EmployerLink Spring 2014

SPRING 2014

EmployerLink City College Plymouth working with the local business community

Lifelong Learning and Continuing Professional Development

In this issue: City Deal - What this means for Plymouth

Continuing Professional Development

Adult Learners’ Week Page 1

Apprenticeship Success Rates Page 3

Page 2

employers PA R T N E R S I N B U S I N E S S S U C C ES S

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If you require this newsletter in a larger type or different format please telephone 01752 305300.

From the Editor Welcome to the latest edition of EmployerLink; City College Plymouth’s newsletter for employers. This edition focuses on the benefits of continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning, and examines the cost of not doing so. On page one of this edition you will find out why we think it’s important to your business to ensure your staff have the opportunity to upskill.

The City has achieved a lot in recent times and the signing of the City Deal this year is a positive move for Plymouth’s aspirations and aims for future growth and development. The City Deal signifies a vote of confidence in the City, and in particular our marine sector, and we have detailed how this will positively impact on the City on page two.

In the current economic climate, jobs are hard to come by, but Apprenticeships are bucking the trend. The College currently has an abundance of Apprenticeship vacancies that can really kick

start the career of the City’s young people, or aid a career change. Find out why the College should be your Apprenticeship provider of choice on pages three and four.

We cannot stress enough the importance of providing impartial careers advice to our young people in the City. This is not a tick box exercise; it’s about giving young people the best start in life and helping them to succeed. Discover the wealth of opportunities available to young people on page five.

The College’s Employer Endorsement Scheme has grown considerably since its creation in 2009, and we are delighted to welcome new member, Amey, taking us over the 50 member threshold. Find out more about what being an employer endorser means on page six.

The College’s dedicated Corporate Relations team, includes two key account managers (KAMs) who are on-hand to support businesses with workforce development solutions. Read the first edition of our new ‘KAM Column’ on page seven.

Controversial debate and honest opinion is what you get with our Business Supper Clubs, run in partnership with The Herald. The Supper Club is an overwhelmingly popular event that sees business professionals debate key topics that matter to the City. Turn to page eight to find out how you can get involved.

It is important to us that your experience of working with the College is a positive one and we are keen to hear your views. The results for our employer survey, undertaken in November are now available and you can see the results on the back of this edition.

I hope you enjoy reading EmployerLink. We aim to keep you informed with all the latest education and training news, but if there is a topic you would like to see covered please e-mail srobbie@cityplym.ac.uk.

Sharron Robbie, Editor Head of Corporate Relations, Employability & Enterprise

From the Principal Developments in the City have been gathering momentum for some months now, with the business community becoming more confident about the future – anyone visiting one of our Business Supper Clubs will recognise this palpable change. Needless to say, training and skills development has a critically important role to play in ensuring that organisations across the City capitalise on this sense of optimism.

The City Deal has a significant emphasis on skills and training, growth and development, especially in the marine sector – an industry which directly provides over 7,000 jobs to the City, alongside an associated supply chain providing a further 6,000 jobs. The City Deal certainly feels like a pivotal moment for Plymouth, a ‘stand up and be counted’ moment, which calls for the business community and the public sector to show what it can deliver with the right investment.

I believe that Plymouth’s business and local communities are now working better together to ensure the City’s future growth and success.

Of course the litmus test will be how we stimulate jobs, help the City’s youth develop the necessary skills, and promote wealth creation.

Although unemployment figures have decreased nationally, locally the picture is much less rosy and therefore, it is vital that we keep pushing for more opportunities for our young people and the long-term unemployed.

The College plays a major role in getting the young and unemployed into work, whether this is through our first-class Apprenticeship provision, or through upskilling via our wide range of education and training interventions. If I could give one message to our young people it would be that there are many opportunities available in the City and that there really are a number of options open to them.

The College offers our young people a menu of services including impartial careers advice, employer-led training and access to a range of employability activities. In particular, the College offers innovative and entrepreneurial ways of learning that set us apart from more traditional forms of education. We have made a commitment to ensuring that a hallmark of any students’ experience at the College will include access to a range of activities, which develop their employability skills so that they acquire those key

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work attributes – as well as a curriculum that has enterprise at its heart.

However, what the College offers is not only for young people. Much of what we offer is designed specifically for people employed in the many successful businesses in the Plymouth travel-towork area. City College Plymouth is well-placed to support businesses and their workforce development. The College is an integral part of the business community, working together with business to stimulate growth and create jobs.

Lifelong learning is central to ensuring businesses remain competitive and to ensuring the City is well-placed to capitalise on initiatives such as the City Deal, the developments at Sherford and the opportunities at Hinkley Point.

