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“SkillS are a key part of thiS Government’S StrateGy to Secure economic Growth”

www.theskillspledge.co.uk

Editorial OfficeDistinctive Publishing8th floorAidan HouseSunderland RoadGatesheadNE8 3HU

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Note: The views expressed by contributors and correspondents within Skills Pledge are their own. Skills Pledge and Distinctive Publishing cannot accept liability for any views placed via this medium. Feedback can be sought via the contact details above.

Ewan WaterhouseBusiness [email protected]

Pete ThompsonProduction Manager [email protected]

Martin WilliamsonCreative [email protected]

Produced by Northumbria University 185550/10/06training and self development.

contacts WELCOMETO ISSUE NUMBER05

Most successful employers understand that investing in the skills of their workforce is one of the most powerful things they can do to drive their business forward. We need to create a culture in which every employer takes that view.

This Government, with the help of employers, has increased the UK skills base, a critical factor for the success of the economy and business. This increase has also made a difference to the lives of millions of people. We have revived apprenticeships; tackled the scandal of adult illiteracy and innumeracy; and, since 1997, almost 4 million more working age adults are qualified to level 2.

However, much more needs to be done. Our new national skills strategy, Skills for Growth, published in November last year, sets out how Government will take an active approach to make sure we have the skills in place that underwrite the industries of the future.

We’ll invest £1 billion in apprenticeships this year and from autumn next year will pilot a Joint Investment Fund, which could grow over time to £100 million, with £50 million investment from employers, this would support some 75,000 training places in priority sectors. In return for their investment, employers themselves will identify the training bodies and HE institutions that will best meet the needs of their industry.

Sector Skills Councils will be tasked with forging stronger relationships with employers and identifying potential skills gaps. And we will also simplify the skills system and empower individuals through skills accounts; and giving them the right to request time to train.

Skills are a key part of this Government’s strategy to secure economic growth.

Investing in skills is money well spent. A talented, skilled workforce is the key to this country’s future success.

Kevin Brennan MP Minister of State (Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs)

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CONTENTSSkillsPledgenational:

REGION KEY:

“From realistic computer games to scary films, innovative fashion designs to new ways of

constructing buildings, these are exciting times for the creative

industries sector.”

A CrEATIvE WAy TO GrOW THE ECONOMy

...SEE PAGE 20-21

03www.theskillspledge.co.uk

04. news

06. bookworm

07. gadgets

08. durham county council

10. tesside university

l EAST OF ENGLAND12. essex skills pledge club

l LONDON14. absolutely passionate about animals and skills

l YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER18. a creative way to grow the economy

20. identify, focus, assess

22. craig price - turning a hobby into a profession

24. man with a mission

26. how landskills has benefited the region

l EAST MIDLANDS28. rutland plastics of oakham

30. derby tree society

l NORTHWEST32. carve a career in the conservation industry

l SOUTHEAST36. training is the lifeblood of all companies

l SOUTHWEST40. agricultural technician

www.theskillspledge.co.uk04

The Personal Injury Awards were set up to celebrate the excellence of individuals and organisations across the personal injury sector. They bridge the partisan “claimant/defendant divide” by encompassing all professionals and key service providers working in this field. The objectives of the awards are to identify high standards of practice and to inspire others to emulate the achievements.

Winn’s beat stiff competition by demonstrating high levels of client service, satisfaction and focus.

The 14 judges are senior industry experts in all areas of legal and medical backgrounds.

Winn’s “One Stop Shop”, “rapid arrangement of physiotherapy” and “significant savings for customers” were elements of their service which stood out.

Winn’s specialise in road traffic accidents and this service has grown rapidly as they have been able to save clients and fleets money following accidents and have been diligent in pursuing proper compensation where they have been injured.

Winn’s Managing Director, Jeff Winn, collected the award on behalf of Winn’s. He comments “I am extremely pleased that our high quality accident management service has won the award for Claims Management Company of the year. This is testament to the hard efforts of the staff and management that we have been recognised by the personal injury industry. Winn’s will continue to strive ahead and put customer care at the forefront of our road traffic management service.

Additional details of the award are available on www.personalinjuryawards.co.uk.

The North East did particularly

well with UK Independent Medical from Durham winning Medical Agency of year and David Wilby QC of Old Square Chambers and Park Lane Plowden winning Outstanding Case of the year.

The winners were honoured by more than 350 personal injury professionals comprising judges, insurers, barristers, solicitors, rehabilitation providers and claims management companies.

For more press information please contact Vicky Ellis-Jones on 0191 276 1000 or e-mail [email protected].

