SKILLS
SKILLS FOCUS
SPONSORED BY THE SOURCE SKILLS ACADEMY The Source Skills Academy in Sheffield is passionate about bringing out the best in people. It has been helping businesses to increase the talents of their teams since 2003 and is proud to sponsor Skills Focus, a monthly spotlight on training and apprenticeship news and funding to help you develop your staff.
APPRENTICE HELPS COMPANY MOTOR THROUGH LOCKDOWN A Rotherham auto electrical company motored through lockdown by keeping key workers and the nation’s truckers on the road. Family-run Maltby Auto Electrical Services Ltd (MAES) stayed open and ramped up its online warehouse division, Splitcharge.co.uk to ensure urgently-needed parts reached haulage and construction companies, teachers, NHS staff and other key workers. MAES set up individual staff work stations and made PPE available to ensure a safe working environment. The company was also able to keep its commitment to an apprentice it had planned to take on in March. Seven weeks into lockdown, Hayley Barker, 18, joined the warehouse division as a customer service apprentice. “We need Hayley because we are so busy. But also we strongly feel this year’s school and college-leavers deserve the chance to start careers,” said MAES finance director Ann Ogley, wife of MD Richard. “We urge other local
THE SOURCE...
The 1-2-3 Support Package For Employers The 1-2-3 Support Package For Employers helps companies to boost their workforce by: Recruiting new apprentices from a talent pool of candidates developed by The Source, and accessing government cash incentives for the under 18s. Contact Kerry Cook on 07584 391445 kerry.cook@ thesourceacademy.co.uk.
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HAYLEY BARKER,18, JOINED THE MAIN AUTO ELECTRICAL WAREHOUSE DIVISION AS A CUSTOMER SERVICE APPRENTICE IN LOCKDOWN
businesses to take up apprentices. It takes time to train someone, but the result is a worker who does the job exactly the way you need it done. “Finding our apprentices’ interests and strengths, and working with them, has proved to be very good for our business.” The Source Skills Academy recruited Hayley for MAES as a Level 2 customer service practitioner and will be overseeing her workplace learning. It’s the second chance of a career for Hayley, who had planned to be an Army veterinary technician. But 10 months into a college course in animal
management, she discovered her lifelong metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) prevented her from going into the Forces. She decided on a customer service career and contacted The Source. Said Hayley: “They took time to understand what I was interested in and found me several apprenticeships to apply for. I jumped at a role with Maltby Auto Electrical but within days of being offered a position, the pandemic hit. “It could have meant another career setback for me but they still took me on,” said Hayley. “I am so grateful for this opportunity.”
BUSINESS TRAINING AT THE SOURCE IS NOW ONLINE... The Source is pleased to announce its building on Meadowhall Way will re-open to customers from July 1 - and will be fully compliant with all HSE guidance on Covid-19 and social distancing measures. We plan to recommence conferencing facilities from July 4 unless there are any further changes to Government guidelines. For conferencing facilities, contact roombookings@thesourceacademy.co.uk
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Upskilling their workers. The Source organises and tutors free accredited online training in more than 100 different subjects. Full funding is available for SMEs in the Sheffield City Region. Contact Vernon Tolson on 07793 308845 vernon.tolson@ thesourceacademy.co.uk3.
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Matching companies with unemployed job seekers up-skilled and supported by The Source’s Online Steps to Work Programme. Run by The Source’s specialist Community and Employability team, the programme gives free support to anyone unemployed and is now working with workers left jobless by the pandemic. Applicants get help with English, maths and ICT skills, CV-writing and interview techniques and can study for work-based qualifications online with supportive tutors. Call 0114 263 5691/ 0114 263 5644 or text 07584 391443.
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