd, Dale Foster Operations Director at Eddie Stobart commented, “Training our people is key to the development of our employees. It is our investment in training that means our employees gain a thorough understanding of their job and their responsibilities, which is as beneficial to us as a business as it is to our staff.

“We work in conjunction with Carlisle based System Group, one of the leading logistics training organisations in the UK, and, where relevant, we have been able to access funding from the LSC’s Train to Gain service for the NVQ courses we provide through System Group.

“So far, 630 members of staff have begun working towards their Driving Goods Vehicle NVQ at Level 2 and we have seen a 98% achievement rate of the 500 staff who have already completed the course.”

Dale Foster (left) makes the Skills Pledge with Mark Haysom

Broadening Training Opportunities The Skills Pledge is a commitment by a company to raise the skills of employees throughout the whole organisation. As its commitment to employee training has already begun to pay off, there are plans to widen Stobart’s training offering to as many employees as possible. Dale comments, “Making the LSC’s Skills Pledge is helping us to ensure the best interests of our staff and our business are looked after. As well as allowing our employees to gain recognised qualifications, training our staff means that they gain a better understanding of their job and responsibilities, and can perform better in their role.

“Looking to the future, our aim is to put 1200 drivers through the NVQ programme and then encourage staff to progress onto Level 3 qualifications.We also plan to introduce a similar level of training for our warehouse staff and are looking at working with other local training providers to address our training needs not related to haulage. We want to ensure that as many employees as possible can benefit from our programme of staff development.”

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I’D CLIMB A MOUNTAIN Your daily life is beset with challenges of all kinds. Each day, you must find ways to solve your problems and learn how to turn difficulties into opportunities. Here are ten ways you can approach your seemingly “insurmountable” mountains of challenges..

1. Is it really a mountain? Or is it that you see a mountain?

The task before you could be a 2500 meter climb, a 10000 meter race, to organize the Olympic Games, buy a carton of milk at the corner shop or to keep to your schedule to please an important client. The task before you is indeed a mountain if that is what you see!

Take a good look at what lies ahead of you. lets say you have a relatively short amount of time to organize a meeting for your regional director.

If the first thing that pops into your head is that you probably won’t achieve it in time, therein lies the problem. Without this preconception your job is a simple undertaking. But when you have convinced yourself it’s not possible you have just created Mt Fuji when

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only a moment earlier it was a mere hill built by a mole.

Give yourself some credit. You didn’t get to where you are now by selling yourself short! Bring the mole hill back.

2. Go around the mountain

It is important to do some research first. There are always many possible answers to the one single problem.

We all know it is easier to work our way around the hill than to tackle the peak itself. Is the goal to climb to the peak or simply to get to the other side?

If your destination is just to get to the other side then adjust your plan accordingly. Conserve your energy for those things that are indeed closer to your heart.

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3. Do you really need to climb the mountain?

This is very important here. Be overly honest with yourself. Why are you going to climb this mountain?

Is it because deep down you really want to accomplish this feat or is it to please somebody else? This is probably the most important issue here. If you climb for the wrong reasons the chances are; at worst, you will fail and at best, you will have a feeling of being unfulfilled from within.

Don’t do everything simply to please someone else. It will severely deflate you. You are the most important person in the world. Treat yourself with the respect you deserve. If you don’t, others may infinitely be pressing your buttons.

FEATURE

If you’ve wanted to get to the peak of this hill then for heavens sake go there and achieve it. The feeling will be exhilarating. If you’re indifferent, then find your niche. You will have to seek it out as it is highly unlikely that it will find you.

4. Don’t do it alone!!

Visions of success will increase your confidence and therefore your chances of success.

Put a goal sheet on your wall, beside your desk, inside your cap, in your wallet, purse...anywhere but make them visible to you.

A group of individuals with the same common goal have a habit of drawing incredible power and strength from one another. Plan your trip carefully with experienced mountaineers. A team with the same target has a much greater chance of success than a lone ranger with summit fever.

6. Start climbing from the best access point

In relation to your professional life it is important that you seek out as much knowledge and professional advice as possible from the wealth of information available from others.

Tap into as many different success formulae as you can. Educate yourself in your field, absolutely! Become an expert. Even if you are already an expert in your field there are always mountains (pardon the pun) of new material regularly released that will assist you no end in your endeavors.

When thoroughly prepared you will have created answers to problems that have at this time not developed into problems, but will be easily recognizable and solvable if and when they transpire.

5. You’ve already reached the mountain peak in your mind!!!

This is an important training exercise.

As you vision in your mind that the goal i.e. in this case reaching the summit has already been achieved you will sub-consciously adjust your surroundings to make getting there substantially easier.

Experience has shown that the journey will be easier when you start from as close as possible to your goal.

Prepare thoroughly. This point is a follow on from the last. In a nutshell be a PT (prepare thoroughly) for everything you do.

7. Okay, You’ve decided to climb, but climbing is fun!

You’ve decided to climb the hill.

There is only one lifetime and therefore no time for regrets. Enjoy your climb. If you don’t you shouldn’t really be there in the first place.

Enjoy what you do, always!

8. Plan for every contingency

It’s always good to be prepared for anything that can potentially happen. Plan ahead and cover all your options. It may seem pedantic but every motor car racer, virtually every professional will plan for

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all situations. It’s not much point realizing what you need when you need it. Generally speaking, it’s too late at this point.

9. Travel lightly

This is straight forward.What you take with you will need to carry. There’s not much chance of an industrial hair dryer coming in handy.

In a business sense, make sure your home life stays there. If you are developing something on the home front, for heavens sake make sure it stays there. If you bring your home concerns to work your output will indeed be impeded. This will weigh you down and have the same effect a laden backpack would.

Give your mind a break. Don’t fill your rucksack with nonnecessities...

10. Enjoy the view

You will pass through incredible heights during your journey. Make them memorable; this is a marvelous feat you are accomplishing. Realize it for what it is and you’ll enjoy it and gain an incredible amount of strength from your accomplishment.

Who knows you may then start to plan your next rewarding achievement...

Think Successfully

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North West Region

CASE STUDY

AWARD WINNING LYNTON GROUP COMMITS TO BOOSTING STAFF SKILLS for our customers as well as providing marketing support and technical problem solving. Our employees are key to delivering this service.

“We have been awarded Investors in People status and recognise that our staff appreciate the chance to learn new skills. Our investment in their development not only keeps our employees up-to-date it also helps to boost staff motivation and allows employees to recognise their value to the business.”

Looking to the Future

Andy Charlton, Chairman and Sue Weighell, Finance Director of The Lynton Group

Lynton is a cutting edge company based in Cheshire, specialising in the design and manufacturing of laser and light systems for the medical aesthetics market. Selling machinery for treatments such as skin rejuvenation, hair removal and skin toning to private clinics and salons, Lynton has a philosophy of innovation and constant evolution, and recognises the value of developing its staff to stay at the forefront of the industry.

Taking pride in its after-sales service and a high level of customer satisfaction, Lynton decided to make the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) Skills Pledge to confirm its commitment to training its staff and supporting them to work towards relevant qualifications to at least Level 2 – the equivalent of five GCSEs at grades A-C. Committing to Continuous Development

It was Andy Charlton, Chairman of the Lynton Group, and Finance Director Sue Weighell who got in touch with the LSC, taking the initiative to make the Skills Pledge happen.

Andy Charlton comments, “With the benefit of over 10 years experience in the design and manufacture of laser systems, we recognise that maintaining an innovative approach is an integral part of our long term success strategy. Training our staff is an important part of our company policy and can only help us to achieve and maintain our competitive edge.

As well as developing cutting edge technology, we differentiate ourselves by offering a high level of product training

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Companies that make the Skills Pledge make a voluntary public commitment to ensure that their staff are skilled, competent and able to make a full contribution to the success of the organisation.

To achieve this, Lynton has implemented a programme of training and development, allowing their staff to progress within their job role whilst gaining recognised qualifications.

Sue Weighell explains,“We offer a range of training courses to our staff including basic electronic engineering training for new employees, service training to all staff involved in the servicing of our equipment and the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) to name but a few. Our training is conducted via a mix of in-house training, training by suppliers of our equipment and through training providers including the Learn Direct centre in Congleton.”

“Training our staff will definitely play an important role in the future of the company. At Lynton, staff development is ongoing and is individually reviewed with each member of staff every six months. The ongoing development of existing staff and new recruits will be of vital importance to us over the coming months as we are in the process of launching a Centre of Excellence in Cheadle, Cheshire. The Lynton Clinic will be a training centre where we can train new customers to use the machines that we supply and it will also run as a working clinic, where we can offer treatments to the public.

“This is entirely a new direction for us.We are taking on new staff and through our commitment to employee development, we will ensure that everyone has the necessary training for all aspects of their job. Our staff will be given individual targets and it is our responsibility to ensure they are suitably trained to achieve those goals. This includes in-house training on the equipment we supply and external courses such as the Core of Knowledge which gives a background into laser/IPL technology for practitioners in this industry.

“Making the Skills Pledge has provided a way for us to commit to this future development and is something I would advocate to other employers. Learning new skills and enhancing existing abilities can only help your company to progress in a positive manner.”

For more information about making the Skills Pledge happen in your business call 0800 015 55 45 or visit lsc.gov.uk/skillspledge

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Richard Chongwain Development Engineer

North West Region

CASE STUDY

“Making the Skills Pledge has provided a way for us to commit to this future development and is something I would advocate to other employers� www.theskillspledge.co.uk

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FEATURE

Tougher Health and Safety Law demands tougher drugs policies New legislation that has come into effect this month will introduce tougher penalties on businesses that breach health and safety regulations. According to Concateno, Europe’s leading drug testing company, the new legislation adds a further incentive to businesses considering the introduction of an effective anti-drugs policies and drug testing in the workplace.

The Health and Safety Offences Act 2008, which was announced in last October and came into effect on January 16th 2009, provides courts with increased sentencing powers that could include prison sentences for individuals found responsible for health and safety breaches and increase the maximum fines for offences.

Neil James, head of sales for Concateno’s workplace division said: “Alongside the tougher legislation for corporate manslaughter that has been introduced in recent years, the new Act makes it vital for companies to manage down risks in their businesses, and also to demonstrate that they have undertaken due diligence to indentify and prevent causes of accidents.”

He added: “Employee drug misuse can be a contributory cause of accidents at work and a company’s management could potentially be held responsible if they haven’t taken sufficient action. Businesses have the ability and responsibility to proactively address this situation.”

To be effective, a company’s drug and alcohol policy needs to include deterrents against the inappropriate use of drugs and alcohol – through education; Employee Assistance Programmes that help employee address their drugs problems through appropriate support and treatment; and through testing, whether preemployment, at random, or following incidents.