The right skills, commitment and investment are a valuable cocktail for success and the City must make sure it succeeds – nothing else is good enough for our young people, our businesses and our community. We will support you in that endeavour.

Phil Davies Principal & Chief Executive

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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – Adult Learning › Adult Learners’ Week – Festival With the Adult Learners’ Week festival of learning starting in June, there has never been a better time to think about CPD and developing your skills during adulthood.

Often, the fear within business is that employees will become too qualified and therefore, will want to move on to a different job role, or worse still, a different company.

Skills retention is extremely important for businesses of all sizes as the benefit is two-fold – business operations can continue smoothly and effectively with staff who are experienced, qualified and know what they’re doing and the business can avoid the often high cost of recruitment.

Adult Learners’ Week is a national celebration of lifelong learning and this year there is a national festival of learning being held during May and June in order to encourage adults, families and communities to continue their learning and even to try something new. The festival culminates in a week of focused activity between 14 and 20 June.

“The management training has really brought the managers of the whole company together and has enabled us to work together to not only increase our own skills and confidence, but improve the effectiveness of our teams.”

of Learning

City College Plymouth is a committed supporter of lifelong learning, CPD and adult learning, as we see the real benefits this can bring to individuals, families, businesses and the community.

“Taking part in this training has allowed me to develop additional skills that can be used on a day-to-day basis.”

Darren Crowther, Plymouth Community Homes

› The Cost of CPD In specific industry sectors and job roles, CPD is a mandatory part of a career and necessary in order for industry professionals to effectively do their job and remain up-to-date with industry changes. In such job roles as lawyers, health and care professionals, teachers and chartered engineers, CPD is an accepted standard that must be met in order to continue to operate within that industry and a standard that their customers and colleagues expect to be met.

Certainly, it is wholly necessary for doctors, dentists and nurses to maintain their level of knowledge, and keep up-to-date with medical advances and changes in procedures and standards. However, shouldn’t all job roles and industry sectors be held to the same standard?

Shouldn’t it be necessary for all professionals to improve their skill-set, build on their competencies and gain valuable updates on their industry and practices?

Tracy Rowe, Rittal The UK average employee turnover rate is approximately 15%* a year although turnover drastically changes between industries.

The industries with the lowest turnover rate traditionally tend to be the legal, finance, education and public sectors. Some argue that a certain amount of staff turnover is necessary to ensure the business runs effectively and low staff turnover does not always directly link to high efficiency or success for business.

Despite this, and with or without a company’s investment in training, there is always a risk of an employee leaving. One of the frequent arguments for investing in professional development is …

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) asks his CEO: What if we train them and they leave?

CEO replies to CFO: What if we don’t train them and they stay?

One-day Management and Business Skills Workshops Our one day, College certificated workshops have been specifically designed to support professional development and provide businesses with cost-effective professionally delivered workshops providing CPD opportunities without the need for a large amount of time being spent away from the workplace. Courses include project planning, assertiveness and confidence, minute taking, team leading, and coaching and mentoring. To find out more please turn to page four.

Higher Education Short Courses and CPD Modules We are able to provide businesses with a range of short and flexible courses that offer highlevel skills to individuals. Employees can choose two or three modules from our Foundation Degree courses in order to gain a short course certificate or Certificate of Professional Development. For more information please visit cityplym.ac.uk/employer/courses/highereducation.

Sector Specific Training The College runs a range of short courses specifically designed for particular industry sectors, including electrical courses for qualified electricians and energy efficiency training for professionals within the construction industry.

For more information on any of these courses, please contact the Corporate Relations team on 01752 305026 or e-mail employers@cityplym.ac.uk.

The answer is, it is much more costly to avoid training your staff for fear of them leaving, than it is to train your staff, which can have a positive impact on your business.

› CPD Opportunities with City College Plymouth

City College Plymouth can offer valuable training, both accredited and non-accredited, to adults in work, which can have a positive impact on the individual and the business.

*Source: Monster.co.uk ‘Employee Retention’, http://hiring.monster.co.uk/hr/hr-best-practices/ workforce-management/employee-retentionstrategies/what-is-the-ideal-employee-turnoverrate.aspx

T: 01752 305026 E: employers@cityplym.ac.uk

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City Deal

What this means for Plymouth The City Deal was signed on 17 January this year and marks a historic deal for the City of Plymouth and the South West peninsula. The Plymouth and the South West Peninsula City Deal will create over 9,000 jobs, signal growth for 25,000 businesses and as the flagship development, will see the City’s South Yard open for business.

