Notes and news
Article Type: Editorial From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 48, Issue 1.
Barclays gets bolder with apprenticeships
Barclays has launched the first apprenticeships in the UK aimed at those over 24 and as old as 65. The new "bolder apprenticeships"involve people who are returning to work or starting a new career working in business areas such as contact centers, community banking and fraud offices.
The scheme targets adults with no more than one A-level (or equivalent) or less than a Level 2 qualification. They should have been out of work for more than 12 months or working less than 16 hours a week.
The program has a pre-apprenticeship element to help to prepare, support and select individuals through tailored training,run and funded by Barclays. There are ten days of full-time, classroom-based training focussed on basic employability skills. Modules include preparing for the workplace, employability skills and business skills, literacy and numeracy support, customer service, digital awareness, confidence and core skills. This is followed by a week’s work placement with Barclays, including coaching and further learning support.
Apprenticeships are offered to successful candidates on completion of training. Successful apprentices work in Barclays on a 12-month Level 2 apprenticeship program.
Mike Thompson, director of apprenticeships at Barclays, commented: "It has been widely reported that that we are facing a chronic skill shortage in the UK. The Government has suggested that, based on current employer plans, we will need to fill 13.5 million job vacancies in the next 10 years, but only seven million young people will leave school and college in that time. We have to address this. We have to find alternatives and we have to provide opportunities to unlock the talent that is being underused across all age brackets."
He continued: "Once out of work, older workers face a much tougher task to find the opportunities to get back into full employment. We believe that age or social circumstances should not be a barrier or deciding factor in finding a viable route to employment. Reskilling can be achieved at any age."
"The bolder-apprenticeship program demonstrates our commitment to creating career opportunities regardless of age. We want to start a conversation with other businesses to increase collaboration, regardless of sector or industry, to address how we can maximize the valuable contribution older workers make."
The Minister for Pensions, Baroness Altmann, said: "Having a diverse workforce – including an age-diverse workforce – enables a business to reflect its customer base, to better understand and better serve its whole range of clients. I am delighted that Barclays has recognized this and is seeking to recruit people of all ages."
"As we can look forward to living longer, we need to rethink what ‘old’ looks like – the traditional stereotypes of people over 50 no longer apply. It is never too late to learn new skills, take on new challenges and live life to the full."
Mercedes-Benz dealer wins training award
UK Mercedes-Benz dealer Northside Truck & Van won the Apprenticeship of the Year title at this year’s Motor Transport Awards.
The company embarked three years ago on a review which concluded that if it was to meet its growth targets it would have to recruit and train more technicians, parts and sales staff.
The firm overhauled its apprenticeship program, introducing innovations to support the block-release training delivered at the Mercedes-Benz training academy in Milton Keynes.
These include: a four-day induction for recruits which involves meeting the management team and spending time in all departments;the provision of mentors; cross-discipline training to promote team working and integration; and the development of specialist modules such as fabrication, welding and hand fitting, which are delivered at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Center.
Every apprentice taken on by Northside since it launched the revamped program has qualified for the extended training modules laid on by Mercedes-Benz for high performers. The dealer has also introduced a fourth-year improver course covering heavy-goods-vehicle training, legislation, product courses and time spent with customers, to maximize career opportunities.
Following a successful trial period apprentice technicians now receive a tool kit worth more than £3,000. The company also provides financial incentives by paying wages at 30 percent above the industry standard and contributing to a 10- or 15-year monthly savings pot, enabling apprentices to earn a bonus of up to £21,600.
Northside reported pass rates of 100 percent and retention rates of 98 percent for all apprentices, results heralded by the Motor Transport Awards judges as "outstanding." There were 256 applications for 2014’s intake of 13 apprenticeships, while three of the six finalists in the 2015 Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Apprentice of the Year competition were from Northside– including Technical Apprentice of the Year winner Harry Atkinson.
With third-year trainees delivering some £80,000 in turnover, the judges concluded: "The scheme has very quickly trained apprentices to be productive. Northside’s was the stand-out entry in this category."
Russ Hallowes, Northside’s after-sales director, commented: "We are proud of the fact that no fewer than 15 of the 52 former apprentices still employed by Northside Truck & Van have reached managerial or director level. I started here as a Youth Training Scheme trainee in 1984 and worked my way up through the business. This is crucial to our philosophy. Whether they are currently training as technicians, parts representatives or as sales executives specializing in trucks or vans, we are confident that many of today’s apprentices will go on to become the company’s leaders of tomorrow."
Russ Hallowes continued: "We are passionate about developing the potential of our young adults and launching them on successful and rewarding careers. After all, the success of our business depends on the caliber of the young people we recruit and the investments we make in providing them with the best possible training."
Dolphin Drilling selects learning-technologies provider
Dolphin Drilling has selected learning-technologies provider Atlas Knowledge to deliver a system to manage the competence and training of its workforce in the UK and Norway.