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East Midlands Region

SKILLSPLEDGENATIONAL

EAST MIDLANDS

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East Midlands Region

WEST NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COLLEGE

West Nottinghamshire College - Dedicated to Business Support We can improve your bottom line – that’s West Nottinghamshire College’s pledge to local, regional and national employers.

The College has a proud track record of making a real difference to businesses, thanks to our groundbreaking workforce development programmes.

We’re one of the largest Train to Gain providers in the country, with half of our turnover coming from workplace training – whether through work-based Apprenticeships or Train to Gain.

We specialise in working with large employers across a range of sectors – namely Construction, Engineering,Transport and Logistics, Health and Social Care, Hospitality and Leisure, Business and Management and Skills for Life.

By identifying your key issues and strategies for improvement, we can design and deliver bespoke training programmes to reskill and up-skill your workforce – helping you to stay ahead of the competition.

And because the College has secured more Train to Gain and work-based Apprenticeship funding than ever before, we can minimise the cost to your business.

The case study opposite showcases the impact the College can have in designing programmes that achieve your business objectives while delivering nationally-recognised qualifications.

To find out how West Nottinghamshire College can improve your bottom line, contact Graham Howe, Director of Employer Engagement, on 01623 413376 or email graham.howe@wnc.ac.uk

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EXAMPLE CASE STUDY: Construction Equipment Manufacturer

n Some people (particularly those who left formal education

Background The company began working with the College on the basis of a recommendation from Rolls Royce, who described their approach to working with employers as “flexible, adaptable, innovative and focussed on delivery”.

The company had established its own Production Process System (PPS) and had already explored the use of Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) to support this.

The company’s aim was to map their PPS to BIT in a much more formal way and to link this to the provision of NVQ accreditation for staff.

While the company has played a lead role in driving the manufacturing skills curriculum with the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing (NSAM), it was not in a position to have its training approved by NSAM. A key aspiration of working with the College was to close the development circle by getting training approved by the training academy it had supported as a lead organisation.

The company recently conducted an Employer Opinion Survey and found that while engineers were happy with the training they received (where investment is driven by statutory requirements and the requirements of new technologies and processes) staff on the shop floor needed broader, more structured and more continuous development.

Working with the College, the company has set out to provide access to learning for every employee.

The company asked the College to help in the following areas: n Establish a flexible approach to the delivery of BIT; n Provide intensive support for individual learners in building their NVQ portfolios; n NVQs for employees who have not historically received regular development opportunities; n Improved scores on Employer Opinion Surveys (on employee development and training engagement themes); n Give staff the skills to support the company’s Rapid Improvement strategy (see below).

Ultimately, impact will be measured in terms of Key Performance Indicators relating to the company’s Six Sigma (Kaizen) based rapid improvement plans: n Increased efficiency (improved production velocity, improved Return On Assets); n A better safety record (fewer accidents); n Improvements in quality (few rejected products).

Assessment of the value and effectiveness of the intervention to date Evidence at this stage relates to gains in terms of transfer of learning to the workplace: n Over the past 9 months the company and College have put 183 people through the NVQ; n There is already a clearer development path within the company – and development is seen as straightforward and easy to access;

with few qualifications) believed they needed a high level of written English to achieve a qualification, but the College team presented the NVQ as a non-threatening development opportunity; n People believe they are capable of achieving – this is a significant change for these learners and, in the view of the company, an important quick win; n The company is scoring 15% higher for training on the Employer Opinion Survey; n While there are factors at play other than the company’s relationship with the College, company leaders see this work as “the glue holding the whole development process together”;

East Midlands Region

WEST NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COLLEGE

Staff who have been with the company for 40 years have accepted the value of the training because it has been presented as relevant to them, and they have been reassured the right kind of support is available from College staff.

Reflections on the partnership with the College n The company felt the College’s assessors were excellent –

well trained and knowledgeable;

n The level of support went well beyond the company’s

expectations;

n The company felt the College were highly committed to

making things happen on time and to the required standard. n The College worked with West Notts in a series of workshops which have helped the two organisations understand each other’s processes; n Assessors were flexible and adaptable – these qualities led the company to view the College as its most effective development partner; n The College team bought an “infectious enthusiasm” to the intervention, which supported the selling of training to the pilot cohort of learners.

These people have, in turn, supported the internal marketing of learning – particularly the marketing of NVQ qualifications.

The future n The company is negotiating to include agency staff in

development activities, to ensure improvements in quality, safety and efficiency across the company; n There will be opportunities for the College to work with other organisations in the company’s supply chain: n The company would welcome the opportunity to highlight this approach to planning development to other companies in the UK engineering-manufacturing sector: n In the spirit of paying back UK Plc for the investment made on the company, it would like to share its development experiences with engineering SMEs.

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E N R A W S R JOB HUNTE O T S V C R I E H SECURE T H T Y T I T N E AGAINST ID the jobs As thousands flood onto ment by market, a controlled experi are exposing iProfile.org shows people t risk themselves to identity thef

ure their CVs ing warned to sec Job hunters are be le share their d how freely peop after experts showe over all the ing nd s, effectively ha resumes with stranger ntity. ide ir the al ste ls need to information crimina by the Metropolitan ted por sup nt, me eri In a controlled exp uncil (IAAC n Assurance Advisory Co Police and the Informatio advert for job a , iProfile.org placed g people http://www.iaac.org.uk) itin inv , per spa a national new ing the a fictional company in dur run ir CV. The advert was ng out ryi to apply by emailing the car e yon An ek.

Prevention we gram ana National Identity Fraud an as’, the company – ‘Denis Atl the m the a simple web search for ing tell te bsi have found a we eived in of ‘steal an id’ - would rec re we s CV 107 ek, t one we company was fake. In jus help of reformed ert. iProfile enlisted the adv job the to se pon res s and discovered CV the lyse y, to ana identity thief, Bob Turne ation for an orm contained enough inf that the vast major ity thousands identity theft to occur. ofile, said: “With tens of Rick Bacon, CEO of iPr the threat ek, we ry eve t the job marke s’ minds. of people flooding onto ple peo uld be at the forefront of UK and of CV identity theft sho the in s me cri g the fastest-growin ng or goi Identity theft is one of it’s ere ut first checking out wh dster frau sending your CV witho ID an ing giv details is akin to masking your personal d that 68% fin to d cke sho re we plate. We your life history on a without doing into our fake job advert CV ir the t sen ple peo of first.” any background checks said: “Whilst ft criminal, Bob Turney, Refor med identity the k statements ban like ngs thi tinely shred many people now rou ir CVs to the d still seem happy to sen y it is to and utility bills, they eas how t jus lise ey need to rea or take complete strangers. Th nt ou acc a CV to set up a bank use the information in ently.” out a credit card fraudul key pieces d just three out of fifteen nee s nal mi cri lly, Typica rage CV ave the – d mit identity frau of information to com

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FEATURE

ED TO O PROTECT HEFT

“Identity fraud is a hugely serious issue and any campaign that raises awareness of the dangers should be commended”

received as part of the experime nt contained eight pieces of information. 61 CVs (57%) inclu ded a date of birth, despite this no longer being a requirement due to age discr imination laws, and 98 (91.5%) included a full addr ess. A further 20 (19%) put others at risk by providing full deta ils of references. One even included the applicant’s passport number and national insurance details. iProfile (www.iprofile.org) con ducted the experiment as part of its ‘Secure Your CV’ cam paign and has released advice on how people can protect them selves against identity theft from their CVs. It includes tips, such as excluding things like date of birth and home addresse s from your CV as this is usually not needed by potentia l employers. It also advises people to check out the com pany online and ensure they have a bona fide telephone num ber and postal address.

Bacon also argues that hosting your CV securely on the Internet, using a reputable online CV provider can be much safer than posting or emailing a traditional word document: “Once you post or email a trad itional CV, you have very little control over it. There’s nothing to stop someone photocopying it or sending it on to others. At iPro file we allow people to hold their CV online in a secure envi ronment. Jobseekers can send a link to their iProfile CV to trust ed contacts who can then only access the information by logging in. iProfile holders can hide a relevant section of their CV, to prevent people seeing their personal information and use pho ne masking services to protect their phone numbers”.

Bacon emphasises that choosing a reputable provider is crucial when placing your CV onli ne: “There are many people who just place their CV online in an unsecured manner – for example by setting up their own simple webpage. We’d caution against this as it can expose them to identity fraud. Stick to the established providers who invest in security and processes to protect your information online.”

Support for the ‘Secure Your CV’

campaign:

Detective Superintendent Russell Day from the Economic and Specialist Crime Comman d, Metropolitan Police, said: “We are happy to support any campaign which aims to raise awareness of the growing threat of online identity fraud. We advise everyone not to post pers onal details on the internet which could collectively be used to clone your identity. This new campaign is an excellent met hod which could help prevent identity fraud and most importantly, protect you and your CV.” Neil Fisher,Vice President, IAAC, adds his support:“Identity fraud is a hugely serious issue and any campaign that raises awareness of the dangers should be commended. Many people are happy to send their CVs ‘blin d’ without thinking about the consequences if their information fell into the wrong hands.

Hopefully this campaign will help people better understand the risks involved and better protect the personal information on their CV in the future.”

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Yorkshire and the Humber Region

SKILLSPLEDGENATIONAL

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER

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WHAT IS MEANT B Ergonomics is an approach to promoting occupational health which has also has benefits in terms of employee satisfaction and efficiency.

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FEATURE

BY ERGONOMICS? In designing work systems, the emphasis is on designing tools, equipment and workplaces so that the job fits the person rather than the reverse. Approaches to prevention may be based on work design or organisational arrangements.

The former relates to tools, machines, workplaces and workplace methods whilst the latter is concerned with selection and training, skills matching and job rotation methods. Usually a combination of these approaches is needed when resolving ergonomic problems that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders.

What Are Musculoskeletal Disorders?

Basically, they arise from damage to muscles and joints. They are not confined to particular industries or types of people.

Work-related problems are often caused by poor workplace or job design. These can lead to: n n

n n

Poor working positions Too much bending, stretching or effort required High levels of repetition Difficult manual handling tasks

The back, neck, shoulders and upper limbs are particularly at risk. You may be able to identify such health problems by any of the following: n n n

n

Injuries to backs and limbs Employee complaints and rest stops Poor product quality and/or individual performance DIY improvements to work stations and tools or ‘self-help’ health aids such as copper bracelets

Some musculoskeletal disorders develop slowly and it is important to catch them early. Reporting of aches and pains should be encouraged so that appropriate action can be taken.

The Need For Action Several recent pieces of legislation require ergonomics related health and safety risks to be assessed as part of a company’s overall Risk Assessment strategy. In addition, sickness, absence, high staff

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turnover, retraining, loss of production, compensation costs etc., will undoubtedly cost businesses money.