The City Deal could see £296million being ‘pumped’ into the South West region over the next 15 years – a substantial investment in not only the marine sectors but in the City and the wider region. One of the region’s greatest strengths is its marine industry and the businesses that support it, with big businesses such as Babcock International Group plc and Princess Yachts leading the way.

However, the marine industry is much broader than these two very successful companies, and Plymouth has an extremely strong marine supply chain industry made up of SME enterprises and high quality advanced manufacturing businesses.

Government figures show that 14% of the national marine supply chain is based in the South West peninsula, employing more than 26,000 people – an extremely important industry to the peninsula and one that is set to grow immensely following the City Deal.

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The City Deal is a great boost for the local economy and a much welcome one by the business community as a whole, but it also aims to tackle long term unemployment, a serious issue faced by the City and indeed the whole of the South West peninsula.

The City Deal promises to include an intensive support package to help over 1,500 young people back into employment and in turn support small businesses within the marine and associated industries. In total, £34million of local and national public sector investment will be provided, coupled with £262million of private sector investment over the 15 year period.

The flagship development of the proposal is the opening of land at South Yard in the City’s Devonport Naval Base. Plymouth City Council and the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership are currently working with the Ministry of Defence to release this prime location. The location is complemented by its close proximity to other key marine companies, as well as its access to the deep water needed for marine research, development and testing. The agreement should see 32,400 square metres of land (more than four times the size of the Home Park pitch) released.

The City Deal Broken Down

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Help for SMEs

The City Deal aims to provide targeted support to SMEs within the marine and associated sectors, increasing the number of SMEs working within the region and diversifying the local economy.

This will be done with £5.8million of government funding to enable expansion of schemes such as the Innovation Vouchers and Business Grant schemes.

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Help for Young People

The City Deal has pledged £3.5million worth of investment into helping young people out of unemployment and low paid jobs. A crucial factor for this is to ensure young people have the skills required by the local labour market.

Improved careers guidance will be a focus for the Deal (read more about this on page five), as well as personalised schemes for young people at risk of long term unemployment. The Deal also focuses on increasing the number of Apprenticeships (see opposite to find out about Apprenticeships at City College Plymouth).

The City Deal’s impact can already be seen by the move of maritime consultancy company, BMT Isis, who have recently opened a dedicated Plymouth office. BMT Isis provides safety, environmental and risk management services to investors, regulators, operators and equipment suppliers. Their move to Plymouth is an early vote of confidence in the City and in the City Deal.

City College Plymouth is well placed to support the marine sector and the youth within the City. The College’s engineering facilities recently underwent a £4.5million refurbishment, providing learning spaces that will help create the boat builders, engineers and technicians of the future.

The College trains over 1,000 apprentices each year and works with key businesses within the marine sector including Babcock International and Princess Yachts. With our apprentice success rates at 14% above the national average, the College is leading the way in Apprenticeship training and in the support of the marine sector.

Sources: Plymouth City Council, ‘Historic City Deal for Plymouth and South West Peninsula Signed’, 17 January 2014. Deputy Prime Ministers Office, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence, Plymouth and South West Peninsula City Deal to Boost Jobs and Growth, 17 January 2014.

The Herald, ‘Multi-million pound maritime firm moves into Plymouth’, 19 February 2014.

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Apprenticeship Success Rates Apprentices at City College Plymouth are more likely to successfully complete their Apprenticeships than elsewhere in the country, as the College’s success rate for apprentices is currently 14% above the national average.

Babcock International Group is a major employer in Plymouth, and has worked with City College Plymouth for many years to ensure that their Plymouth-based workforce has the skills the company need to take it forward.

The success rate data has been released by the Skills Funding Agency for 2012/13, and shows that nationally 72.3%, that’s three of every four apprentices are successful, although only 56.2% of these are within the accepted time period.

However, for City College Plymouth, the success rate is 86.4% – that’s more than four in every five apprentices being successful. Overall 76.6% of these are within the accepted time period – 20% above the national average.

“City College is an important partner. They work with us to support our workforce development and to help us train the very best apprentices.

Over the last three years we have seen the number of engineering apprentices double to nearly 80 in this current year, in addition to 12 business administration apprentices.

The College, which has over 1,000 apprentices with local employers in any one year, was commended by Ofsted for its Apprenticeship provision following its routine inspection visit in the autumn of 2012.

College Principal, Phil Davies, said:

“This is fantastic news for our apprentices, our employers and the City. The College is one of the largest Apprenticeship providers in the South West, and the government is keen to continue promoting Apprenticeships as an alternative to higher education. For many young people an Apprenticeship is a much better way of learning – it’s hands-on and you earn while you learn.

For employers it is an ideal way of investing in their workforce, because they can ensure that their apprentices are acquiring the specific sector skills they require for their business.”