The contract will employ Atlas to oversee the installation and development of the competence assurance management solution(Cams) across nine vessels over the next two years. Atlas will also provide online training courses to the company.
Cams enables companies to assess individuals’ knowledge and performance by tracking their levels of competence against national standards or those set by the company. A complete training record can be housed in the program for each employee. Cams also enables businesses to record and continuously update the competence of every employee from a central hub and online cloud.
The commercial director at Atlas Knowledge, Kevin Short, said: "Efficiency in all departments has become an increasingly important priority for oil and gas companies, especially when managing high costs and tight budgets. Cams is the best practical solution for businesses that need secure and up-to-date information on their employees’ training qualifications and skill levels."
"Businesses in oil and gas often work internationally, so they need competency solutions for their business that can be accessed with convenience as projects are ongoing. Up-to-date training is a priority for many businesses, and keeping track of paper-based training records can be highly time consuming. Cams enables all staff records to be held in a secure, automated format."
The learning and development manager at Dolphin Drilling, Katie Powell, said: "We are excited about launching an innovative online solution that is robust and sophisticated enough to handle a high majority of our competence, training and learning needs. In time, this initiative will be of great benefit to the learner as well as being highly cost effective and efficient for the organization."
Waitrose uses game to train staff on selling age-restricted goods
Supermarket chain Waitrose is using an e-learning game about the law on selling alcohol, tobacco and other age-restricted products.
The first training module game to be used by Waitrose, part of the John Lewis Partnership, it is available to around 50,000 employees.
The module, created by e-learning company Sponge UK, asks staff to decide on the best course of action when confronted with seven different situations.
Kate O’Brien, of Waitrose employee development, said: "This is a really important area for our business to get right so we wanted to make the e-learning as engaging and effective as possible. The combination of illustrations, photographs and video helps to create a highly interactive learning experience with the game adding an extra element of challenge."
She said that staff could replay the game as many times as they liked so it was a great way for them to practise good judgement on restricted-sales purchases.
The e-learning game is part of a training program at Waitrose aimed at making sure all staff are compliant and follow best practice.
Louise Pasterfield, managing director of Sponge UK, said: "We have worked closely with Waitrose to devise a relevant game which explores some of the real-life scenarios that partners might face on the shop floor. The scoring system taps into the idea of consequences linked to decision making. Games are a powerful tool for teaching decision-making skills in the workplace and Waitrose has embraced the latest thinking in this area within its compliance training."
The retailer is also introducing two new e-learning modules on food hygiene to help to reinforce best practice in food safety and hygiene at Waitrose stores.
Portus wins Investors in People award
Employee-benefits consultancy Portus Consulting has been accredited as an Investors in People organization highlighting its commitment to staff development as part of the company’s five-year growth plan.
The company was rated against 43 requirements to achieve the award, which was established in 1991 to help organizations to get the best from their staff. Accreditation is now held by more than 15,000 organizations in 75 countries.
Portus scored particularly well on the benefits available to staff, including pensions, critical illness, medical cover, annual health assessments, employee assistance programs as well as birthday holidays for all staff, free fruit and massages.
The process identified key strengths including regular communication on business plans and a focus on learning and development to help to drive high levels of client service.
Portus’s success in Investors in People underlines its commitment to developing staff as part of its five-year plan to expand its client and the sectors it works in. The award builds on the consultancy’s recent entry into the Great Place to Work awards.
Dave Middleton, chief executive, said: "Achieving Investors in People accreditation is a major part of our ongoing focus on developing staff to drive the growth of the business. We advise clients on increasing employee engagement and deliver programs to help them to attract and retain staff so we should be practising what we preach. The Investors in People accreditation demonstrates this."
As part of the Investors in People accreditation Portus has been provided with a continuous-improvement plan and suggestions for ways to improve people management.
Road-construction company puts workers on route to success
Almost a tenth of the 150-strong operational workforce of UK road-construction company Toppesfield has enrolled on the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)-accredited apprenticeship in highway maintenance.
The course has been designed to prepare new entrants to the industry to become skilled workers in road surfacing. They will gain Level 1 in functional skills, English and mathematics, a Level 2 construction diploma in highways maintenance and a Level 2 National Vocational Qualification in flexible pavement construction.
The commitment to the apprenticeship scheme is part of a wider strategy by Toppesfield to invest in current employees and recruit new ones in areas such as sales, marketing and business development.
In the past two years the firm has increased its turnover from £20 million to £80 million and created more than 150 jobs. The company predicts that turnover will increase to more than £110 million in 2016.
The Toppesfield chief executive and founder, Matthew Pryor, said: "People entering the workforce need to be given the opportunity to progress. By developing top industry talent in-house we have put ourselves in a prime position to win major contracts."
KPMG welcomes first intake of new apprenticeship scheme
The first intake of KPMG360° apprentices has joined offices throughout the UK. As part of the program, the students have been offered various routes to careers in different parts of KPMG to allow them to explore their options and choose the role that suits them best.