Implementing Solutions Solutions can be achieved by changing the designs of workstations, tools and work organisation. Even simple solutions can make a marked improvement and are often easier to implement and adjust than rather more complex changes. In the HSE publication, ‘A pain in your workplace ergonomic problems and solutions’, there are a number of case studies where useful solutions have been found to a variety of ergonomic problems throughout industry and the service sector. They include: n n

n n n

VDU’s - use and operation Loading produce trays into a delivery van Washing utensils in a sink Intensive telephone and keyboard use Recovery of shopping trolleys from a car park

Each case study describes the part(s) of the body affected, risk factors, type of solution, and the relevance of the case to other similar situations. The publication is recommended to all those concerned with ergonomics in the workplace.

Ergonomics Checklist n Do you have systems, procedures or ‘attitudes’ in place to help identify possible musculoskeletal disorders arising from work activities? n Have you carried out appropriate risk assessments on hazardous activities? n In trying to find ergonomic solutions, do you consult with your employees and match the job to the individual and not vice versa?

Remember, by adapting jobs to suit the individuals doing them, fatigue can be reduced and motivation and job satisfaction (and ultimately productivity) increased. Less time is lost from employee absences due to sickness so ergonomics within the workplace is an issue which is important to address.

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North East Region

SKILLSPLEDGENATIONAL

NORTH EAST

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How to develop good teamwork There are very many factors involved in the development of a good team. However, here we shall concentrate on three in particular, namely: communication, team balance and leadership.

Communication is clearly an important part of interpersonal interaction and, of course, teamwork is all about interpersonal interaction. Open communication is a fundamental part of good teamwork in so far as it allows team members to understand each other's point of view, to share ideas, to express feelings and to articulate plans. Poor communication can be a major barrier to effective teamwork. Wrestling with the complexities of communication is therefore part of the challenge of developing an effective team.

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The balance of a team involves having people whose experience, skills, perspectives, interests and contributions complement one another, rather than duplicate or counteract each other. For example, it is no good having a team full of creative people who have lots of new ideas, but do not have the people who have the stamina and stickability to see those ideas through to completion. Similarly, a team that is full of people who are steady, strong workers but have little spark or creativity, will also be impoverished by

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FEATURE

comparison with a balanced team. If it is not to become stale and sterile, a team needs people who are prepared to risk conflict by challenging existing norms and assumptions, but, by the same token, a team also needs its peacemakers.

Differences between team members can, in themselves, lead to conflict but the diversity of the team and the balance that this can achieve, will generally more than make up for any such conflicts.

Leadership refers to the ability to create and sustain a positive working culture to motivate or even inspire staff to play their part in creating a work environment in which there are high standards of practice, a high level of commitment and a positive approach. A key part of leadership is 'vision'. This refers to the ability to keep a clear focus on what the team is trying to achieve, what its objectives are in terms of its overall strategy and aims. It is very easy for a team of people

who are under pressure from various directions to lose their focus on what the team is all about and what purpose it is intended to fulfil. A good leader is somebody who not only keeps a clear focus him- or herself on the team's purpose and direction, but also ensures that that vision is shared by the team members and that they are not allowed to drift too far away from it. A good leader is somebody who promotes high morale by playing a key role in creating an atmosphere in which staff feel valued and supported. This helps to prevent such problems as gossip, rumour-mongering and backbiting, which can be so detrimental to a team's functioning.

Effective teamwork therefore depends on a good leader, the right balance of the right people and the channels of communication remaining open between them. If these three core ingredients can be brought together, then there is every chance of a very effective team developing.

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North East Region

NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY

Dedicated Team Give Business Unrivalled Access to University Expertise

Businesses across the North East, the UK and the globe are benefiting from first class training, knowledge transfer, research and development and student placements thanks to a dedicated division at Northumbria University.

Set up over 20 years ago, Northumbria’s Commercial Enterprises (NCE) provides business with a gateway to the university’s expertise.

NCE Director Tony Hackney and his team provide a vital direct link for businesses who want to benefit from the wealth of research, knowledge and expertise at Northumbria.

Tony says: “Partnership working and knowledge transfer is essential for business in the global economy and it is especially important in the current economic climate. We can offer real tangible support to business by providing bespoke training to improve the skills of both managers and staff, access to the university’s technical and research facilities and direct access to intellectual property.”

Major companies such as Procter & Gamble and Northumbrian Water have benefited from partnership working with Northumbria University, along with SMEs such as Cramlington-based Osborne Engineering.

Osborne Engineering operates across five continents and is at the cutting edge of design and manufacture of white metal components for the oil and gas, power generation and petrochemical industries.With six Northumbria graduates now in management and senior staff positions, Managing Director Shukri Benfaied believes the company has benefited directly from a 10 year collaborative partnership with the university.

He says: “The partnership has enhanced our research and

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development, stimulated knowledge transfer and ensured that first class North East graduates have invested their talent and intellectual property in the region. It’s a winning formula for education, business and the regional economy.”

Dudley-based Owen Pugh is also working with NCE to develop its workforce skills. The company’s diverse business includes construction plant hire, earth-moving and demolition contracting and aggregates. Managing Director John Dickson says: “Our business has grown from a small family run business into a diverse business with a wide range of clients and equipping our managers and staff with the right skills to meet the future challenges of the business is essential.”

As well as supporting business in the North East, NCE also works with companies around the globe. It was a Regional and National Training Award Winner in 2008 at the UK Skills National Training Awards and Northumbria is one of only a few UK universities to have been approved by the Chinese Foreign Experts Bureau.

More recently NCE are now registered with the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) as a Provider of the following Endorsed Programmes: n The Assertive Manager; n Creativity; n Leading a High Performance Team; and n Communication Excellence.

To find out how your business can benefit from working with Northumbria University, contact Northumbria Commercial Enterprises on 0191 227 4148.

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North East Region

TYNE METROPOLITAN COLLEGE

The Career Development Centre @ TyneMet is a newly realigned Centre for Adult Learners Our aim is to provide quality education and training to improve people’s skills and knowledge base in order to help them find work, to keep them up to date or to improve their career prospects. We are a demand led department, meeting the needs of employers and employees to ensure that the skills and training delivered improve the potential of the work force. hrough our three directorates, we offer a wide range of programmes in a variety of industries, and our remit continues to grow and develop in line with commercial needs. Operating throughout the year and not just during term time, these courses offer a cost effective way for you to develop the potential of your staff and to improve competitiveness, performance, productivity and motivation across the business.

DIRECTORATE OF PRE EMPLOYMENT The Directorate of Pre Employment offers courses in literacy, numeracy and ESOL and a wide range of courses designed for learners returning to work and study.

The Directorate’s key aims are to: n n

n n

n

Engage learners returning to work and study Increase the opportunities for learners to undertake Skills for Life qualifications.

Create closer links with employers to deliver the Skills Pledge.

Increase the ways in which Tyne Met College works in a collaborative partnership with other key agencies such as Jobcentre Plus, Working Links, Princes Trust and North Tyneside Council to provide a cohesive approach to improving skills and employment opportunities.

Deliver a variety of ESOL courses to provide the opportunity for people whose first language is not English. Improving their employability chances.

assessors and workforce consultants we can advise and support your organisation promising you and your employees a rewarding and positive experience at Tyne Met. An ambitious and inspirational programme of work is currently within the work force brief, working with childcare and foster carers, floristry, education through initial teacher training qualifications, hospitality and catering, holistic therapies, electrical installation and fitness instruction as a sample of the breadth delivered on site with structured programmes supporting the career change opportunities presented to our learners.

SKILLS PLEDGE We are committed to the national Skills Pledge, having signed it on behalf of our own staff and are able to offer complete bespoke organisational and individual training needs analysis.

We will work with you to understand your requirements in building a tailored programme of learning.

HOW WE WORK TOGETHER:

DIRECTORATE OF WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT Workforce Development @ TyneMet supports employers and employees in the work place. Tyne Met is able to offer tailored training packages to meet individual requirements. Working offsite in a range of training environments and employers’ premises at times to suit the workforce needs, contributing to the regional drive to meet the level 2 and level 3 qualification targets. With our team of dedicated, enthusiastic trainer/

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TRAIN TO GAIN We have excellent success rates and strong on going partnerships with our clients, representing our commitment to a quality learning experience. Train to Gain forms a significant role within the Work Force Directorate. 2006/2007 success rate at 83% is significantly higher than any other regional or national success rate statistic. Through close working partnerships with employers and trainers and ensuring we have the right learner on the right programme, a successful journey is started; providing the employee with the confidence and support to succeed.

North East Region

TYNE METROPOLITAN COLLEGE

DIRECTORATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND ACCESS Universities @ TyneMet offers a unique Higher Education experience. Focussing on teaching for learning, the directorate stimulates participation and success in higher level skills with an emphasis on employability and vocational learning.

A highly supportive and inspirational learning environment, excellent partnerships with local Universities and a bespoke access provision are all factors helping to raise aspiration within the region. We offer a wide range of Foundation Degree, HND and Teacher Education courses. These programmes are designed through collaboration with organisations including employers,higher education institutions and colleges, enabling students to make an immediate contribution to the workplace.

Higher Education changes lives for the better – not only do government statistics show this but our students tell us how gaining higher level skills has increased their life chances and raised the standard of living for them and their families.

Pre Employment (Engage)

Hajara Literacy & Numeracy

“It has improved my confidence and my English and IT Skills and helped me to meet other people from different backgrounds. I am looking forward to my future in the UK and aim to study for a degree in Early Childhood Education in the near future.”

Ugandan-born Hajara was forced to flee persecution in her native country in 2004, leaving behind her life as a qualified teacher. Granted asylum in the UK with her husband in 2005, Hajara enrolled on courses through TyneMet College to develop her basic skills (Literacy and Numeracy Levels 2). She is now working towards CLAIT and Teaching Assistant Level 2, having passed Level 1 with flying colours.

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North East Region

TYNE METROPOLITAN COLLEGE

Jack Oliver NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services “I am delighted with this course; it is very interesting and I like learning something new but which has direct relevance to my job. I’ve found the tutors to be approachable and friendly. Being a modern apprentice will definitely open up new opportunities for me.”

Workforce Development (Development)

After completing a degree in Biotechnology Jack decided to change career direction.

He joined an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship scheme which offers him the chance to continue earning while retraining for a career in Pharmacy. As part of the scheme, Jack now works as a trainee Pharmacy Technician at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital where he is working towards an NVQ Level 3 in Pharmacy Services. Jack also attends TyneMet one day per week to do a BNC Pharmacy Services course to gain the underpinning knowledge and key skills required for his job.

Katherine Lowther NVQ Level 2 in Engineering “I’d always loved working with my hands at school but wasn’t sure how this could translate into an actual career. My Apprenticeship changed all that; because I’m based in a real workplace it’s opened my eyes to a whole world of new jobs I never even knew existed. Now, because I’m working towards a qualification at the same time, I know that my Apprenticeship is taking me a step up the ladder I want to climb.”