Chris Edmonds, Company Trade Master at Babcock, said:

“The fact that the College’s apprentice success rates are so much higher than the national average is brilliant news for Plymouth’s employers. Investing in the recruitment and then training of new staff is significant, and it is reassuring to know that by working with our local college our investment is much more likely to reap the rewards we need it to in the current economic climate.”

City College Plymouth launched a new Apprenticeship offer, in partnership with Plymouth City Council, last autumn. The Plymouth Apprenticeship Company, an Apprenticeship training agency, enables small and micro companies to benefit from taking on an apprentice. The Plymouth Apprenticeship Company employs the apprentice and places them with ‘host’ employers for an agreed weekly fee. The Company will also work with the host to recruit the appropriate apprentice and arrange their training.

Thinking about taking on an apprentice in September?

Contact us NOW to ensure you get the right apprentice for you!

Now is the perfect time to start the Apprenticeship recruitment process in all areas, including engineering, construction, business administration and marketing.

Most Apprenticeship training starts in September, but you need to start recruiting now to ensure you get the best calibre of apprentice.

If you would like to find out more about Apprenticeships with City College Plymouth or the Plymouth Apprenticeship Company, please call 01752 305026 or e-mail employers@cityplym.ac.uk.

T: 01752 305026 E: employers@cityplym.ac.uk

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St Luke’s Hospice Case Study Founded in 1982, St Luke’s Hospice provides specialist, end of life care to over 3,500 patients a year from across Plymouth, South West Devon and East Cornwall. A vital support system for the community, St Luke’s Hospice provides high quality care to patients, their families and their carers.

City College Plymouth has been working with St Luke’s education department, responsible for developing and delivering specialist training for those who care for patients, to take on their first business administration apprentice.

St Luke’s recognised the need for business administration support due to high work levels and the introduction of a new campaign.

Despite previous reservations about taking on an apprentice, due to the sensitive nature of their work, St Luke’s worked with the College to create a job description, which was then advertised through the College and the National Apprenticeship Service.

St Luke’s have now employed a business administration apprentice who is making a positive impact on their business. This has helped the business through an extremely busy time, has reduced previously high work levels and has provided administrative support for staff.

Gail Wilson, Head of Education for St Luke’s Hospice, said:

“We were impressed with the high quality candidates available through City College Plymouth and the smooth recruitment process. Our apprentice has made a positive impact not only on the department but the organisation as a whole, who value Apprenticeships very highly.

“It is crucial for us to be a vital part of the community, ensuring that it benefits those who need access to our high quality end of life care, but also having a positive impact on the young people within the region – developing their employability skills and offering them real opportunities to succeed. “

“We have found our first experience of taking on an apprentice to be extremely rewarding and we now have a positive, eager member of our team who is a team player and works hard. The whole process of taking on an apprentice has been extremely rewarding and it is an experience I would repeat again.”

City College Plymouth offers an Apprenticeship service that has been recognised by Ofsted as Outstanding. The College is well placed to help employers, such as St Luke’s Hospice, to find an apprentice that is right for the business and will support both apprentice and employer throughout the process.

Management and Business Skills Workshops Our range of one-day workshops have been designed to support businesses in a cost-effective way.

Workshops provide delegates with a full day’s training, which is professionally delivered and focused on achieving clear outcomes for those attending. Workshops can be tailored to meet specific business needs and can be delivered onsite at your premises (minimum/maximum 12 delegates).

Workshops are available in the following areas: ¿¿assertiveness and confidence management ¿¿coaching and mentoring ¿¿effective goal setting and performance

appraisal

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¿¿Excel intermediate ¿¿minute taking ¿¿project planning ¿¿team leading – the new team leader ¿¿Word intermediate.

But don’t take it from us!

Russ Champion from Plymouth Citybus attended a one day workshop at the College and said:

“The training provided by City College Plymouth was really beneficial to me and my job role, and I was able to put the skills I learnt into practice from day one.

“Training at the College not only provides you with high quality training from experts who work in industry, but you get a level of service that cannot be found

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anywhere else. Continuing your learning as an adult can often be quite intimidating, but with the College you are treated as a professional and are in an environment with other business employees.”

One-day courses start at just £100 per person. If you would like to find out more information about any of the courses available please call 01752 305026 or e-mail employers@cityplym.ac.uk.

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Young People Have a Choice About Where and What to Study Recently there have been significant changes to the provision of careers advice in schools, meaning that today some young people are less likely to have access to good quality and impartial advice and guidance.

Simultaneously, the government has raised the age of participation in education and training, giving young people a choice between school, college, Apprenticeships and training while volunteering or working. City College Plymouth Principal, Phil Davies, talks about the impact of these changes.

