DRIVING CHANGE

UnLTD headed down to the New York Stadium in Rotherham to meet the team at Whyy Change, an award-winning professional services company who specialise in transforming people and industry through a range of accredited training courses.

Settling down for a brew with Ray Byrne (CEO), Emma Harrison (Managing Director), Matthew Trueman (Head of Communications), Lynda Holbrey (Head of Quality HSE) and Laura Wright (Head of People), we discussed their passion for learning, the important values underpinning their work and why they are so much more than a training provider!

What sets Whyy Change apart from other training providers?

RB: First of all, you’ve upset me a bit. You’ve called us a training provider. We’re much, much more than that!

EH: I think a big part of what sets us apart is our focus is on quality, not quality. We’re not interested in just getting the maximum number of learners in to ensure maximum income. It’s all about the learner experience, ensuring that we deliver a quality provision through accredited apprenticeships and qualifications to add value to the learner outcome. We think about our learners’ long-term careers, getting a CMI badge on their CV and then giving them the opportunity to apply for foundation chartered managership or chartered managership also through the CMI. It’s about the next step, the longer learner journey.

RB: To add to that, I would say it’s the word ‘transform’. Our vision is to provide business knowledge and services to transform people in industry. We look at what people can do for themselves and what impact they can have on their business. That’s why this business was set up: I wanted to work on moving businesses from where they are today to where they want to be tomorrow. We don’t just tick boxes here.

How do you ensure that the quality of the learning experience remains second-to-none?

MT: A key thing for me is that the training we deliver is done faceto-face. I think our learners find a lot of value in that; they appreciate having direct interaction with a tutor and engagement with peers in the classroom. It allows them the opportunity to bounce ideas around and fully integrate their learning experience in one safe space, rather than having to do it digitally online and wait for responses from tutors and having distance between people.

LW: Yes, that’s a big advantage. Whenever an apprentice comes in here, even if it’s just me who’s teaching them, they will know everybody else. We introduce them to the team and since we’re all practitioners in different fields, we’re able to give advice on various topics, sharing that knowledge and generally making for a better environment.

Could you share any standout success stories or positive impacts?

EH: The Ofsted inspection last year, our first full inspection, was hugely positive and we received a Grade 2 good outcome, which for our first inspection, especially as a small provider, we were really thrilled with and it helped to validate the hard work we’ve all put in as a team.

RB: My standout success stories are the nine people working here. They took a risk on coming to work with me at Whyy, some have come from working for large companies, and I had nothing really but a vision and a dream. They’ve all seen that, bought into the values and behaviours, and they make me want to lead and drive this business more passionately than ever.

EH: In terms of some personal success stories from the team, Matt won Technology and Digital Apprentice of the Year at the South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards recently, where we’d been shortlisted for four awards. It’s not why we do what we do, but being recognised always feels good.

What are the key challenges faced in the industry, and how do you overcome them?

EH: Funding from a government perspective. There are different funding bands for apprenticeships, and the trajectory has only been going one way and that’s down. That’s an ongoing challenge. The apprenticeship funding rounds are regularly under review, and as governments change, they have different priorities. But we’ll continue to shout about the importance of development, progression and transformation.

LW: Some companies might think that you need to go with a large provider. We were at an awards ceremony recently, and the large group that won an apprenticeship provider award were talking about a 78% success rate. However, we’re more like a 100% success rate, which refers to people who go through the whole process and pass at the first attempt. We’ve had apprentices sent to us who’ve come from places where they’ve had 3040 in a class, as they don’t feel like the value is there.

RB: A lot of companies have digitised their training and run it solely online, but I think people are attracted to the face-to-face aspect of what we do. We get people from Manchester, Bradford, York, Sheffield, Chesterfield, the Midlands – they want face-to-face delivery, small groups and bespoke programmes. It’s all about the quality of the learning.

MT: A challenge I’ve noticed is educating people on the Apprenticeship Levy; explaining to businesses and employers on how they can utilise it and help to grow their staff through upskilling.

EH: Yes, I think a lot of employers think apprenticeships are for the typical 16-20-year-old, straight-outof-college age group. Upskilling is really important no matter where you are in a career, as it can really change your trajectory.

What initiatives are in place to foster personal growth in the team at Whyy Change?

EH: Apprenticeships. I finished my Quality Practitioner apprenticeship in December. Linda was my tutor, it linked to my role and we’re encouraged from day one to find ourselves an apprenticeship. Matt is coming towards the end of his Marketing Manager apprenticeship and had also done a Level 4 commercial course with us through the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Linda has developed her CPD (Continuing Professional Development) working with the Chartered Quality Institute. It’s all in the culture of encouraging us to be lifelong learners.

RB: We have to be learners. We want to be pushing ourselves and this place is all about encouraging curiosity, thinking, learning and creativity wherever possible within these four walls. I think most human beings relish that opportunity.

The explore the courses offered by Whyy Change, head to www. whyychange.com, call 0114 400 0077 or email info@whyychange. com

VALUES MATTER: THE WHYY CHANGE TEAM TALK US THROUGH THEIR SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Do Right By Everyone

RB: This is about us, the team. It’s about making sure that whatever we do, we’re always looking to be stronger as a company, with the target audience always being the learner. This place was built on all of our shoulders and every decision we make has to be for the greater good and we want our behaviours to reflect this.

Be Curious

MT: Everyone’s always looking to explore new ideas, find out where the opportunities are and take on fresh knowledge. It’s about understanding challenges and finding innovative, thinking-outside-the-box ways to push boundaries and get to where you want to be. If you’re not moving forwards, you’re moving backwards.

Systems Matter

EH: This is about having evidence-based decision-making and processes as part of your delivery for apprenticeships and commercial training. This ensures that all the learners that come to us have the right outcome at the end of their training programmes and a positive experience. Quality assurance, acting on feedback and continuous improvement all link into our strategy as a business and ultimately drives the experience.

KNOW THE LEGACY, TELL THE STORY

LH: This links into the culture of working for Whyy. We’re a close-knit family here and that’s because we know the story, how it all started, and we know where we want to go. We make sure that anyone new to the organisation understands the roots of it and the legacy we want to achieve, ensuring that we’re all moving in the same direction.

Do What We Need To Do

EH: As a small team, there aren’t 20 people in the background who are able to pick up the bits that keep a business running. Whether that’s cleaning the toilet, grabbing some milk from the shop, ensuring the kitchen is stocked with the basics – we’ve got a culture where taking care of those tasks is very much all of our joint responsibilities. It’s a team effort, we support each other and it transcends into how we deal with clients and learners who come onsite, making sure we do what we need to do so people can enjoy a positive experience when they come to Whyy Change.

Share Knowledge

MT: This applies in two ways. Sharing knowledge is essentially what we do: sharing it with our learners and apprentices, so that they’re able to upskill and share knowledge themselves within their own businesses. But from a cultural point of view as well, everyone here at Whyy is a practitioner and we have our own skill sets. So, for example, I did IT with Business at university, so if there’s an IT module on one of the marketing modules, I’m able to adapt and share my knowledge on that. So, it’s essentially about encouraging collaboration across the team and the courses we offer.