KPMG360o was introduced to recruit and develop future talent from a wide variety of social backgrounds, using the Government’s Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards. KPMG360° offers school and college leavers a full-time role with practical experience, a competitive salary and the opportunity to work toward professional qualifications.
The scheme is rotational across KPMG’s many internal functions – hence the name – and lasts between three and six years dependent on the individual’s aspirations. This year 110 students will join the program in offices across the UK.
Emma Hargreaves, an apprentice joining the KPMG Leeds office, said: "The KPMG360° program was something that really appealed to me because of the rotational aspect that it provides. I did not feel that my previous job could give me the same opportunities that the 360 program could and I was struggling to find a clear and structured direction in my firm. KPMG360° is the perfect alternative to university; although I attended Newcastle University, I was only there for a few months as I did not feel that the student life was for me. Being able to train on the job, earn money and gain valuable work experience is definitely my preferred way of kick-starting my career."
Marianne Fallon, UK head of people at KPMG, commented: "We know that young people do not want to be pigeon-holed into a career at the age of 18. They want the freedom to discover opportunities before making an informed choice. Offering them the option to rotate around the firm will encourage them to choose the career that best suits them, one that they will excel in."
As well as providing students from the age of 18 with the opportunity to join the KPMG360o program, KPMG offers various other routes into the firm. They include:
the KPMG graduate scheme, for those who have completed a degree;
the business-support academy, for young people wishing to start their business careers in a support function; and
the KPMG Audit School-Leaver Program (ASLP), which offers school and college leavers the chance to gain on-the-job experience while also earning an accounting degree from a top university, with tuition fees and accommodation paid for by KPMG as part of a six-year program.
This year saw the first group of ASLP students graduate from university. Almost half received first-class honors, with almost all the rest gaining a 2:1 degree. These students will now go in to the business fulltime to train for their Association of Consulting Actuaries or chartered accountant qualification.
Marianne Fallon concluded: "We want to help young people to fulfil their potential and succeed in a company that they would not otherwise necessarily have the opportunity to join. Offering so many alternative routes into the business to young people from all backgrounds enables us to do this. The success of our ASLP students shows that the system is working."
Hotel du Vin nurtures chefs of the future
Mauro Loffredo, of Hotel du Vin Brighton, beat five finalists from across the UK to win the Hotel du Vin chef of the year competition in Birmingham.
"The competition gave me the opportunity to demonstrate everything I have learned while working for Hotel du Vin," he said."Despite the fact we were competing against each other, we felt like a team working alongside each other in the kitchen. Winning the competition is such an honour and a great feeling of achievement."
The annual competition is open to junior chefs from across Hotel du Vin’s 16 hotels. Contestants take part in a timed contest in which they must prepare a three-course meal from a prescribed list of ingredients. In addition to the prize money, winners are given a mentor who will guide them over the next 12 months. They also get the opportunity to join cooking teams for major events, such as the Henley Regatta.
Lindsay Southward, group director of people and development, Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin, commented: "Young people are crucial not only to Hotel du Vin’s success but also to the success of our industry. They are a key part of making our hotels special,delivering memorable experiences for our guests. We therefore take the responsibility for our people very seriously at every stage of their career. The chef competition and chef academy are great ways for us to be able to support their development and reward enthusiasm, dedication and talent."
"The judges were impressed by Mauro’s confidence and creative flair. His talent in the kitchen has grown enormously and it was reflected in the dishes he created."
Individuals are invited to take part in the competition following the completion of their training at the Hotel du Vin chefs’academy. The goal of the academy is to inspire budding chefs and train basic cooking skills. Junior chefs are given a tailored development program that targets their training to ensure they receive support where it is needed.
Freshbooks opens new chapter in story of growth
A learning-management system (LMS) is helping cloud-based accounting software producer FreshBooks to keep its business growing.
Ritva Nosov, senior manager, talent development, at FreshBooks explained: "We are currently experiencing high growth. This means we are bringing in a lot of people but we also want to retain the talent we already have. The new LMS is helping us to optimize our employee engagement and achieve our strategic goals."
Alessio Artuffo, chief operating officer at Docebo, which supplied the product, commented: "There are similarities between Docebo and FreshBooks – for example, in terms of company growth and the part played by the cloud in that development. In other words, these are two high growth, modern companies, partnering as they share the same vision."
Now serving as a central repository for all FreshBooks’ learning and development materials, the LMS has raised awareness among the company’s workers of the resources available to them.
"FreshBooks now has a really good month-long on-boarding program," commented Ritva Nosov. "We immediately migrated it over to Brain Food – our in-house name for the Docebo LMS – and so every new employee spends a month getting well-versed on our company, with the help of the LMS."
"That makes a huge difference to us. It has made things that we offer, like internal as well as external learning events,easier for administrative purposes. In addition, there are now more people volunteering to do some of these events because it is easier to organize through the LMS than it was before thanks to the standardization that the system has brought about."