Not that long ago a young person made one of three choices – they stayed on at school to follow an academic route, they went to the local college to follow a trade (or vocation) or they found themselves a job. To help them make this decision they would have an appointment with a careers advisor from the local careers service.

However, times have changed!

Now a young person is faced with a plethora of choices and told that they have to stay in education and training until after they are 17 years old. So now, more than ever, access to a qualified, impartial careers advisor to talk through all the different opportunities would be really helpful.

Well, unfortunately, this is no longer the young person’s entitlement. They are often expected to muddle through with the help of their parents and teachers, the online National Careers Service website and perhaps one of the many commercial online career guidance websites you can find on the internet.

What would you do if one of YOUR work colleagues ...

Fainted? ¿¿Collapsed with chest pains? ¿¿Had trouble breathing? ¿¿Started fitting? ¿¿Cut themselves? ¿¿

78,000 workplace injuries occur every year* and your business has a responsibility to ensure that a safe workplace is provided for employees and visitors, including first aid trained staff. Are you and your business ready to handle a first aid incident?

I don’t want to alarm you but recently Ofsted – the government agency responsible for inspecting schools, colleges and private training providers, published a report that suggests that while some schools offer good impartial advice and guidance to their pupils, overall the careers advice currently on offer is inadequate, with only 12 of 60 schools inspected ensuring all their pupils received sufficient information to explore a wide breadth of career options. Given the emphasis of the current government on Apprenticeships, also worrying was the fact that vocational training and Apprenticeships were rarely promoted effectively – especially by schools with their own sixth forms.

So what hope is there and how can we help our young people make the right decisions about their future? Well there is lots of hope because there are lots of realistic opportunities, but we can’t rely on what we know as parents or teachers unless we are prepared to be open to all the options, and unless as educational providers we are prepared to put the future of young people ahead of trying to maximise our income.

You can apply for an Apprenticeship even if you do not achieve a GCSE grade C in English and maths – as part of your day release you will study Key Skills, practical maths and English skills relevant to your trade, if you haven’t achieved a GCSE grade C.

›

If you choose a National Diploma you can still apply to study a university-level course – and you can check any specific entry requirements on the UCAS website (www.ucas.com).

›

If we are serious about raising aspirations, and helping the economic and social regeneration of our City, then we have to give the young people of Plymouth all the information about all their options. I believe that every young person should be entitled to free and impartial, good quality careers advice and guidance – not least because there are so many different opportunities, but also because as individuals what suits one person is not necessarily suited to the next.

At a recent open event I was horrified at some of the things visitors were telling me they had been told, and I would like to take this opportunity to explode some of these myths …

The raising of the participation age does not mean you have to stay on at school – you have a choice, so long as you stay in education and training.

›

You do not have to stay at school until you achieve GCSE grade C in English and maths – you can retake these alongside a higher level course or try Functional Skills (equivalent qualifications in practical English and maths skills).

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To book a FREE impartial careers interview with a College Careers Advisor please call 01752 305300 or e-mail info@cityplym.ac.uk.

City College Plymouth offers high quality trainers and facilities to enable you and your staff to be ready to handle any of the injuries and illnesses listed. As a business it is your obligation to ensure you provide adequate safety measures to keep your employees safe.

We offer first aid training to suit any business size, so whether you are looking for one day Emergency First Aid courses to three day First Aid at Work courses, we have the solution to help you.

Starting at just £55, we are one of the most cost-effective providers of first aid training in the region. Book your first aid training by calling the Corporate Relations team on 01752 305026 or e-mail employers@cityplym.ac.uk.

Can you afford not to? *Source: Health & Safety Executive (HSE), ‘Health and Safety Statistics 2012/13’.

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Employer Endorsement Scheme Update The College’s Endorsement Scheme has gone from strength-to-strength following its conception in 2009.

The scheme is designed to be mutually beneficial and by working together, aims to further benefit the local community.

students are able to benefit from guest speakers, work placement opportunities and access to employment.

Developed and managed over the past five years by the College’s Head of Corporate Relations, Employability and Enterprise, the scheme cements the partnership between education and business.

Businesses can access a pool of work-ready labour and the scheme allows for a labour market that is skilled in the areas required by the local economy. Employers can access a range of benefits through the College that include the opportunity to be involved in future curriculum development, training discounts, sponsorship opportunities and preferential rates on facility hire. Through working with employers, College

The College is extremely grateful to all of our employer endorsers for their continued support for both our students and the College as a whole. We could not create such positive impacts for our young people without the great influence and input employer endorsers have in terms of curriculum development and employability activities. We hope to continue our great partnership working for many more years to come.