Katherine left school at 15 with no qualifications. Returning to college aged 19, Katherine began to give more serious thought to her career prospects. Having inherited a love of hands-on practical work from her mechanic grandfather, Katherine applied for an Apprenticeship at SCA Hygiene in Prudhoe. As a fully-fledged apprentice Katherine attends TyneMet as part of her training towards a Performing Engineering Operations NVQ Level 2 and BTEC National Certificate in Operations & Maintenance.

Jonathan McCutcheon Service Management

Higher Education (Progress) 34

I had been working as a System Administrator for about four years, basically staying at the same level. I wanted to develop my career and progress into management so I decided to do a Foundation degree course in Service Management. I chose TyneMet because I wanted to learn and work at the same time. The course covers areas such as: personal development, marketing, service quality, business innovation and design. I feel I have learnt a lot, both in terms of knowledge and experience, and I soon felt ready to take on new challenges. With my new confidence, I applied for, and was accepted as a Practice Manager of Brunton Park Medical Group. It is a small but growing practice which has really challenged me but I have the confidence and experience that I’ve gained on the course to help me. The Partners of the practice were intrigued at the structure of the course but deem it advantageous to provide continued support for me.

When I’ve completed this course, I am looking to further my education by attending the final year at Sunderland University to get a BA (Hons) in Applied Management.

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Career Development @ TyneMet There’s a career withyour name on it.....

North East Region

TYNE METROPOLITAN COLLEGE

Why not tap into our funded training that improves skills at no cost to employers *, kick started with a computerised Training Needs Analysis in a large range of occupational sectors Including: Pre-Employment skills for life skills for work emPloyability WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HOSPITALITY AND CATERING WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING BUSINESS ADMIN AND CUSTOMER SERVICE EDUCATION TRAINING AND WORK BASED LEARNING CARE AND EARLY YEARS SCIENCE AND PHARMACY ENGINEERING HAIR, BEAUTY AND FLORISTRY LAUNDRY AND CLEANING HIGHER EDUCATION FOUNDATION DEGREES IN: LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT SERVICE MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANCY COMPUTING AND MANY MORE...

We can give you : n Customised training n Flexible delivery systems n Solutions to gain an

advantage over competitors n Qualifications from all

industry sectors

Contact Joan Wardle: Business Manager for Career Development E: joan.wardle@tynemet.ac.uk Telephone 0191 229 5306 Embleton Avenue Wallsend Tyne and Wear NE28 9NJ

*subject to meeting funding criteria

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North East Region

PROFOUND SERVICES

Profound Services: the right solutions for you Profound Services will be celebrating the start of its third year in business by implementing huge expansion plans to deliver its services nationally.

The company – which offers training, bespoke training and recruitment solutions – is set to open offices in Yorkshire and the East Midlands initially, before a national roll-out across the UK. Profound offers a recruitment service for permanent jobs across a variety of sectors including hotel and leisure, management positions and transport opportunities - which has recently included the recruitment of East European taxi drivers.

However, it is the training side of the business which has put them en route to becoming a nationally recognised organisation.

Working alongside Go Skills (Sector skills Council for Passenger Transport) one of Profound’s specialisms is delivering training to the transport industry with the company’s bespoke taxi driver training packages in huge demand across the North East.

“Taxi drivers are a crucial part of any region’s economy – often the first point of contact for tourists – as such we are striving to offer packages tailored to their needs. These can be stand alone or as part of an NVQ” said Steven Ward, managing director of Profound Services.

“The packages include training on local knowledge, disability awareness, customer service, health and safety and first aid. But we also offer support to the taxi company owners to ensure they have the right policies and procedures in place.”

He said.

Having responded to the demands of the taxi industry, Profound has recruited East European drivers and where they are concerned, Profound ensures that not only do the drivers receive a high standard of training but that support is given in other areas such as CRB checks, sourcing accommodation and assisting with tax and national insurance issues.

The company is the first of its kind to complete NVQ training of this nature in the Darlington, Durham and Blyth areas – with fantastic feedback from the taxi companies involved and demands for further training for other drivers.

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Profound is also on track to deliver the Back To Work scheme, working with regional job centres to advertise, shortlist, interview and employ taxi drivers. This scheme will see drivers receive pre-employment training while going through CRB checks before moving on to NVQ training once employed.

The company aims to roll out this training scheme nationally and the management team at Profound are currently negotiating a number of deals outside the region.

Other transport specialisms include training as part of the new CPC (certificate of professional competence) legislation.

Now mandatory for all bus and coach drivers - and set to become law for haulage companies by September 2009 Profound already provides training for this certificate across the North East, with plans to expand and deliver outside the region.

This family-run business has come a long way since managing director Steven Ward started the company with sons Brian and Gary in October 2006. Two years on and Profound currently employs 25 staff but with these exciting plans in the pipeline this figure is forecast to double over the course of the next six months.

“Our ultimate objective is to open a Profound Training Academy with satellite offices across the country” said Steven.

“Now that we are negotiating deals outside the North East and are looking at opening our first two satellite offices, that objective is starting to become a reality. I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved in a relatively short period of time – and incredibly excited about the future” he said.

For more information on Profound Services contact 0191 5878161 or visit www.profoundservices.com Profound Services, Novus Business Centre, Judson Road, Peterlee, Co Durham SR8 2QJ. Tel: +44 (0) 191 587 8161 Fax: +44 (0) 191 587 8163 Email: info@profoundservices.com

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Fulfilling the demands of today.

Anticipating the demands of tomorrow.

Transport Training Programmes NVQ Level 2 Road Passenger Vehicle Driving BTEC VRQ Transporting Passengers by Taxi and Private Hire MIDAS Passenger Assistant Training Scheme (PATS) Driver Disability Awareness Recruitment and Training Academy Training Portfolio Leadership and Management Pre-employment Programmes Quality Assurance Fork Lift Training Environmental Issues One-day ‘drop in’ courses First Aid Manual Handling Food Hygiene Health & Safety Profound are an LSC Train to Gain approved provider and NVQ accredited centre. As an ESF contract holder, we also offer pre-employment training schemes to meet the needs of our employability and work placement programmes.

To find out more about any of our courses please contact us: Profound Training, Profound Services, Novus Business Centre, Judson Road Industrial Estate, Peterlee, CO Durham SR8 2QJ. Tel: +44 (0)191 587 8161 Fax: +44 (0)191 587 8163 www.profoundservices.com

Profound Services Profound Services is a rapidly expanding, dynamic company. We are currently recruiting for key positions within the company to help us progress our exciting plans for national expansion.

Head of Commercial Training: To further develop the commercial training arm of the company.

Key responsibilities will include: people management, consolidation of the Certificate of Professional Competence, financial management (budget control), strategic planning and partnership management.

North East Region

PROFOUND SERVICES

Back to work scheme...

Profound are in discussions with the taxi industry to open a ‘one-stop-shop’ driver recruitment and training academy.

This ground-breaking concept is being well received within the industry with minimal or no costs to the taxi company or recruited drivers.

We are currently in discussions with job centers, local authorities, taxi associations, and taxi companies across the region prior to introducing our training and recruitment academy for the taxi industry.

The concept is for Profound to provide qualified drivers to the industry via our new recruitment and training academy.

This will consist of a six-week funded training and development programme starting with a rigorous interview and selection process.

We plan to work closely with local job centers and taxi companies to ensure we recruit highly committed candidates who are looking for a career in taxi driving. Once selected, recruits will join the academy and benefit from high quality training and development.

Our package will include Interview and selection CRB application Driver medical Driver badging VRQ classroom based Taxi Training Placement into employed or self-employed positions Post employment training.

To find out more about our recruitment services please contact us: Profound Recruitment, Profound Services, Novus Business Centre, Judson Road Industrial Estate, Peterlee, Co Durham SR8 2QJ. Tel: +44 (0)191 587 8161 Fax: +44 (0)191 587 8163 www.profoundservices.com

NVQ AssessorS To deliver a highly customer focussed assessment service to a variety of candidates undertaking NVQs within the taxi industry. The successful applicant will need to demonstrate a high level of occupational competence and the ability to work flexibly and use their initiative to solve problems and instigate solutions.

If you are ambitious, driven, and looking for a career not just a job we want to hear from you.

Contact Ian Grigg at Profound Services or email info@profoundservices.com Profound Services, Novus Business Centre, Judson Road, Industrial Estate, Petered. Co Durham SR8 2QJ. Tel: +44(0)191 587 8161

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North East Region

BALTIC TRAINING SERVICES

Totally Focused Totally Focused is Baltic Trainings unique tailor made package which will give your company specific training focused on your company needs.This training will run alongside a nationally recognised vocational qualification.The NVQs on offer are: NVQ Level 2 Customer Service These NVQs will cover specific areas of your employee’s daily tasks and tie in with the training.

In addition to the NVQ we recommend the add on courses below, these courses can be adapted and changed to suit your business needs.

TOTALLY FOCUSED (CUSTOMER SERVICE) NVQ Level 2 plus the courses below:

Baltic Training Services Evans Business Centre Durham Way South Aycliffe Ind Park Newton Aycliffe Co.Durham DL5 6XP T: 01325 329 828 E: info@baltictraining.co.uk www.baltictraining.com

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

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Team Building 4hrs Sales & Negotiation Techniques 8hrs (2 x 4hr sessions) Effective Communication 4hrs Telephone Etiquette 2hrs Motivation 2hrs Total 20hrs

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Tim Shepard, Sales Director from UK Fuels said: “Baltic Training have provided a well structured and organized platform for us to put our Sales and Customer Services staff through a series of NVQ’s. The balance between “classroom” and “on the job training” has worked well and will hopefully ensure that what they have learnt/been trained can be put into their day jobs to enhance performance and increase productivity.”

Baltic Training Services engaged with UK Fuels who are based in Crewe over a year ago. After employer led discussions and an in depth company needs analysis Baltic training created their customer focused “Totally Focused” training package.

Totally focused consists of twenty hours of bespoke tailor made training over five core modules running alongside twelve hours of assessment for their City and Guilds NVQ level 2 in Customer Service, with this programme in mind the UK Fuels management team agreed to enrol 50 employees.

Group 1 of eight learners started their programme in May 2008 attending five consecutive training “Wednesday’s” and Baltic Training’s Trainer/Assessor Lisa Jordan assessed them weekly until they achieved their NVQ level 2 in Customer Service.

Almost a year later and Baltic Training have progressed to group 5, currently on programme and in mid-flow of their learning journey. Thirty two learners have successfully completed our Totally Focused programme.

Baltic Training Services are now in discussions with UK Fuels about a level 3 Management programme for their Supervisors, consisting of a level 3 NVQ and bespoke training.