North East Law Firm, Winn Solicitors, Take Home the National Prize of “Claims Management Company of the Year” at the

Personal Injury Awards in London

NATIONAL AWArD FOr WINN SOLICITOrS

MARK BUTTERWIcK (QUIcKDOx), JEFF WINN (WINN SOLIcITORS) AND SEAN LOcK (cOMEDIAN)

www.theskillspledge.co.uk 05

NEWS

Stuart Wesselby is the successful candidate and his full time contract will commence from 5th April 2010. Stuart is currently Deputy Principal at Tresham College in Northamptonshire and will start at East Durham College once he has completed his notice period.

Incumbent Ian Prescott is under contract until September 2010 and will provide advice and support during the handover period. On the appointment, Mr Prescott said: “Stuart was by far the best person who came for interview. I know Stuart will continue the hard work to make us the best college in the North East. I will help him and the College to ensure East Durham College achieve this.”

Mr Wesselby, who originates from Grantham in Lincolnshire, graduated from London University and then had a period of time in the business world where he was both a Sales and Marketing Director. After returning from

Australia where he lived for three years he decided on a career change into education.

While doing his masters degree in Sports Science he started part time lecturing at a college in the North West. Jobs then followed in; Lecturing, as Head of Sport & Leisure at Grantham College, as a vice Principal at Huntingdon College and then latterly as Deputy Principal at Tresham College, where he has recently helped steer the college through a very successful Ofsted inspection.

Mr Wesselby commented: “I am very excited about joining a fantastic college such as East Durham. The College has seen rapid improvements under the current Principal and I intend to carry this journey forward. I believe this college has great potential, and my ambition is to make the educational experience for all learners at East Durham College second to none. “East Durham College has a great tradition in the North East for its sports provision and I intend to build on that. Let’s not however, forget the other areas of the College that also deliver real excellence in learning such as our land based provision at Houghall.”

Mr Wesselby went on to say: “Although there may be difficulties ahead in terms of economic climate, I intend to steer the College in a planned coherent manner to ensure that it can continue to serve the local community and local business, and become an outstanding provider of vocational education and skills, ensuring the people of County Durham have the skills and qualifications they require to prosper and realise their ambitions.”

Ian Williams, Chair of the Board of Governors, added: “Myself and the Board of Governors are delighted with the appointment of Stuart. The appointment has been a very protracted and thorough process and we believe we have made an appointment that will further develop the outstanding position that the College has achieved under the stewardship of Ian Prescott.

“With the recent opening of the new college campus offering world class education facilities, the College is now well on target to deliver excellence in learning to the community and businesses of East Durham and beyond.”

EAST DUrHAM COLLEGE APPOINTS NEW PrINCIPALFollowing an intensive recruitment and interview process,

East Durham College are pleased to announce the appointment of their new Principal.

“I AM vERY ExcITED ABOUT JOINING A FANTASTIc cOLLEGE

SUcH AS EAST DURHAM”.

STEWART WESSLEBY AND IAN WILLIAMS


BOOKMARK

THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF BUSINESS SKILLSThere is a bewildering array of choices facing all managers, whether newly appointed or experienced business hands. No matter how much experience you have, everyone can make mistakes. The Ultimate Book of Business Skills points the way for anyone in a business role. It puts the essential techniques for running a business, managing a team and making informed choices about strategy straight into the hands of the people who need them.The Ultimate Book of Business Skills is a great addition to the Capstone reference series. It features a user-friendly format with real-life examples designed to transform anyone into a rounded businessperson with an impressive range of skills-based knowledge at their fingertips.

All in all a very informative book full of ideas and techniques that could push anyone forward within a business!

THE BUSINESS SKILLS HANDBOOKThe Business Skills Handbook is the first textbook to cover all skills that students need at university. Topics cover all the practical, cognitive, technical and development skills that students need to succeed at university and in their professional career.The handbook is written in a style which is accessible and supportive. Author roy Horn offers manageable advice that addresses the key issues and problems faced by students and does so in a way that is helpful and developmental.Wether your improving within your business or just starting out this handbook is essential whatever the case.

INTRODUcTION TO BUSINESSNo longer are collages teaching business courses in anything less than 2 years, this handbook takes that full course and puts it into an easily readable, easily understandable chaptered handbook.It includes the basics of business management and also some more advanced techniques. What makes this book so great is that it comes with questions and exercises much like a education textbook.

This is a great feature as the reader is able to test their skills and knowledge after learning from the same book!

GADGETS


1. PHILIPS ESSENcE 42PES0001DJust 38mm deep, the 42-inch essence boasts truly sensational visuals and several very neat design touches. A detachable speaker bar minimises its “presence” for people with separate sound systems. It also uses a multimedia box to house the three HDMIs and Tv tuner, meaning the actual screen is slim, lightweight and clutter free.But that’s not the limit of Philips’ thoughtfulness. If your DIy is a touch haphazard, you’ll love that it ships with a uniquely curved wall bracket that compensates for errors made when attempting to drill the bracket holes level. it’s the icing on a resplendent Tv cake.

