A4e Skills Up The Workforce

Skilling up the Getting into training and learning new job skills are not just for school leavers. Thanks to Train to Gain, we’re producing a nation of skilled workers who don’t even have to take time away from work to boost their qualifications

20

B

rushing up on job skills is always a good thing, but for many of us, the opportunities are not always there. For instance, it’s often not practical to take time off work to undertake a part-time training course, and evening classes can be limited, not to mention expensive. And for those who have had negative experiences of learning, the thought of taking up training and the possibility of sitting exams might make the whole thing too traumatic to contemplate. But thankfully, gaining qualifications is not as daunting as it used to be – far from it. In fact, there are plenty of ways for people to undertake training that’s 100 per cent relevant to their jobs – in some cases, without even having to leave their workplace – and it shouldn’t cost them a penny.

blueprint summer 2009

A4esum09 pp20-22 Train.indd 20

14/5/09 15:17:41

dobson agency.co.uk

Focus on: Train to Gain

Employers can expect to gain valuable advice from training providers, with help to identify and source the appropriate training and qualifications FAST FACTS l 45 per cent of staff would feel more motivated and valued if their employers invested in their skills. l A typical 50-employee company could save £165,000 each year by skilling their employees. l Since it began in 2006, more than 88,000 employers have benefited from Train to Gain. l A4e Skills currently has 1,400 Train To Gain programmes running.

Students learn about setting up traffic equipment on the New Road and Street Work course.

have started training, while 186,720 employees have achieved a Level 2 qualification.

Network of providers The A4e Consortium is one of the managing agents for Train to Gain, and comprises a national network of providers that deliver training services to UK businesses. Funded by the LSC, it’s one of the largest consortiums and currently has more than 40 partners delivering training and qualifications. Some of the areas in which A4e delivers Train to Gain courses include business administration, health and public services, hospitality, early years care, construction, IT, engineering, transport, travel and tourism, and agriculture and horticulture. The delivery arm of the consortium is A4e Skills, which is the part of the division that organises training and apprenticeships. It focuses on vocational learning, and provides services to businesses across the UK in a bid to help deliver the government’s pledge to improve the skills and qualifications of individuals within the workplace. According to James Marston, Head of Recruitment for A4e Skills, the A4e Skills Division directly delivers 1,400 Train to Gain programmes. ‘Not only that, but the consortium has around 7,500 learners on programmes at the moment,’ he says. ‘All in all, across the division, we are handling

e workforce Train to Gain is a nationwide initiative supported by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to encourage employees to gain valuable skills related to their jobs. Studies show that more than 45 per cent of staff say they’d feel more motivated and valued if their employers invested in their skills, while having skilled workers boosts profitability for companies. According to the National Audit Office, a typical 50-employee company could save £165,000 each year by filling the gaps in its employees’ skills. It’s the government’s flagship service, which is designed to help employers of all sizes get the training advice and support they need. The service was launched nationally in August 2006, and to date, more than 88,000 employers have benefited from it. More than 450,000 learners

between 10,500-11,000 learners, all of whom will be undertaking vocationally-based training – which means that they will be working at the same time. We also handle apprenticeships, too.’

What’s in it for employers?

NRSWA Assessor, Mick Chambers, teaches students on the New Road and Street Work course at T-Centrix.

When you consider that each day, 1.3 million people go to work without the the skills they need to do their jobs well, it’s clear that employers need to invest in their staff. Through Train to Gain, employers can give their employees the ability, confidence and motivation to help deliver the results that their business requires. Employers can expect to gain valuable advice from training providers, with help to identify and source the appropriate training and qualifications

blueprint summer 2009

A4esum09 pp20-22 Train.indd 21

21

14/5/09 15:17:45

Focus on: Train to Gain

to suit their business. They also have access to an industry expert who will help to pull together a skills solution package, which may include government training subsidies. However, employers might have to contribute towards the training costs. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may be eligible for the Wage Compensation scheme, so that if members of staff take up programmes that involve time away from work during normal work hours, they may be able to claim money back from the LSC. This applies to businesses with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent members of staff, and has been designed to encourage employers who don’t normally provide training to get their staff qualified. The contribution is only available for employees who achieve their first full Level 2 and/or Basic Skills qualifications. Eligible employers with employees at Level 3 ‘jumper’ status are also eligible, though the contribution will only be paid to those who achieve the above qualifications.

The contribution is £5 per hour or actual hourly wage, depending on employer choice, and it is available up to a maximum of 70 hours.

Who can benefit? Some businesses might not even realise that their employees could benefit from training. But it’s not just those involved in manual work or IT, for example, who can get something out of Train to Gain. More than 100 taxi and private-hire drivers from Leeds recently successfully completed a BTEC and NVQ Level 2 certificate in Road Passenger Vehicle Driving, which was developed by GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for Passenger Transport. Norton Webb Ltd, a Pudsey-based training organisation and part of the A4e consortium, delivered the training to improve the drivers’ skills and help them deliver an excellent public service. Training included boosting awareness of the support needed by people with disabilities; customer service skills; health and safety; taxi and private hire regulations and safe driving skills; and gave drivers the chance to earn an NVQ Level 2 qualification.

22

case study: ‘It’s good to refresh your skills’ Murtaza Khaliq, 28, is a Highways Engineer for York Council, and is currently undertaking the New Road and Street Work course with training provider and A4e partner T-Centrix. ‘The course lasts for four days, and we’re covering things such as excavations, traffic management, safety on site, safety of pedestrians and road users, motorists, and safe digging practices. I’m finding it really useful for what I do at work – it’s all relevant to my job. ‘It was my employer’s idea for me to go on the course, and I was really up for it. Because it has a lot of bearing on what I do, I thought it would be quite useful and that the qualifications would be good for my career. ‘For me, it’s more like a refresher course. I’ve been a Highways Engineer for five years now, and I tend to do a lot of this at work anyway, but it’s good to refresh your skills. In fact, it will really help me when I’m conducting risk assessments and ordering materials and equipment for site operatives to use.’

Above left: NRSWA Assessor, Mick Chambers, teaches the New Road and Street Work course at T-Centrix. Above: James Marston, Head of Recruitment A4e Consortium with Lauren Abela, Senior Train to Gain Contract Manager and Clare Harman, Train to Gain Contract Manager. Above right: Highways Engineer Murtaza Khaliq listens to Mick Chambers.

‘We’re thrilled at the level of take-up with this training,’ says Angela Garczynski, Managing Director of Norton Webb Ltd. ‘We’ve found that taxi and private hire drivers have been keen enrol on the course and are happy and willing to develop their knowledge and skills.’ Bob Johnson, LSC Partnership Director, who works closely with A4e, believes that retraining people during the recession is critical to any industry. ‘One of the first things that industry tends to do is to cut training when times are hard, and that’s one of the worst things that they can do,’ he says. ‘During the last recession, training budgets were cut in the construction industry, and years later, we didn’t have enough skilled workers. It is critical that companies take advantage of what the government is offering now – it’s a phenomenal deal to upskill the workforce.’

1.3 million people go to work without the skills they need to do their jobs well

blueprint summer 2009

A4esum09 pp20-22 Train.indd 22

14/5/09 15:17:55