Chris Adair, Baltic Training’s Operations Manager said “ UK Fuels are a fine example of an employer making full use of the Train to Gain programme, their management team recognised the need for training and also their staff achieving a nationally recognised qualification, I have enjoyed working with them and I anticipate a long and successful relationship with them.”

Since it was founded in 1990 the UK Fuels Group has developed into one of Europe’s leading fuel card management company’s. From its head office in Crewe the Group delivers services that cover every element of the fuel card business using leading technology to provide a competitive edge.

Its main centres of operation are the UK, Ireland, Benelux and Sweden where they have developed and continue to develop their own independent networks.

In these markets they provide card solutions for smaller oil companies and fuel distributors as well as marketing their own brand cards.

Their marketing package includes on site promotion, mail shots, telemarketing and a web based sales solution. Their

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telemarketing division has the largest fuel card team in Europe.With over 175 people this division provides a sales solution to major oil companies specifically targeting the small business sector where it is not economic to use ‘on road’ people. At its Crewe based sales office, UK Fuels is striving to create a centre of excellence for the management of the “customer relationship”.

Their retail division provides a full end to end service to allow oil companies to outsource all or part of their fuel card business.

The Groups customers encompass a wide variety of businesses of varying size and type, including many of Europe’s leading oil companies.

North East Region

BALTIC TRAINING SERVICES

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North East Region

MOBILE CARE QUALIFICATIONS

Responding to the Health & Social Care Sector

Training Provision has changed over recent years and even more so with the advent of Train to Gain. The emphasis has moved from solely focusing on the student but to assisting Employers with their long term Business and Skills Development.

MCQ or Mobile Care Qualifications have found that responding to Employers needs involved a lot of Business Development of their own.

Wellburn Care Homes Ltd are a successful family run Care provider based in the North East with whom MCQ have been engaged with for many years, providing level 2-4 NVQ qualifications and Health & Social Care training through Apprenticeships and Train to Gain Programmes.

Their particular development plans included opening in the North Yorkshire Region and as such have recently opened four new facilities around the York area. MCQ have maintained their service to them over the last year delivering the quality of training the Employer has come to expect. However, with no regional contract in place MCQ had to make a decision. “It wasn’t a hard decision to be honest; it fitted in with our current plans to make MCQ a more responsive training provider. We successfully tendered for a Train to Gain contract in the Yorkshire and the Humber Region which allows us to actually follow the employers own development plan and locate in the North Yorkshire area. I feel this is exceptional responsiveness and should benefit both Companies in the long run.”

Nunthorpe Nurseries Group are the biggest provider of Childcare in the North East and MCQ proposed to accommodate their training needs through the Apprenticeship Programme and Train to Gain. “This company are a successful childcare provider already focussed

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on quality and committed to training, it was not enough to just turn up with a list of qualifications we deliver.” Both Companies sat down and found a solution which again supported both of our Business Development plans. “We found that this Employer had space available on one of their sites in Middlesbrough, we opened a Training Centre in there and they effectively became our landlords! In my opinion you cannot be more responsive; this employer now has a Training facility next door which accommodates their NVQ in Children’s Care Learning & Development needs from level 2 to level 4 along with shorter courses. We have also established a healthy apprenticeship programme which helps with the Groups recruitment.”This has enabled MCQ to develop a presence in the South of the Region in line with its own development plan.

MCQ provide Train to Gain or Apprenticeship funded training within the Health & Social Care Sector. Their most popular qualifications consist of : n Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships in both Care or Childcare n NVQ Level 2 through to Level 4 Health and Social Care n NVQ Level 4 Leadership and Management for Care Services n NVQ Level 2 Support Services in Health Care n NVQ Level 2 through to Level 4 Children’s Care Learning and Development n Certificates in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Telephone: 0191 265 3003 Fax: 0191 224 1260 Email: train@mcq.co.uk www.mcq.co.uk

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NCFE NVQs: A piece of cake Switching to NCFE’s growing range of NVQs couldn’t be easier – in fact, it’s a piece of cake.

The organisation will be working over the next year to add to its already-impressive range of NVQs – it started 2009 by launching 12 new NVQs and will offer almost 50

by July, with yet more in the pipeline.

All NCFE NVQs come with all the support, clarity and value that you would expect from the UK’s oldest qualification provider. All qualification materials are clear, easy-to-understand and are available online, and NCFE will also tailor its verification services to meet the needs of every centre.

NCFE will also give everyone a named point of contact to ensure a consistently high quality of customer service and administration.

The biggest attraction, though, is just how easy it is to switch to NCFE NVQs or to start delivering them for the first time. NCFE will take care of all the hard work, meaning centres and training providers can get on with the business of delivering the qualifications.

The newest additions to the range include NVQ Level 3 in Instructing Physical Activity and Exercise, perfect for

North East Region

NCFE

increasing skills in the ever-growing leisure and fitness sector.

NCFE has also launched Cleaning and Support Services at Levels 1 and 2, responding to demand for cleaning staff to be granted the chance to develop professionally.

NCFE’s newly-launched NVQs in full: n Level 1, 2 and 3 NVQ in Customer Service n Level 2 NVQ in Health and Social Care n Level 3 NVQ in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) n Level 3 NVQ in Health and Social Care (Adults) n Level 4 NVQ in Health and Social Care (Children and Young People) n Level 4 NVQ in Health and Social Care (Adults) n Level 2 NVQ in Instructing Exercise and Fitness n Level 3 NVQ in Instructing Physical Activity and Exercise n Level 1 and 2 NVQ in Cleaning and Support Services Full details are available at www.ncfe.org.uk or contact 0191 239 8000 for more details.

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North East Region

HARTLEPOOL COLLEGE

fact or fiction: college dispels training myths 42

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Local business owners are most probably aware that workforce development courses, workshops and seminars are widely available, no more so than at Hartlepool College of Further Education, but the presence of oldschool myths and pre-conceptions mean that some workforces may be missing out on significant training opportunities.

Dominic Vizzard works as Customer Relations Manager for Hartlepool College’s Business Development Centre, and with clients’ locations ranging from Newcastle to Barnsley, coupled with the recent achievement of the Training Quality Standard, the Centre has built a strong national reputation for business training.We spoke to Dominic who helps to dispel some of the common training myths once and for all…

Myth 1: we don’t need training Undertaking workforce development does not suggest a weak or failing business, in fact it demonstrates a proactive and forward-thinking business. Not only can staff benefit from new skills and knowledge in a variety of areas, training is also found to boost morale, efficiency and overall productivity.

Myth 2: we don’t have time for training Gone are the days when a course is set for a specific day and time, or starting in September only – courses operate 50 weeks of the year at flexible times, and by no means in term-time only.They can be delivered at the company’s premises if feasible – even entire degree courses for larger companies.

Furthermore, some programmes offer a ‘roll-on roll-off’ facility, where attendees can take a break from their training should they hit a busy spell at work.

Myth 3: we’re too specialised for training There is often scope to develop bespoke courses, tailored to the business’s needs and bringing in specialist tutors to deliver them. Training can range from a one-off single day workshop, right up to a threeyear higher education degree, and there are many valuable courses that can be applied to any industry, such as Business Management or ICT.

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North East Region

HARTLEPOOL COLLEGE

Myth 4: the scary classroom scenario Hartlepool College has its own Business Development Centre, from which much of the workforce development activity operates. The Centre runs as a business itself, closely integrated with the College, with a professional but relaxed atmosphere and with modern facilities. The training is geared to be enjoyable and rewarding, with sociable seating arrangements, so any daunting school-time memories can remain a thing of the past.

Myth 5: we can’t afford staff training The first point to note is that funding is available for a range of courses and training, for example for some NVQ qualifications and via the Train to Gain initiative. The Business Development Centre will assess each case individually and advise of any subsidies that can be accessed. Secondly, courses can be shared by multiple businesses with similar needs, which is ideal to reduce the cost or to enable a course to run when numbers from individual companies are low.

Dominic’s role involves making informal contact with businesses via telephone, and arranging relaxed and friendly appointments to discuss their training needs. He explains: “Having previously run a business myself, I am able to offer first-hand advice from an industrial and commercial perspective, as opposed to being teaching or education orientated.

“The key message I would convey to businesses is that there are so many training options out there, so don’t write anything off until you have discussed it with us.”

For further information on training opportunities available, Dominic can be contacted on 01429 404 188

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TEAM LEADERS Team leaders play a very important role in the development and encouragement of a team. It is their job not only to ensure that the standards of their team are high and the tasks that have been assigned are being done, but also to ensure that the team spirit and morale of their team is kept.

Some of the main characteristics of a team leader are:

improvement in their work.And always try to recognize the accomplishments and performances of the team.

They need to have the ability to

1 inspire a team.

They should be responsible and

2 dependable.

It is very important that a

3 team leader can recognize and acknowledge the contributions and ideas of their team members.

Try to ensure that your criticism

2 is constructive. When you

are reporting back to a person in authority, try to highlight the good points as well as the bad points. If you only convey the bad points it may also reflect badly on you. Try to supply distinct suggestions on how to solve these problems that have lead to bad performances.

That they can celebrate the

4 accomplishments of their team.

Here are some tips on how to be a good team leader:

Provide team leadership and

1 coaching. It is important that

you set a good example to your team.

For example, try not to arrive late or leave early while you are working.You should always try to encourage the group through dexterity and constant

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If you are positive, then this

3 enthusiasm will give your team a lot of encouragement. Motivation is a very important characteristic of a team leader. If your team is at a low point, try to motivate them by eg.

Having a meeting and discussing what the problem may be or by running small competitions among the team.

Setting targets and having prizes for the winners can be an excellent form of encouragement. You should always

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listen to what your team has to say and by having a meeting every now and then you can take in their ideasthey may even have better ideas than yourself! It is very important to value these ideas.

Try to train your team without

4 actually doing the task at hand yourself. If you constantly do the job for the team member they will find it very hard to learn and they may become dependent on you. It can also hinder a team members confidence and skills.

A team leader needs to be very

5 committed to their job. They may need to work extra hours or be available at short notice. They have to be committed to their team and ensure that the standards of performance are kept at a high level.

FEATURE

“If you fail to get to know members of the team it may make them feel that their hard work is not appreciated�

There are many ways that a team leader can kill team spirit. Here are a few examples: n If you are critical of your team it may discourage your team members and thus cause tension. This in turn will drain your team. n You should never talk about team members behind their backs. This may cause them to distrust you and it could also form a barrier between you and your team. n You should not speak unfairly or badly about people in authority. Not only does it reflect badly on yourself but it could also cause you to lose your job. n It is important that you try to get to know all of your team members. You will be highly valued by your team if you show that you are interested in what they have to say.