2. IPHONE 3G SiPhone 3G S is more than just a phone. It combines three devices in one: a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod and an internet device. The first thing to note about the new phone is that it’s essentially the same handset as the iPhone 3G, with a few tweaks under the hood, an upgraded processor to around 600MHz, improved 3MP camera with autofocus, video recording and a digital compass too. The new processor certainly whips things along at a fair old rate, with applications opening faster and internet sites downloading quicker, also storage has been improved with a massive 32GB.

3. HP PAvILION Dv2The HP Pavilion dv2 is a solid little all-rounder that gives a lot more power than other ultra-portable netbooks and the kind of portability that used to be reserved solely for far more expensive mini-laptops. If it’s serious computing muscle you’re after, you’ll have to look elsewhere, but for day-to-day computing tasks, coupled with some entertainment functions to keep you occupied when you’re on the move its ideal

4. PSP GOSony’s new pocket gaming machine, the UMD-less PSP Go, is working its way through retail market because of its ultra small style and glossy black finish.The depth and height are only negligibly smaller than the previous PSP’s, but as you can see from the image above, the width has been shrunk considerably, with the controls now tucked away via a new sliding mechanism that feels remarkably sturdy.As for the hardware the new 3.8-inch screen is just a tinge smaller but the colours are brilliantly sharper than ever and the game-play isn’t far from excellent.It’s now adopted bluetooth features (along side Wi-Fi) for syncing with headsets and a massive internal flash memory of 16GB for keeping games stored.

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DUrHAM COUNTy COUNCIL

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ArE yOU LOOKING TO STArT yOUr OWN BUSINESS BUT DON’T KNOW WHErE TO BEGIN?

Then look no further than Durham County Council’s regeneration and Economic Development team who can provide a range of support services to help you on the path to self employment.

A team of coaches and advisors are on hand to offer advice, support and guidance to anyone wishing to fulfil their ambition of running their own business. Support can be given with developing business plans, marketing strategies as well as access to funding towards start up costs.

If you are ready to take on premises then the state of the art Tanfield Lea Business Centre provides modern business floor space targeted at both new and existing businesses as well as access to tailored support and grant assistance.

The centre, which has been awarded a ‘very Good’ BrEEAM (Building research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) status, uses advances in technology to provide a greener environment for tenants with the inclusion of solar panelling and natural air ventilation.

Facilities at the centre include:n 3 floors of modern office space including a communal

atrium with kitchen facilitiesn 41 office units ranging in size from over 100 to over 1000

sq ftn Fully equipped conference and meeting rooms for hiren Manned reception providing a wide range of office

servicesn Telephony and Broadband connectivityn Free car parking facilitiesn 24 hour access to individual office unitsn Excellent location in close proximity to the A6706, direct

link road to Gateshead and Newcastle

Interest in this iconic building has been very encouraging, with enquiries for modern office accommodation being received from businesses across the many sectors throughout the North East.

ross Bullerwell, of Durham County Council, said “This new centre represents the commitment of Durham County Council to the continued range of support services available to businesses and particularly to the development and growth of young entrepreneurs”.

For those who are already in business and are looking to expand, there are financial incentives available to help kick start a move into larger premises. Grants can be used to contribute towards relevant capital costs which may include overheads, marketing campaigns and improvements to ICT.

For more information contact Andrea McGuigan on 01207 218219 or visit www.tanfieldleabusinesscentre.com

The £6.8million Tanfield Lea Business Centre has been made possible with funding from the Council, One North East, County Durham Economic Partner-

ship (CDEP) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Terms and conditions apply. Contact for details.

inspiring business space

Durham’s New£6.8m OfficeDevelopment

To be inspired call (01207) 218219

e-mail: [email protected]

web: www.tanfieldleabusinesscentre.com

NowOpen

Tanfield LeaBusiness Centre

Tanfield ad 184 x 260:Layout 2 8/7/09 12:00 Page 1

www.skillspledge.co.uk10

No matter what industry you are in, investing in Apprenticeships can provide your business with real benefits and contribute to your bottom line.

FEATURE

teesside was crowned university of the year and won the outstanding employer engagement initiative prize at the prestigious times higher education awards ceremony in october.

The Awards Ceremony is one of the highlights in the higher education calendar and the twin accolade for the Middlesbrough-based university was largely based on its support for employers and employees in North East England.

Award judge Dianne Willcocks praised Teesside University for its ‘history of working with communities and businesses that makes it the public benefactor par excellence’ and said the University of the year honour was merited for its “outstanding regional economic strategy and strong financial performance”.

Times Higher Education Editor Ann Mroz singled out the University’s ambitious 16-point plan to help create

and sustain jobs in the midst of a recession, saying: “The University has been a beacon of hope in the region’s economic gloom.”