Starting with less than ten members, the scheme has grown to include a variety of businesses, large and small, that represent the very business fabric of the City.

Transport and Highways Company Amey Joins the Employer Endorsement Scheme City College Plymouth would like to welcome new Employer Endorsement Scheme member, Amey. A national company, Amey is one of the most diverse in the country, providing services for both the public and private sectors. In Plymouth, Amey manages and maintains the City’s highways, which include over 900km of roads, 180 highway structures and 43,000 gullies – an extremely important service especially in light of this year’s severe weather.

Victoria Hutchins, Watchman-in-Chief at Amey, said:

“Amey is a people business and we are dedicated to creating partnerships that positively affect the community, and we are delighted to become a member of the Employer Endorsement Scheme.

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“We provide vital services to the City and are dedicated to working with other organisations to help create a better place to live and work. Becoming an employer endorser really allows us to have a positive impact on young people and creates a partnership with the College, an organisation which is at the heart of the community.”

Amey marks the 51st member of the College’s widely successful employer endorsement scheme, joining other key employers in the City, including Babcock International Group, Princess Yachts and Plymouth City Council. Amey’s membership signals a commitment to working with the College to benefit its students through work experience, project work and industry talks. As a crucial business within the City, the College is delighted to be working more closely with Amey to benefit young people.

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“It is absolutely crucial for the College that we are working with businesses within the City in order to provide development opportunities for our young people, but also to ensure we have open and honest dialogue with industry professionals. This ensures we are meeting their business and staff development needs, whilst providing young people with the skills employers like Amey are looking for.”

If you would like to find out more about the Employer Endorsement Scheme, please contact the Corporate Relations team on 01752 305026 or e-mail employers@ cityplym.ac.uk.

Sharron Robbie, Head of Corporate Relations, Employability and Enterprise, said:

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“We are delighted to welcome Amey as an employer endorser and look forward to continuing our partnership working in the future.

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KAM Column New for 2014, meet our dedicated key account managers who work with local businesses to provide training solutions and meet workforce development needs!

Sean Gibson – From banking to bespoke training Having started my career in banking (the credit crunch was nothing to do with me, honest!), I started working at City College Plymouth in 2008.

Constant changes in training and government funding have kept me on my toes and my role at the College involves working hard to meet the needs of local businesses through training.

I work with a number of high profile clients in the City, including Babcock International Group, Princess Yachts, Plymouth Community Healthcare and St Luke’s Hospice. Having worked with these businesses over several years I understand their business and what they need in order to enable workforce development. This allows me to ease the buying process for these companies.

I have designed and initiated several key training programmes for local employers, including vital maths skills training for staff working at Derriford Hospital, a substantial health and safety training programme for Fine Tubes, and a senior leadership training programme for St Luke’s Hospice.

Working as a key account manager means no two days are the same. I never know what type of business problem or need is going to be presented to me next, and the most satisfying part of my job is meeting that challenge!

Although I work with large employers in the City, I am keen to stress that the key account management service is available to businesses of all sizes. Plymouth is a city of SMEs, with 94% of businesses in the City employing less than 50 staff – so it is important to me that we are also meeting the needs of these businesses. Recent surveys have shown that two thirds of businesses are currently experiencing skills shortages and my role is to assist these businesses in relation to their staff development and recruitment challenges.

Although government funding for staff training is not so widely available, this does not mean that it has disappeared entirely. I believe that my specialist knowledge on government funding for training provides assistance to businesses supporting them to grow.

Contact Sean by calling 01752 305026 or follow him on LinkedIn – search Sean Gibson City College Plymouth.

Matt Maclean – Kicking the competition away Having dreamt of a career as a professional footballer and being offered a professional contract by Aston Villa FC, a serious knee injury stopped my first career choice in its tracks. Despite this and after studying a marketing degree at university (and enjoying everything that comes with being a student), I moved into the commercial sector and went on to work for a multinational car rental company.

I consider myself to be a people person and working across a variety of industry sectors has enabled me to develop valuable relationships with a wide range of people at many different levels.

It is building and maintaining these relationships that really motivates me and makes every day different. My clients include Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Community Homes, Rittal-CSM and the National Marine Aquarium. They are all extremely dedicated to developing their workforce, but also in helping our students develop their skills through employability activities. This makes working with them very enjoyable and rewarding.

Taking my experience in the private sector to my role at City College Plymouth, I am fully aware of the challenges faced by businesses, both large and small, and how the College can help overcome these challenges in one way or another.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is when I am able to advise and support a small business with their training and business needs, which helps them to thrive and grow.