If you fail to get to know members of the team it may make them feel that their hard work is not appreciated. n And finally, never make others look bad. You should always take the blame for your own mistakes. If you leave it for your team members to pick up after you, it only reflects badly on yourself. It may be the easy way out to blame others but always remember that to build a barrier between yourself and your team is only killing the team spirit which is crucial if you want your tea to perform well.

It may take some time for you to build up a strong team but never give up. If you act as a good team leader, your team will eventually be there for you through the good times during your career and also the bad.

Some of the main characteristics of a team leader are:

They need to have the

1 ability to inspire a team.

They should be responsible

2 and dependable.

It is very important

3 that a team leader can

recognize and acknowledge the contributions and ideas of their team members.

That they can celebrate the

4 accomplishments of their team.

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North East Region

CASE STUDY

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service make The Skills Pledge One of the region’s key emergency services is looking forward to a bright future after signing up to The Skills Pledge. County Durham & Darlington Fire and Rescue Service has shown its commitment to developing the skills of its 700 employees by signing up to the initiative which will see all employees reach Level 2 and improve literacy and numeracy skills.

The Skills Pledge, being driven in the region by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East, aims to encourage businesses and organisations to commit to staff training and development. Since its launch, over 100 employers in the region have made the Skills Pledge.

As well as emergency call outs, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for educating the community in fire safety, emergency planning and training the future generation of fire fighters.

Susan Johnson, Chief Executive, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, says: “Our Learning and Development department not only ensures that our operational staff are trained to react and deal with emergencies but that all of our staff have access to development opportunities.”

Ms Johnson added, “As a Service we take our responsibility to educate the community very seriously, this can only be achieved by ensuring our staff have the opportunity to develop new skills and gain additional qualifications where possible.”

The first step will be to complete a skills audit to assess what level employees are currently working at

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and where they require training to achieve Level 2 across the board.

In addition to taking up literacy and numeracy learning opportunities, policy development manager at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Chris Hockaday has committed to deliver training in areas such as I.T. Chris says: “If the skills audit highlights other areas that require attention we will look to incorporate these into The Skills Pledge. The pledge itself is an excellent initiative to show just how committed we are to developing the skills of all of our employees.

“I can’t wait to start with the audit and see where we can really help our employees to improve their skills. Our overall aim is to develop our workforce and in turn improve our service to the public.”

Chris Roberts, Regional Director, LSC North East, said: “County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service has always shown commitment to developing the skills of its workforce but now

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that commitment is official and I look forward to seeing the organisation reap the rewards.

“Thankfully, more and more employers are realising the sound economic sense of investing in the skills of their workers. The Skills Pledge is a public commitment; a promise by employers to drive their business forwards by training their employees. It is a voluntary commitment for employers to fulfil in their own time and their own way.”

Employers that make the Skills Pledge have access to a Skills Broker through the Train to Gain service to help them identify their training requirements and come up with an individual action plan tailored to their needs. The North East is currently one of the top performing regions in the country when it comes to learners achieving through Train to Gain. Since the service was launched nationally in September 2006, 12,000 learners have achieved their qualifications and some 5,000 businesses have benefited.

Mr Roberts added: “We want employers to know that the Skills Pledge makes a lasting impression on their business and the bottom line. There is no doubt that the Skills Pledge is gathering momentum here in the North East but we must never become complacent. We want more and more employers to come forward and make the Skills Pledge. There are huge advantages for employer, employee and for the region in raising skills levels.”

For more information on how to make the Skills Pledge, visit www.lsc.gov.uk/ skillspledge or call 0800 015 5545.

Established in 1989, Access has grown to become one of the North East’s top work based training providers with an annual turnover in excess of £1.3 million.

Its three divisions work with local businesses to develop staff and provide effective business solutions through training and it has helped over 4,000 young people into employment.

As a member of the Gateshead Collective, a partnership of eight training providers based at the new Skills Academy on Team Valley, Access aims to provide excellence in work based learning.

It is one of the first private training providers to have undergone and passed an inspection by Ofsted – the Office for Standards in Education, which found Access offered ‘good’ provision in every subject area. It also gained Customer First accreditation, a quality mark for excellence in customer service and the Matrix standard for the quality of information, advice and guidance it provides.

Access Business Solutions provides detailed analysis of employers’ skills needs, advises on training solutions and helps secure funding for training.

AccessApprenticeships focuses on the government’s flagship training programme for 16-24 year olds. Apprenticeships through Access include accounting, business administration, customer service, advice and guidance, call handling, management, learning and development, manufacturing, warehousing and security systems (engineering).

Access Training works with over 150 businesses, delivering training for individuals of all ages or entire teams, from NVQ qualifications to management and professional accreditation.

left to right Stuart Gibb, Shelley Pounder and Mel Taylor

North East Region

ACCESS

Tel: 0191 490 4646 www.accesstraining.org

Eaga to give the right advice A business which advises thousands of people every day on issues from keeping warm in winter to employment law has turned to Access for some guidance of its own.

Eaga, the UK’s leading provider of residential energy efficiency solutions, manages the government’s Warm Front heating and insulation grant programme.

Its advice services department has around 150 members of staff carrying out benefit entitlement checks on behalf of various utility companies to ensure people are claiming all the state benefits to which they are entitled. It also provides advice on welfare benefits, housing law, employment law and money matters through the telephone based community legal advice scheme.

Stuart Gibb, the department’s training manager, says: “We are committed to improving our staff and supporting their development. But we didn’t want the training to be just a paper exercise.We really

wanted our advisers to get something from it and make it a worthwhile experience to help build their confidence. We looked at a number of training providers and Access was the right organisation to meet our requirements.

“This NVQ level 3 in advice and guidance fits perfectly with the type of work that we do and the people who have completed the course found it very worthwhile and have got a lot out of it.“ Benefit Adviser, Shelley Pounder, agrees, saying:“I have to say that the NVQ process has been excellent. I can’t think of anyway in which my experience could have been improved. The fact that eaga has been so willing for us to complete the qualification and also the choice of a great training organisation meant it was very straight forward.”

Team Valley based Access now offers a range of qualifications specifically aimed at helping businesses improve the support that they can offer to their clients.

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The company, awarded the Matrix standard for the delivery and quality of its own information, advice and guidance (IAG), has now been accredited to offer NVQs in Advice and Guidance at levels 2, 3 and 4.

Mel Taylor, Business Development Consultant at Access, explained: “People need advice and guidance in all aspects of their lives. Whether it is help in sourcing information from a library or voluntary organisation, gaining advice about housing, benefit entitlement, energy efficiency, where to stay or even which specs to choose at an opticians, we all expect the people we ask to be qualified to provide it.

“These Advice and Guidance qualifications are proving very popular as they provide organisations with the confidence that their staff are competent in communicating with and supporting their clients and ultimately providing an excellent level of service.”

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North East Region

CASE STUDY

TRAINING HELPS BEAT CREDIT CRUNCH One North East company is beating the recession by investing in its staff and - with sickness down 60% and full staff retention - the initiative is already paying off.

Lees Cleaning, based in South Shields, is a family-run business which was set up in 1975 by Derek West. The company provides commercial cleaning services to dozens of firms across the North East and employs 250 cleaning staff.

It was when office cleaning manager, Kathleen Richmond, visited South Tyneside College for a business seminar last September that she discovered how training could help the company.

Kathleen found out that the College could provide NVQ level 2 training to up-skill all her staff and directly impact the company’s bottom-line. The College also helped Lees Cleaning to access funding through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East’s ‘Train to Gain’ service.

Kathleen said: “In a recession, it’s very tempting to tighten your belt and stop spending but, after talking to South Tyneside College, we decided to do the opposite and start investing in staff development.

“The recession makes workers feel insecure in their jobs, which in turn can lead to people becoming distracted and stressed, and we wanted to make sure this didn’t happen.

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From left, Brian Blyth, Tracy Winsborough, Donna Sewell, Lynn Mason, Lynne Williams, Carol Reay and Kath Richmond of Lees Cleaning who benefitted from training at South Tyneside College

“Although it’s only been ten weeks since the first phase of our staff training, we are already seeing enormous benefits.

“Because everyone is better trained and subsequently more motivated – we have seen a 60% decrease in the number of sick days taken. This means our supervisors can now concentrate on doing their own jobs rather than those of absent staff, which has helped boost the overall quality of our work and increased staff morale so reducing customer complaints.

“We’ve also seen 100% staff retention since the start of the initiative - where previously we were recruiting new staff every week. This has saved an enormous amount in advertising costs.

“To see such direct financial benefits so quickly has really sold us on the idea of training. As well as up-skilling the remainder of our cleaning staff, we are now hoping to train all of our managers in IT skills so that they can have more flexibility across the business.

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“We’d also like to thank South Tyneside College’s assessor – Nicola Smith – for all her help and dedication.

Nicola has been brilliant and visits our staff at the crack of dawn or late at night to carry out training so that it doesn’t impact on our business.We are so grateful for the massive difference she’s made to our business operations.”

Hayley Ward, head of marketing and commercial development at South Tyneside College, said: “We are delighted that Lees Cleaning has seen the benefits of training so quickly. In a time when many businesses are worrying about surviving the forthcoming year, training your staff can be one way to put your company ahead of the game.”

Chris Roberts, regional director, Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East, said: “It has never been so important for employers to make developing the skills of their workforce a priority. There is evidence from previous downturns that organisations that invest in training do

best once the economy improves. Train to Gain, which has been a huge success here in the North East, has helped thousands of employers of employers to benefit from upskilling their workers.

“This story proves that training really does impact an organisation’s bottom line through improved staff morale and retention. I hope that other employers will follow in the footsteps of Lees Cleaning and take action now to secure their future through training.”

The Train to Gain service ensures that flexible, responsive training is delivered to meet employers’ needs through an independent brokerage service which offers impartial advice to match training needs to local learning providers. A core element of the service is the access to appropriate funding of qualifications from Skills for Life right through to higher education. Since it was launched in the North East more than two years ago, more than 40,000 learners have accessed Train to Gain and around 6,500 employers have engaged with the service.

North East Region

CASE STUDY

For more information on the bespoke training courses offered at South Tyneside College, please contact the Information Centre on (0191) 427 3900 or visit www.stc.ac.uk.

For more information about how Train to gain can help your business, visit www.traintogain.gov.uk or call 0800 015 5545.

“We are delighted that Lees Cleaning has seen the benefits of training so quickly” Entrepreneurs of tomorrow support Keep Trade Local The Federation of Small Businesses was delighted to be an integral part of Enterprise Week 2008. Working alongside the Make Your Mark campaign, the FSB ran a daring two day workshop which centred on the very successful Keep Trade Local campaign.