The Outstanding Employer Engagement Award was national recognition for Teesside University Business School’s Foundation Degree (FD) in Leadership and Management, designed and developed in partnership with the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC).

The Foundation Degree with the NECC is just one of a growing range of tailor-made programmes being developed with regional employers. Other FDs include a course recently launched with one of the region’s major private-sector employers - PD Ports - and another for County Durham and Darlington Fire and rescue Service.

The foundation degrees use a masterclass approach and are delivered

jointly by academics and experts from the industries or businesses involved, ensuring theory is related to future practice.

Professor Graham Henderson, the University’s vice-Chancellor said everyone at Teesside was delighted by the Awards and that the Employer Engagement prize was testament to the excellent spirit of partnership that governs our business relationships in the region.

For more information about the Foundation Degree and other ways Teesside University can help businesses and other organisations, please ring 01642 384580 or email [email protected]; or see www. tees.ac.uk/business.

A BUSINESS FrIENDLy UNIvErSITy

Teesside University is quickly gaining a first-class national reputation for being a leading university for working with employers and picked up not one, but two, top Times Higher Education awards this year.

THE FIRST GRADUATES FROM TEESSIDE UNIvERSITY’S FOUNDATION DEGREE IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT cELEBRATE IN THE TRADITIONAL STYLE


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The aim of the Club is to encourage organisations to see the genuine benefits of the Skills Pledge as a vehicle for encouraging continuous staff development.

Members who have signed the Pledge can encourage other employers to get involved and give real-life examples of the benefits and the wealth of support available to develop the skills of their employees.

A Skills Pledge Club breakfast was organised by the LSC Essex earlier this year and brought together over 60 Essex employers. Small, medium and large employers were urged to invest in skills in preparation for the economic upturn. Fourteen organisations signed up to the Skills Pledge on the day.

Keynote speakers included James Averdieck of Gü, the high quality desserts and puddings company, and Ken Bromage, managing director of UK Operations for FedEx. They gave business reasons for investing in skills to survive the recession and achieve a competitive position for when the economy recovers.

Janice Logie, area director for LSC Essex acknowledged Ken Bromage of Fed Ex in recognition of their commitment to training. The company has reinforced

the message that staff development and encouraging learning at work can have a huge impact on the success of the business and local economy. Speaking at the event Janice said; “We’ve called upon the Essex

Skills Pledge Club members to act as skills ambassadors in the county, encouraging and inspiring other businesses to make a public commitment to developing their workforce through skill development.

More than 390 Essex employers have signed the Skills Pledge since it launched in July 2007. There are a wide range of organisations both public and private and include FedEx, BAA, Essex County Council, Thurrock Council, Ford, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and many of the local NHS and Primary Care Trusts.

The Club aims to sign up associate members if these employers have now placed staff on LSC recognised courses. Full membership is acquired by applicants demonstrating they are committed to the principles of the Skills Pledge by either introducing another organisation, placing 50 or more members of staff on LSC

recognised courses or showing that 20% of their staff have been on recognised courses in the past 12 months. Members will have the opportunity to hear first hand details of new initiatives and changes to eligibility criteria and an opportunity to feed into consultation and meet with like-minded employer and share best-practice.

ESSEX SKILLS PLEDGE CLUB INSPIrES OTHErS TO MAKE A

COMMITMENT TO SKILLS

CASE STUDy

Based on an idea to help promote the Skills Pledge as an incentive to drive commitment to skills development, the Learning and Skills

Council Essex created the Essex Skills Pledge Club.

For more details and to contact the Essex Skills Pledge Club log onto: http://www.lsc.gov.uk/regions/EastofEngland/whatwedo/localinitatives/espc/

JANIcE LOGIE, AREA DIREcTOR FOR LSc ESSEx

“cOMMITTED TO REWARDING AND DEvELOPING STAFF. cOMMITTED TO THE FUTURE”

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ABSOLUTELY PASSIONATE ABOUT

ANIMALS AND SKILLSHeidi Anderton, a top UK groomer, is

committed to raising the standards of animal grooming around the world, so works with

Lantra Sector Skills Council and others towards achieving just this.

CASE STUDy


When a horrendous leak rendered her living quarters inhabitable at the kennels where she worked, a young Heidi, armed with a brief introductory course to grooming, found work at a dog grooming salon.

“After a year at this salon, I moved on to another which offered the opportunity to study for qualifications. Almost at once it became apparent that if I was ever to emulate the high standards achieved by my tutor, I would have to relearn even some of the basic skills, such as how to hold a pair of scissors. Controlling their blades in a light but stable hold is a pre-requisite to quality cutting.

“In 1995, equipped with qualifications and five years’ experience, I established Absolutely Animals Pet Grooming Salon in the Lee area of London with the help of the Prince’s youth Business Trust and backing from my vet.”