Despite the levels of government funding contracting, I am a firm believer that any training programme, funded or not, will add value and give a return on investment. I consider it my responsibility to ensure that the training the College provides meets these expectations and helps companies grow because, after all, the economic prosperity of the City and the region will benefit us all.

I am proud to be part of a college that is committed to working with the business community in partnership and securing the economic prosperity of Plymouth’s future.

Contact Matt by calling 01752 305026 or follow him on LinkedIn – search Matt Maclean City College Plymouth.

T: 01752 305026 E: employers@cityplym.ac.uk

EmployerLink

Client

CCP

Artworker

Tom

Creative Director

Mike Lane

Modification Date

10/04/14 3:20PM

File Name

6795 CCP Employer Link Newsletter V3

Proof Stage

05

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Business Supper Club in Association with The Herald Controversial debate and honest opinions are the name of the game at City College Plymouth’s Business Supper Club, run in partnership with The Herald. Created in September

by Emma Taylor, Corporate Relations Officer at the College, the Club has gone from strength-to-strength and is the only event of its kind in the City.

Our Supper Clubs enable business professionals from across all sectors in the City to come together in a relaxed environment to debate key topics that matter to the City. Each event is themed around a specific topic or issue that is highly relevant and appropriate to what is happening across the economic landscape.

Guests are encouraged to speak openly and honestly about their thoughts on the topic being discussed, without fear of ridicule and backlash – in fact the Supper Clubs purposely set out to allow full and frank discussion to take place, enabling those passionate about the City to play their part in supporting change and positive outcomes for the community as a whole.

Held in the College’s plush PL1 Restaurant, guests enjoy a delicious two-course dinner, whilst debating topics such as ‘Plymouth: Living in the Past or Focused on the Future’, ‘Leadership: How Would you Lead Plymouth’ and ‘Plymouth: the Brand’.

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Previous speakers have included Amanda Lumley, Chief Executive of Destination Plymouth; Richard Smith, CEO of Bright Solicitors; Graham Smith, Leadership Consultant; and most recently, Peter Jones, Director of Plymouth Argyle and key implementer of the ‘Britain’s Ocean City’ brand.

Emma Taylor, Corporate Relations Officer at the College, manages the events and said:

“The Business Supper Club was designed with the business professional in mind and is much more than networking. The Supper Club brings businesses and the community together to debate key topics and the feedback has been incredible.

“Guests come away from the events feeling that they have contributed and although everyone may not always agree, the overall feeling when you bring everyone together is that people genuinely care about the City and its future, and are prepared to openly talk about the successes and failures so far.

“I am delighted we are able to join forces with The Herald and grow the success of the Supper Clubs further. However, I am keen to stress that this does not mean people’s views and opinions will be published! The reason the Supper Clubs work for business professionals is that they are a safe and open environment and this will not change.”

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CCP

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Tom

Creative Director

Mike Lane

Modification Date

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The next Business Supper Club will take place on Wednesday 14 May, 5.45pm – 8.30pm on the topic of ‘Plymouth’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ with special guest David Parlby, Chief Executive of Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry. To find out more information and to reserve your place, please visit www.cityplym. ac.uk/events/employer-events or follow us on Twitter @BusinessSupper.

www.cityplym.ac.uk/employers

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2014

Herald Business Awards

“The College has supported the awards for a number of years, usually sponsoring the Manufacturing Business of the Year Award. This year, we are pleased that we have been able to increase our level of support by becoming title sponsors.

“As one of the City’s largest training providers, the College has excellent links with industry both locally, regionally and nationally. We work closely with

our industry partners to support their business success and are instrumental in training the workforce of the future for many of the City’s employers. We also provide them with a range of training and skills to support workforce development and up-skilling. As a Gazelle College, our partnerships with industry are critical in providing our students with a range of industry-linked activity to enable them to develop key enterprise and employability skills – skills that are highly valued by employers, and which support wealth and job creation.

“The Herald Business Awards are an eagerly anticipated part of the business community’s social calendar. Last year’s event was really inspiring and I am sure that this year’s event will be even better.

With all the positive news around City Deal

and the continued developments taking place in the City, and the successes being achieved by businesses, this year’s awards should be truly spectacular.”

2014

City College Plymouth is proud to be the title sponsor for this year’s Herald Business Awards, taking place on 1 May. Sharron Robbie, Head of Corporate Relations, Employability and Enterprise at the College explains the reason for the College’s support:

in association with

in association with

City College Plymouth is dedicated to ensuring education meets the needs of businesses and in turn ensuring that students leave with the right skills needed in the workplace.

Best of luck to all the shortlisted businesses, including College partners Burts Chips, Kawasaki, MGB Engineering, National Marine Aquarium, Pepper Communications, Plymouth Citybus, Plymouth Community Homes, Pluss, The Barden Corporation and Shelly Monk.