Students from Hartlepool Sixth Form College, English Martyrs and Prior Pursglove came up with a photograph campaign around Keeping Trade Local, which was thought provoking and memorable. The photography was then displayed at Darlington Market where the students sold their ideas to the public and promoted the Keep Trade Local Campaign of the FSB. The student’s pictures were the highlight for many of the 400+ people who signed the Keep Trade Local petition on the day. The work has now formed part of a calendar which will be used to highlight and

raise awareness of the campaign to local authorities and MP’s within the region.

Colin Stratton, FSB Regional Chairman for the North East of England: “We are delighted that the student’s project will have a tremendous longevity through the creation of this superb Keep Trade Local calendar. Small businesses are not just a part of the local community, they are the local community. They generate wealth employment and provide opportunity for all.

In the North East we are standing up as a united voice and telling the Government, to Keep Trade Local.”

If you want any further information on the FSB or the Keep Trade Local campaign please email: david.longstaff@fsb.org.uk.

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North East Region

VISIT TEES VALLEY

Develop your people develop your business visitTeesvalley, which is the lead organisation for tourism management and marketing in our region, is delighted to bring you the following series of articles on skills training.

We hope you find them both useful and thought provoking, as we firmly believe that when you “develop your people you are in truth developing your business”.

The Visitor Economy is one of those sectors in which, your staff, are at the forefront of the customer experience.

Undoubtedly your staff form part of your brand proposition, irrespective of your businesses size. It is often their appearance, demeanour, approachability, knowledge and commitment that can make or break the visitor’s enjoyment of your offering. Indeed this is often as important as the services and facilities offered and can dictate whether they return for more, recommend friends and family or talk positively about their experience.

Therefore it makes sense that managing these aspects of client service and making provision to train your staff can and will impact on your businesses bottom line.

Equally, as the body responsible for managing and promoting the destination, it is our responsibility to offer access to skills training and advice to ensure that together we can accurately and firmly position the Tees Valley as a quality destination worthy of visitation in a competitive national and global marketplace. Which is why in January 2009, visitTeesvalley ran its first skills training programme specifically geared to those in the Tourism industry, under the banner of Tourism Launchpad. The events provided a fantastic opportunity for tourism businesses to access free advice and support and network with key partners.

The experts on hand were from organisations such as: eviivo Frontdesk which has developed a unique, award- winning property management and online booking system. Desti.ne Extranet the regional portal. Experts talked businesses through using Desti.ne and its advantages in raising your business’s profile on the web.

VisitBritain which provided independent advice on the positive impact that making your business more accessible can achieve for your bottom line.

Training – Colleges were in attendance in their respective area to advise on training and professional improvement for employees. They provided cost-effective information on how to train and motivate your team.

Essential when improving customer service and developing your visitor offer.

White on Brown signs – Many businesses rely on brown signs to attract customers to their venue and improve their location’s visibility. Tourism Launchpad experts included representatives from the Local Authorities giving advice on how you can benefit from the nationally recognised brown sign scheme.

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Welcome to Excellence is the UK’s leading customer service training programme. Attendees were able to find out more from Northumberland College at the Tourism Launchpad series of events.

Business Link provides the region’s tourism businesses with a single point of access to local business support services.

We are delighted to announce that because of the success of the Tourism Launchpad events, we will be running another series of events in a town near you in the Autumn - if you would like further information, please contact Gemma Lawson our Business Engagement officer on 01642 264957 Or to find out more about how we can help you, or for an invitation to our spring conference on April 23rd in Middlesbrough, please email us on info@visitTeesvalley. co.uk.

I hope to see you there and wish you good luck for the season ahead.

Julia Frater

Head of visitTeesvalley

“BOTH JULIE AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY POSITIVE EVENT AND AN EXTREMELY GOOD USE OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO PICK AND CHOOSE TO SEE THE ‘EXPERTS’ MOST BENEFICIAL TO US WHILST IN ONE PLACE. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU & SHARE SOME IDEAS AND WE VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU” - KIM YARDLEY, GENERAL MANAGER, GISBOROUGH HALL HOTEL

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North East Region

VISIT TEES VALLEY

Tees Valley Tourism Passionate about Skills Over the last year a group of organisations have been meeting regularly to discuss ways of enhancing even further the Tees Valley offer to visitors.

Working together, organisations that can offer support and/or services to businesses across Tees Valley, have established a Steering Group to discuss and share current and emerging activities for the Tourism sector.

The group lead by visitTeesvalley has identified key areas for Tees Valley that are linked to the priorities agreed by the North East Tourism Skills Alliance that is chaired by Karen Couzens from people 1st, the sector skills council for Tourism and Hospitality.

Through discussion the Tees Valley passionate about Skills Steering Group has identified key areas that could be improved for the Tees Valley. These include: All activities will be supported through the development of an effective communication strategy to improve links between support organisations and businesses across Tees Valley.

Membership of the group currently includes representatives from the following organisations: n visitTeesvalley n Learning and Skills Council n Business and Enterprise North East n Job centre plus n University of Teesside n Local colleges n Training providers n North East Employer Coalition n Local Authorities n One North East The group has identified Hartlepool and the opportunities that hosting the Tall Ships in 2010 will bring, as the basis for devising Workforce Development plan for Tourism businesses in the area.

This includes introducing an Employer Gateway, enabling all of the support agencies to work closely together to offer employers a customised package of support to meet their individual skills and

recruitment needs. The agencies will agree how they will work together ensuring that they follow appropriate communication routes and keep all parties informed using a variety of tools including websites and contact brochures.

As a result of the joint working already demonstrated by the Tourism passionate about Skills Steering Group, Tees Valley has been given the opportunity to pilot one of the first SME clusters in the North East.

The Train to Gain SME clusters that were announced in October 2008 by John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, are part of a special package of business support measures, designed to help SMEs during the economic downturn.

This clustering approach is being promoted to SMEs to improve their access to the new flexibilities and wider skills support that the full Train to Gain offer can make available.

Benefits that can be gained through this clustering approach include: n Coordination of employers needs n More effective identification of employer needs n Delivery approaches that respond to common needs n Economies of scale for SMEs n Better co-ordinated multi provider responses n Identification and development of local training needs and qualifications n Sustained employer – provider relationships As the Business and Skills Development Manager for Tourism in Tees Valley, Carol Daniell would welcome the opportunity to meet with businesses within this sector to listen to employers views and needs relating to the skills of their current and future employees. She can be contacted at carol@visitTeesvalley.co.uk or telephone 07825 931 266.

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North East Region

VISIT TEES VALLEY

Delivering excellence In today’s competitive market, providing excellent customer service is key to giving your business the edge.

‘Customer service training is the all-important key for any business or organisation aspiring to stand out from the crowd, offer customers a memorable experience and win repeat business.’ says Tricia Woods, Training and Skills Co-ordinator for One NorthEast’s Tourism Team. ‘providing great customer service training can help you attract the best quality staff, develop motivated teams and improve staff retention rates.’

Since its launch in 1993, over 300,000 people throughout the UK have already taken part in Welcome to Excellence – the largest customer service training programme in the UK and the only one recommended by Regional Tourist Board partnerships Ltd. Tricia says, ‘Welcome to Excellence currently offers a series of eight established interactive one-day courses, all of which are frequently updated to reflect changing market conditions and legislation.

‘Welcome Host is perhaps the most familiar, but the Welcome to Excellence programme includes much more for staff at every level.

For example, Welcome All focuses on how to provide a top-class welcome to people with disabilities, Welcome International provides an insight into how to deal with people from other cultures and Welcome Management is designed especially for managers, showing how to develop a businesswide customer services strategy. ‘ Freelance trainer, Sandra Ellington regularly delivers five of the Welcome to Excellence courses (Welcome Host, Welcome Host plus, Welcome All, Welcome Line and Welcome Management) to a range of organisations across the North East region. ‘For me, one of the positive things about Welcome to Excellence,’ she says, ‘is that such a huge cross section of organisations can dip into the Welcome programme: from large hotels and small B&Bs to self-

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catering, visitor attractions,TICs, pubs, restaurants, local government.

‘Welcome to Excellence provides businesses with an appropriate standard for customer service that’s consistent across their organisation and can mean lower staff turnover as they feel it’s a good place to work. Lower recruitment costs and stability allow businesses to keep the momentum going and develop their team, perhaps doing Welcome Host one year, moving on to Host plus the next.

“WELCOME TO EXCELLENCE PROVIDES BUSINESSES WITH AN APPROPRIATE STANDARD FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT’S CONSISTENT ACROSS THEIR ORGANISATION AND CAN MEAN LOWER STAFF TURNOVER AS THEY FEEL IT’S A GOOD PLACE TO WORK” Having a happier workforce has an automatic knock-on effect with greater customer satisfaction and fewer complaints. In Welcome to Excellence, businesses have access to a nationally recognised tool to raise the

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skill levels of their managers and staff and help them continue to offer the warm welcome for which the North East is famous.’ It is also worth noting how Welcome All has grown and developed in line with the DDA. Erica Bartram of Bousdale Farm Holiday Cottages, said ‘We have a holiday cottage up and running and have had a couple of guests with mobility problems who found negotiating our stairs and bath difficult.

As we are in the process of developing a second cottage, the Welcome All course provided an excellent insight to the possible needs of guests with disabilities. We intend to implement better provisions for our guests and improve their holiday experience. I hadn’t realised the broad spectrum of people with these additional needs, and in addition how cost effective it could be for our business’ Welcome’s flexibility means everyone can be accommodated.

Sandra Ellington says,‘I was delivering a course a few weeks ago where one of the delegates was deaf and attended with two signers. I just delivered the course as usual with them signing.

Also, if I know beforehand that someone with dyslexia is attending I can produce the materials in their preferred format.

The current tourism market operates in a world of fast-changing customer expectations, behaviour and cultural differences. Welcome to Excellence courses provide staff at every level with the reassurance to perform their roles effectively, give them the confidence to deal with people whatever the situation, and help them appreciate the extensive reach and value of tourism in the wider economy.

For more info on Welcome courses, please contact Gemma Lawson, the visitTeesvalley Business Engagement Officer on Gemma@visitTeesvalley.co.uk or Tel: 07825931277

Mentoring Magic – One museums route to success

North East Region

VISIT TEES VALLEY

Getting involved in Profit Through Productivity has helped Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum promote itself to more visitors Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, which attracts around 5,000 visitors per year, recently participated in a „Profit Through Productivity programme, which is funded by Single programme and European Social Funding.

“We were at a visit Teesvalley attractions forum meeting when we first heard about it,” says Janette Holt, the museum’s Company Secretary. “The programme was recommended to us as a way of getting some extra focus on the business.”

Things looked up from the beginning when they discovered that „Profit Through Productivity coach assigned to the museum, was none other than Bryn Jones, former Head of Visitor Services at The Science Museum, London and one time Commercial Director at both The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland and The Lowry Centre in Manchester.