Keen to ensure every cat and dog leaving her salon was turned out to their very best and her clients received excellent service, Heidi continued to progress her learning until she achieved the highest qualifications possible in the UK, the British Dog Groomers Association’s Higher Grooming Diploma, enabling Heidi to join the Guild of Master Groomers.

“This advanced test requires plenty of experience as it takes

a great deal of time to learn the techniques for different breeds and coat types, read animal behaviour, to develop good handling skills and a range of methods to tackle the more challenging clientele - not every dog or cat immediately takes to being bathed, blow dried, having knots removed or their nails cut.

“I, like many other groomers, found the challenge offered by grooming competitions, plus the learning and networking opportunities they provide, tremendously invigorating. They enabled me to hone those finer skills which achieve the ‘wow-factor’ finish which delights clients.”

Her many successes and ‘Groomer of the year 2004’ title increasingly led to her being asked for tuition in the art of dog grooming. Conscience that training is an expensive investment for those embarking on a new career, she felt she had a duty to ensure they were taught to the best of her ability before agreeing.

“So in addition to bringing up three children on my own and running a busy grooming business, I studied for a Level 3 Certificate in Teaching. The skills developed were incredibly helpful in planning how to teach and allow me to recognise the style of tuition that is most likely to suit someone.

“I strongly believe that in the interest of animal welfare, not only should groomers be required to demonstrate a basic level of competence before starting up a business, but that those charging for training should have to meet certain criteria and be registered.

“Absolutely Animals is a Premier Pet Care Trust Accredited Grooming Training Centre and as such adhere to strict criteria set by the British Dog Groomers’ Association in their Professional Groomers’ Charter – a code of practice designed to guarantee the highest standards of customer care and animal welfare.

“As an examiner for the Advanced and Higher Diploma in dog grooming, I am sometimes shocked to discover the techniques and skills of the tutor are not of a standard to pass the test, so not surprisingly neither are their students.”

Heidi builds a good relationship with her clients through her website and a regular newsletter, offering practical advice on animal care and gently educating them so they might become the perfect client. An open door policy offers clients the chance to come in to meet the staff, the students and observe the salon at work.

Joining Heidi in 2008 in a joint quest to improve standards, professionalism and the training of groomers around the globe, was Colin Taylor. Considered one of the world’s best groomers, Colin trained at the London Academy of Grooming before spending two years in Hong Kong and the next 20 in the USA perfecting the art of canine styling.

His achievements include the Best Groomed Dog in Show award at each of the major events in the extremely competitive American circuit. He speaks, gives demonstrations and judges grooming competitions all over the world, yet despite being at the peak of his profession, says that, “No matter how good you are at whatever you do, you never stop learning.”

Together Heidi and Colin run, Gobal Pet Grooming, a website which aims to educate groomers/stylists, pet owners and instructors in all aspects of pet grooming and styling. The site enables worldwide networking and access to on-line seminars.

Heidi also raises and discusses issues relating to grooming with organisations which can bring about change, such as Lantra, The Pet Care Trust, groomer associations and contributes towards the National Occupation Standards and qualifications for grooming so that the benefits brought through an investment in training offer value. Her desire is also to see regulatory changes which will improve her industry’s professionalism and ensure animals, their owners and those entering the profession receive the best possible service.

At the 2009 British Dog Grooming Championship a record number of competitors demonstrated a zest for excellence, Heidi’s daughter Christine won the Trim class in the junior 12-17 age group competition, and won third in the Scissor Award section competing against adults, so looks to be following in her mum’s footsteps.

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“ABSOLUTELY ANIMALS IS A PREMIER PET cARE TRUST AccREDITED GROOMING TRAINING cENTRE AND AS

SUcH ADHERE TO STRIcT cRITERIA SET BY THE BRITISH DOG GROOMERS’ ASSOcIATION IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL

GROOMERS’ cHARTER”

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“Providing quality training linked to the needs of the community”


the growth of the sector is particularly important because many of the jobs are replacing those lost in areas where more traditional industries such as shipbuilding, heavy engineering and coal mining have declined or disappeared altogether.

Defining the creative sector has always been a challenge but the Government focuses on the following areas in compiling its data:• Advertising • Film and video • Architecture • Music• Art and antiques markets • Performing arts• Computer and video games • Publishing • Crafts • Software • Design • Television and radio • Designer fashion

Those Government statistics, the most recent of which came out within the past twelve months, showed: • Creative Industries, excluding Crafts and Design, accounted about six per cent of Gross value Added (the contribution a sector makes to the economy) in 2006. • Creative Industries grew by an average of 4% a year between 1997 and 2006 alone. This compared to 3% for the whole of the economy over the same period. • Software, Computer Games & Electronic Publishing

has had the highest average growth (8% a year). * Total creative employment increased from 1.6m in 1997 to 2m in 2007, an average growth rate of 2% per year, compared to 1% for the whole of the economy over this period.