Visit the Herald Business Awards website for more information – www.theheraldbusinessawards.co.uk.

Dates for your diaries ... › Business Supper Club ‘Plymouth’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ with special guest David Parlby, Chief Executive of Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry Wednesday 14 May 5.45pm – 8.30pm PL1 Restaurant, Kings Road £12.50 per person The Supper Club will look at the recent transport issues raised after the severe weather conditions at the beginning of this year and guests can debate the solutions put forward to central government recently. David Parlby has been a key player in lobbying for better transport links to the City, and working with leaders in the South West peninsula to find solutions to the destroyed rail line at Dawlish.

David will speak about recent plans and developments for the future of our transport links before guests will have the opportunity to ask questions.

› College Annual Business Dinner and Celebration

› Business Supper Club

Wednesday 6 June 7.00pm till Late PL1 Restaurant, Kings Road

Wednesday 18 June 5.45pm – 8.30pm PL1 Restaurant, Kings Road

£45 per person, £300 for a table, £150 for half a table

£12.50 per person

This year we have introduced our very own annual business dinner and celebration evening. The black tie event will welcome the College’s top clients and key businesses in the City into our PL1 Restaurant. Guests will enjoy a fabulous five course meal and entertainment.

The evening will include some special awards in recognition of our partnership working with businesses in the City, as well as training highlights over the last year.

Topic – to be confirmed. You can suggest a topic by calling us on 01752 305026 or e-mail employers@cityplym.ac.uk.

The Supper Club aims to bring business professionals together to not only network and enjoy the delicious food on offer in our PL1 Restaurant, but to debate key topics that really matter to the City and to local business. The Business Supper Club provides an informal and relaxed setting for debate.

Guests will enjoy a two-course meal, prepared and served by College hospitality students, in our modern PL1 Restaurant. The event is open to those starting out in business or those experienced business professionals wishing to be kept updated and informed on business focused news.

Follow us on Twitter! @BusinessSupper.

T: 01752 305026 E: employers@cityplym.ac.uk

EmployerLink

Client

CCP

Artworker

Tom

Creative Director

Mike Lane

Modification Date

10/04/14 3:20PM

File Name

6795 CCP Employer Link Newsletter V3

Proof Stage

05

Finished Size

A4 210x297mm

Artwork %

100%

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3mm

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Employer Survey 2012/13 – What You Thought

City College Plymouth …

Here to Listen Your feedback is important in enabling us to improve our training and the service we provide to employers, and you can feedback to us in a number of different ways …

›

Ofsted Survey – Available Now

The survey provides Ofsted, the official body for inspecting schools and colleges, information that helps them make their judgement when they inspect the College, much like in 2012

95%

of employers would recommend the College to another employer

of employers are very happy with the quality of training their employees receive

92%

90%

of employers scored their satisfaction with the College as good or better

›

Every year we survey all our current clients (those who have bought training from the College in the previous year), to help us make improvements to our training and customer service. The survey enables you to let us know how we did. The results from the survey for 2012/13 are now out and here’s what you thought!

97%

of employers scored their satisfaction with the College in meeting their training needs as good or better

Employers recognised the training delivered by the College as high quality with College staff showing good levels of up-to-date knowledge and practice in industry. Find out more information about providing feedback to the College below …

when the College was graded a ‘Good college with Outstanding features’. This survey can be accessed at any time throughout the year so you can record your feedback as and when you want to. Have your say with the official inspection body here: surveys.ofsted.gov.uk/ survey?token=apx3.

›

FE Choices Survey – From April 2014

FE Choices is an independent, official body, which compares performance and other valuable information about further education colleges. From this, employers have access to information on success rates, learner satisfaction and employer satisfaction with the training provided by City College Plymouth.

Clients are invited via e-mail to participate so look out for your e-mail coming soon!

We encourage feedback from employers and you can do so in a number of ways either through one of the surveys, via telephone, e-mail or face-to-face. Please contact the Corporate Relations team on 01752 305026 or e-mail employers@ cityplym.ac.uk.

Mailing List If you have received a copy of this newsletter from a colleague and would like to be added to our mailing list, or you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please telephone 01752 305026 or e-mail your name, job title, company name and full address to employers@cityplym.ac.uk.

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EmployerLink

Client

CCP

Artworker

Tom

Creative Director

Mike Lane

Modification Date

10/04/14 3:20PM

www.cityplym.ac.uk/employers

File Name

6795 CCP Employer Link Newsletter V3

Proof Stage

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Finished Size

A4 210x297mm

Artwork %

100%

Bleed

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