“The first session was about getting to know the business and agreeing some objectives,” explains Bryn. “We then looked in more detail at the museum’s marketing activity. Resources are limited, so we worked on ways of making the marketing work in a more effective and targeted way.This meant doing things like establishing links with nearby attractions, and looking at neighbouring cafes and restaurants, in order to capture tourists with disposable income.”

“It was great having a different pair of eyes looking at all aspects of the business,” says Janette. “Inevitably, there are things that someone involved on a day-to-day basis won’t spot, whereas Bryn picked up on lots of things straight away.” One example of this was signage. “We looked at ways of raising the museum’s visibility off site through better road signage,” explains Bryn. “We also made sure that signs were visible at the Riverside Centre where people on the Cleveland Way walks tend to call in for refreshments.”

“There were day-to-day things that Bryn advised us on as well,” adds Janette

For example, he noticed that the staff notice board was visible from the visitor side of the counter – that was an easy thing to change, but none of us had spotted it before.”

“We’ve now got an action list which we can work through to improve the business,” says Janette. “We have found the “Profit Through Productivity” programme to be very beneficial. In the short term we’ve been able to implement actions such as leaflet distribution, but there is more work we can do in the longer term.

The Forum’s in Tees Valley are a great opportunity to network with local businesses and discuss issues currently affecting business and share best practice. n B&B and Self-Catering Forum n Attractions Forum n The Venue Manager’s Forum n Events forum

“WE FOUND THE PROGRAMME TO BE VERY BENEFICIAL”

To find out more about similar training schemes, please contact Gemma Lawson, the visitTeesvalley Business Engagement Officer Gemma@ visitTeesvalley.co.uk or Tel: 07825931277 Another way businesses can tap into business support is to join one of our four Tees Valley Forum’s.

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Contact Heidi if you would like more information or would like to attend a forum via info@visitTeesvalley.co.uk

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North East Region

DARLINGTON COLLEGE

Employer Profile

DIFFICULT TIMES - POSITIVE SOLUTIONS Businesses looking for fresh ways to prosper during the economic downturn are being offered free training by one of the region’s leading colleges.

With the country in the grip of a recession, the Darlington College ‘Business First’ team is taking positive action in a bid to help both small and large firms through troubled times.

Offering a variety of training courses in business critical areas, companies with fewer than 250 employees could be eligible for free short training courses in marketing and customer services, business finance and accounts, IT skills and leadership and management.

“we are delighted to be able to offer a host of subsidised or free training packages that could make a genuine difference to businesses” Larger firms (with over 250 employees) may also be able to put employees forward for fully-funded nationally recognised qualifications at Level 2, 3 or 4 in areas including; team working, communications and business improvement techniques.

Business First Director Terry Fennell said, “We recognise that these are difficult times for many firms in our region, so we are delighted to be able to offer a host of subsidised or free training packages that could make a genuine difference to businesses.”

“We already work with many firms, across a range of industries, which recognise that staff development is at the heart of business success. It would be fantastic to forge relations with more companies to help them thrive in the future.”

Employers interested in discovering whether their employees are eligible for free training can contact Business First on 01325 503 282. Alternatively you can log onto www.dcbusinessfirst.co.uk

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An NVQ in Customer Services was ideal for the employees of Sean Thomas, Manager of the Dolphin Centre, Darlington. With the majority of staff having a customer facing role it was important that they learnt the principles of good service and had the ability to give customers a positive impression of themselves and the leisure centre.

After contacting Darlington College, Sean received assistance and advice from the Business First team who recommended an NVQ in Customer Services, as it was the ideal qualification to recognise employee’s work-based skills and improve their performance. Due to meeting the eligibility criteria of Train to Gain all training was fully funded at no expense to the employer.

For receptionist, Nadia Robinson, who was one of the first to enroll on the course, it was ideal.

Managing her existing work responsibilities and completing a portfolio of evidence towards her qualification was easy to do and there were no time pressures. With an assessor visiting her in the workplace, it also meant that she didn’t have to make the time to attend college which was a convenience to her and her manager.

DIRECTORY

EAST OF ENGLAND East of England Regional Office: Felaw Maltings 42 Felaw Street Ipswich IP2 8SJ T: 0845 019 4180 East of England Area teams: Bedfordshire and Luton 2 Railton Road Woburn Rd Industrial Estate Kempston Bedfordshire MK42 7PN T: 0845 019 4160 E: bedsandlutoninfo@lsc.gov.uk Cambridgeshire Stuart House St John’s Street Peterborough PE1 5DD T: 0845 019 4165 E: cambridgeshireinfo@lsc.gov.uk Essex Redwing House Hedgerows Business Park Colchester Road Chelmsford Essex CM2 5PB T: 0845 019 4179 E essexinfo@lsc.gov.uk Hertfordshire 45 Grosvenor Road St Albans Hertfordshire AL1 3AW T: 0845 019 4167 Norfolk Lakeside 500 Old Chapel Way Broadland Business Park Norwich NR7 0WG T: 0845 019 4173 E: norfolkinfo@lsc.gov.uk Suffolk Felaw Maltings 42 Felaw Street Ipswich IP2 8SJ T: 0845 019 4180 E: suffolkinfo@lsc.gov.uk EAST MIDLANDS East Midlands Regional Office: 17a Meridian East Meridian Business Park Leicester LE19 1UU T: 0845 019 4177 E: eastmidlandsinfo@lsc.gov.uk LSC Derbyshire Area Office: 1 Mallard Way Pullman Business Park Derby DE24 8GX T: 0845 019 4183 E: lscderbyshireinfo@lsc.gov.uk

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LSC Leicestershire Area Office: 17a Meridian East Meridian Business Park Leicester LE19 1UU T: 0845 019 4177 E: leicestershireinfo@lsc.gov.uk LSC Lincolnshire and Rutland Area Office 1B Alpha Court Kingsley Road Lincoln LN6 3TA T: 0845 019 4178 E: lincsrutland@lsc.gov.uk LSC Northamptonshire Area Office Royal Pavilion Summerhouse Road Moulton Park Industrial Estate Northampton NN3 6BJ T: 0845 019 4175 E: northantsinfo@lsc.gov.uk LSC Nottinghamshire Area Office 6th Floor MLS Business Centre City Gate East Toll House Hill Nottingham NG1 5FS T: 0845 019 4187 E: nottsinfo@lsc.gov.uk LONDON LSC London Region Centre Point 103 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1DR T: 0845 019 4144 E: londoninfo@lsc.gov.uk NORTH EAST LSC North East Moongate House 5th Avenue Business Park Team Valley Gateshead Tyne & Wear NE11 0HF T: 0845 019 4181 E: tyneandwearinfo@lsc.gov.uk

SOUTH EAST AREA OFFICES LSC Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Eagle Point - East Wing Little Park Farm Road Segensworth Fareham PO15 5TD T: 0845 019 4182 E: hampshire-IOWinfo@lsc.gov.uk LSC Kent and Medway 26 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4AE T: 0845 019 4152 E: informationline@lsc.gov.uk LSC Surrey 48-54 Goldsworth Road Woking GU21 6LE T: 0845 019 4145 E: surreyinfo@lsc.gov.uk LSC Sussex Princes House 53 Queens Road Brighton East Sussex BN1 3XB T: 01273 783555 E: sussexinfo@lsc.gov.uk LSC Thames Valley Pacific house Imperial Way Reading RG2 0TF T: 0845 019 4147 Latimer House Langford Business Park Kidlington Oxford OX5 1GG T: 01865 291700 SOUTH WEST ENGLAND St Lawrence House 29-31 Broad Street Bristol BS99 7YJ T: 0845 019 4168 E: westofengland@lsc.gov.uk

NORTH WEST LSC North West 9th Floor Arndale House Arndale Centre Manchester M4 3AQ T: 0845 019 4142 E: GrManchesterinfo@lsc.gov.uk

WEST MIDLANDS Regional Office (West Midlands) NTI Building 15 Bartholomew Row Birmingham West Midlands B5 5JU T: 0845 019 4143 E: BirminghamSolihullInfo@lsc.gov.uk

SOUTH EAST REGIONAL OFFICE Learning and Skills Council South East Princes House 53 Queens Road Brighton BN1 3XB T: 01273 783555 E: info@lsc.gov.uk

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YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE Mercury House 4 Manchester Road Bradford BD5 0QL T: 0845 019 4169 E: westyorkshireinfo@lsc.gov.uk

Allied Bakeries rises to the challenge

North East Region

CAE STUDY

Graham Rowley (left) with Simon McManus, Distribution Manager

A North East producer of some of the nation’s best loved brands of bread has successfully put 60% of its Gateshead based dispatch department through a training programme to boost skills.

Allied Bakeries, which produces Kingsmill, Sunblest and Allinson brands put members of its dispatch team, based at Team Valley, through a bespoke on-site training programme resulting in every member of the team achieving a relevant NVQ level 2.

The training was delivered through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East’s Train to Gain service and has ensured that all employees are up-to-date on the latest procedures in dispatch including Safety and Security in the workplace along with Receiving, Loading and Dispatching Goods.

The qualification was delivered on-site as employees went about their daily roles and as such caused very little disruption to workflow and the day to day running of the factory.

Alan Davies, logistics manager with the company, said: “The dispatch department is one of the most important departments at the plant as it ensures that bread is delivered to outlets across the region on time and as fresh as it can possibly be.

“Even the smallest disruption can cause chaos so I was really impressed with the fact that employees continued to go about their daily tasks and the training fitted in around them and their workload. This was of huge benefit to us as an employer as it meant that training has no negative impact on our productivity at all.

“The training our employees received was excellent and bespoke to our business.The team has benefited greatly from standardised processes and having their existing knowledge re-affirmed. I am hopeful that the training

will result in a real improvement in productivity over the coming months.”

Allied Bakeries North East production site bakes over 100,000 loaves of bread per day for distribution to retail outlets across the region.

Graham Rowley, dispatch operator, said: “The training was really comprehensive and was tailored to my needs and to fit in with my daily tasks. I’m pleased to have achieved an NVQ level 2 qualification and it’s good to know that my employer is willing to put time and effort into furthering my education and skills.”

Train to Gain ensures that flexible, responsive training is delivered to meet employers’ needs through an independent brokerage service which offers impartial advice to match training needs to local learning providers. A core element of the service is the access to appropriate funding of qualifications from Skills for Life right through to higher education.

Since it was launched in the North East more than two years ago, more than 40,000 learners have accessed Train to Gain and around 6,500 employers have engaged with the service.

Chris Roberts, regional director, LSC North East, said: “The Train to Gain service has been a huge success here in the North East, where we are one of the best performing regions in the country in terms of learner achievements.

Pulling together a training package to benefit an entire department without any effect on production is no easy task. Allied Bakeries is a great example of how training can fit in around workflow and really help to raise staff morale without damaging productivity.”

More information on Train to Gain, visit www.traintogain.gov.uk or contact 0800 015 55 45.

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