Typical of areas embracing the sector is Merseyside where the £6.5m Centre for Music, Performance and Innovation is being created at Liverpool Hope University’s Cornerstone Campus in north Liverpool.

Supported by £3million from the Northwest regional Development Agency (NWDA), the new three-storey Centre is located on Shaw Street.

Professor Bill Chambers, Pro vice-Chancellor (External relations and Widening Participation) and Provost of The Cornerstone Campus, said: “The Cornerstone Centre will be massively beneficial to us all in the creative and performing arts, to the local community and to new business set-ups.”

Another area taking advantage of the opportunities is the North East of England.

regional development agency One North East launched a blueprint aimed at using the digital technology sector to boost the region’s economy by more than £2bn through additional

A CrEATIvE WAy TO GrOW THE ECONOMyFrom realistic computer games to scary films, innovative fashion designs to new ways of constructing buildings, these are exciting times for the creative industries sector.


FEATURE

support for businesses, expanded training for young people and further bringing together academia and business to generate new ideas.

The Digital Strategy estimates that growing the sector in North East England to match the UK average would add 1.5%, or £600m, to the local economy.

One North East board member Paul Callaghan, who is Chairman of the Leighton Group, the Sunderland-based technology, software, media and communications group, said: “As the economy enters the upturn there will be serious economic opportunities for the region in the digital sector and it is vital that we grasp these opportunities.”

Online public relations expert Stephen Davies, founder and Managing Director of Newcastle-based 3W Pr, said: “Britain, along with the rest of the West, is increasingly moving towards a knowledge-based economy and the rate of change in technology is exponential. Who could have predicted new communications platforms like Facebook and Twitter only a few years ago? Or gadgets like the iPhone or virtual technologies like cloud computing?”

Such comments are replicated nationwide and not just in the digital sector. For instance, the Government recently

announced plans to create more than 5,000 new jobs in the culture, music and creative industries.

An example of a Government-backed agency is UK Music which developed a programme with Jobcentre Plus, to offer 200 jobs to young unemployed people based at music festivals in summer just gone.

UK Music has been involved in a wide range of other projects. Take, for instance, Oakwood High School’s ‘Factory records’ project at the Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays.

Sponsored by UK Music and the local children services department, the initiative saw the school bring together visual arts, poetry, music and dance on the theme of ‘Factory records’ in conjunction with other local schools.

Singer Feargal Sharkey, CEO of UK Music, said: “Music has an inherent power to open gateways for all to other avenues of creativity – such as art, fashion, film or design.”

Newcastle University has a placement scheme open to the creative sector. Interested employers are asked to contact [email protected]

www.skillspledge.co.uk

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Through Train to Gain this family business with a strong training ethos has accessed many thousands of pounds of funding and expert support that are making a huge difference.

“Train to Gain is fantastic. Johnsons of Whixley is a family business that really wants employees to grow and develop. It has always had a reputation for always doing the best by its employees and making the best of them too,” says Helen. “It’s part of what attracted me to work for them.”

Helen Straw joined the business in 2006 after working initially for Johnsons of Whixley as a Human resources Consultant. The firm was founded in 1921 and acquired by

John richardson in 1964. He is still Chairman, running the firm with his three sons. There are 120 employees, supplemented by agency and seasonal workers, at eight production sites in yorkshire and a Wholesale Plant Centre at Chobham in Surrey, providing millions of plants each year and more specimen plants than any other grower in the UK.

In 2005 John richardson was honoured with a lifetime achievement award from the Horticultural Trades Association, and son Andrew richardson is current chairman of the HTA.

“We wouldn’t have got as far with Train to Gain without the help of our Skills Broker who has been very proactive in

Right people, right course, right qualification. The formula for success with Train to Gain…So says human resources and training expert Helen Straw, who works for Johnsons of Whixley near York - one of the longest established and largest commercial plant nursery businesses in Europe and the largest supplier to the amenity sector in the UK.

IDENTIFY, FOcUS, ASSESS.

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helping identify training providers, sources of funding and different options open to us.

“Johnsons has a Learning and Development Group which I chair and comprises of senior and more junior managers within the business. Learning and development needs are gathered via our performance management process and from those we develop a workforce development plan , we decide on a learning and development budget and the Group discusses how we can meet the needs that have been identified. So learning and development is assessed and actioned at a strategic, operational and individual level by managers within the business

“We started working with Train to Gain in spring 2008 with two office-based employees doing NvQs in business administration. The feedback is

that their training is going really well. We also have four nursery workers taking an NvQ2 in horticulture through Bishop Burton College. Now we are looking at an NvQ2 in team leading for some of our junior supervisors and an NvQ4 in management for two Unit Managers.

“Through Train to Gain we have also accessed Train to Gain Enhancement Fund money (ESF) which has been brilliant. We identified a need for in-depth training for the finance team, got the approval for the funding in December and that training is already complete. We made a second application to the Enhancement Fund for everyone in the business to be trained for the SAP system which will be rolled out in the next few months. Both those applications provided 60% funding for the training.

“Training benefits people in so many ways and not just in the workplace.

Employees are gaining skills in other areas such as confidence building and communication which are all transferable. They often achieve a qualification that is recognised and portable - though Johnsons of Whixley does have very low staff turnover and as we are Investors in People accredited too, we find we do retain our employees and indeed have many employees who have worked with us for a number of years.

“Employees realise the company is investing in them and they feel a sense of loyalty. The company is very customer focused. Investing in employees shows through the service we offer. People come to us because of the quality of our product and that’s good because we know we are developing both plants and people! We invest in our employees and they invest their skill and devotion in plants…

“Getting training right is about more than sending people on courses. you have to know the learning and development needs, for the business and individual, think about, the cost and how they would learn best because there are different ways of learning. I don’t think a lot of this training would have happened as quickly or easily without Train to Gain - it helped us find the right route, the right focus, the right people, qualifications and training partners. There’s no point having an employee spend time on a qualification that isn’t right for them or the business and doing it just because it’s free!

“you have to evaluate the return on your investment. Have the employee’s skills increased? Has their behaviour changed? Can people take more responsibility, can they move up a grade? It’s not just about doing a learning intervention, it’s how it makes a difference. Train to Gain has helped Johnsons in so many ways through standard qualifications like NvQs and bespoke training for SAP, which we didn’t think was possible. It has also helped us refine our assessment of training.

“The company benefits have been massive already - for example the NvQs in administration were taken by fairly junior employees who have increased their skills and knowledge, which gives them more confidence. We want employees to be productive, skilled, knowledgeable and do the best job possible to drive the business forward.”


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cRAIG PRIcE - TURNING HIS HOBBY INTO A PROFESSION

Demand for the services of all Seasons Gardening in cleethorpes in lincolnshire has already grown so much since 2006 that he is ‘branching out’ with a franchise.

Learning new skills for working with trees through Train to Gain will make a dramatic difference this year - expanding the scope of Craig’s services, extending his busy season well into the winter, and generating more income and potential for further training for him and his staff.

“The training was brilliant, spot on. We did CS30-31 chainsaw work and maintenance and felling of small trees, and CS38-39 aerial tree work with a chainsaw and rescues. If I can find the time and funding, there’s lots of other training I would love to do - topping out trees, digger driving and perhaps chemical spraying certificates.

The qualifications I now have are such a bonus for the business. I have always had to pass on tree work to other people, now I will be able to do it all. We won’t have to wait for other contractors and tree work is a big part of the business, plus my quiet time for garden maintenance later in the year is when it gets busy for trees. And we could be called on to help with storm damage.

By this time next year I would like tree work to account for 15-25% of my business, especially after I put it on the side of the van. I don’t advertise at all, just use the van to tell people what I do and nearly all my jobs are through recommendations.

I would like to do more training though that obviously depends on finances and having time. The CS30-

31 and CS38-39 courses covered three weeks, there were two of us going and we weren’t working or earning the whole time, so the total cost was about £3000.

Now I have all my equipment, which isn’t cheap, the insurance and certificates, I can really get started.

This is so different from what I used to do. I started training as a butcher before I even left school but I got fed up with working for someone else. I had done a lot of landscaping and people often told me my work was good enough to do it professionally. I started in March 2006 and this year I’ve been fully booked from May to September.

Geoff Hill who worked for me last year is a real grafter. Now he’s taking on a franchise of my business to do the maintenance work I can’t fit in (and I’ll do the landscaping work for him). At the moment we’re cutting about 60 lawns every week and in the last two days I did 34 jobs! Now I can add tree work to plants, patios, decking, fencing, walls, paving, full landscaping and garden clearance. And Geoff might be busy enough in 2009 to do some training himself and perhaps take on a lad?

Train to Gain has been great, especially Ange Brockett the Broker Manager from Lantra who helped organise everything through Leeds College of Technology, particularly the paperwork for the funding. you pay the full amount, then get 70% back. The idea came from a leaflet from Business Link, who I’d visited when I first wanted to start the business, hoping for a grant, but I couldn’t get one. They kept in touch, introduced me to Ange and one thing led to another…”

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When after 20 years as a butcher Craig Price decided on a total career change, he launched his

own landscaping business...

“IF I cAN FIND THE TIME AND FUNDING, THERE’S LOTS OF OTHER TRAINING I

WOULD LOvE TO DO....”


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Growing in more ways than one, because Tom is one of the founding partners of Hedon Salads in yorkshire. They are the largest UK growers of cucumbers and aubergines, and second largest for peppers. In peak season, Hedon Salads has 400 staff employed across three sites producing a variety of vegetables from tomatoes and lettuce to courgettes and celery for major supermarket chains.

This year Tom has put dozens of his growing team through the first stage of their training and now 60 are embarking on an apprenticeship. By the end of next year that number will rise to an ambitious 120. This is a huge investment for a company working with the narrowest of profit margins but Tom, who left school without a qualification to his name, believes it will pay back many times over, in many different ways.

From the day Tom Salmon and his partner Tony Magistro launched Hedon Salads in 1993, they have shown their commitment to professional training - the company was the first UK horticultural business to achieve Investors in People just two years later.

Tom attributes their early success with IIP and immediate involvement with apprenticeships in the Nineties to the Learning and Skills Council’s predecessor, the Training and Enterprise Council (TEC).

“The TEC in Humberside had a very entrepreneurial view of training and enterprise. The result was that businesses like ours were targeted for training and development,” he explains.

Tom, who went back to college long after he left school, was always determined to help others from day one: “Apprenticeships were always in my mind. I wasn’t born into horticulture and worked my way up. I realised if you work hard and get the right qualifications, you can progress. I wanted to get that principle into my own business - I wanted to empower the workforce.”

Hedon Salads took on their first apprentices in 1995 and trained several dozen as well as offering NvQs before a

difficult period around 2005 meant the company, which had become its own training centre, had to suspend training.

“It was a cost we had to stop and I didn’t believe we were getting the right support from the government, the LSC or the National Proficiency Tests Council.”

Tom is delighted that improved finances, a need for apprenticeships and wider training in agriculture and horticulture, and the make-up of their workforce has prompted a revival of their training programme. The staff who will be trained come from several cultures and he will overlay that with a culture of communication, training and inclusion, he says.

Today also a member of the LandSkills Industry Advisory Board for yorkshire and Humberside, Tom sets the move against the very specific backdrop of circumstances in his sector: “As a horticultural business we only survive with our supermarket friends if we can provide the most cost effective products, and four supermarket companies sell 89% of fresh produce in the UK. That situation means we have to compete against imported products and on price, which is sometimes below the cost of production!

“There’s the rub - because we are working to the cheapest price, we have to keep labour costs under control and we employ a lot of Eastern European workers on the minimum agricultural wage.”

He wants all his growing team to be properly trained, whatever their nationality or level of education, to qualify as an apprentice. He already knows his workforce well, many of them are from the same families who have worked for him for years, and he wants everyone, from the UK or overseas, to have equal opportunities.

“Some of the Eastern Europeans don’t speak English, some can’t read or write English, so this year we started working with Bishop Burton College in March to give them basic skills and English. We have made the training

obligatory but they are more than willing! We have identified 60 workers to start the apprenticeship immediately and that will be 120 by the end of 2010.

Our aim is that every single person on the growing side will complete an apprenticeship - that’s 160 in total.”

Any member of staff who gains their apprenticeship will be awarded a 20% pay rise.

“Trained people work better and increase their output so you can pay more. The current training works alongside our own company training covering aspects of plant husbandry, health and safety, a wide range of practical skills and crop work,” says Tom.

In an industry where every penny counts, Tom Salmon is a man with a mission - to have a well trained workforce that shares the benefits of an efficient, growing business…

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THE BENEFITS ARE WIDE AND WELcOME.

“Training raises self esteem, gives people confidence, it helps them improve at work but also integration - the same applies to our workers wherever they are from. Everyone feels part of the business and output improves. For the team, training helps break down barriers, everyone works together, they help each other. We have a responsibility to give and get the best from our workforce.

“For the business itself, the benefits if you carry out the training and assessments correctly are huge - you save costs, improve standards and ultimately you won’t need to employ as many

people. you have greater consistency and quality, a well trained and motivated workforce, turnover of staff falls, and they know the business cares for them.”

Tom already appreciates the loyalty of his early trainees - his Ukrainian pack house manager has been with Hedon Salads for a decade and their quality control manager joined from Ukraine eight years ago.

“We want people we can teach, who are determined and make an effort to improve,” he adds.

Tom Salmon is convinced the substantial investment in training will pay off in the short term as well as the long run. He would like more understanding of his trading position and his sector

from the public and more support from

government.

“We don’t promote the Englishness

of food very well, or ourselves as growers,

largely because we can’t afford it. I’m sure

our training programme is unique. There

are other companies like us training their

people but I’ve never met them!

“At the moment our training

numbers look massive but in future

years it will drop. The costs are big

at the beginning but the benefits are

huge. Ultimately there will be less

apprenticeship training but we will move

on to advanced apprenticeships, NvQs 3

and 4 and management training.”

MAN WITH A MISSION

TOM SALMON - HEDON SALADS


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“As part of the rural Development Programme for England, LandSkills fulfils a crucial role in boosting skills and training in the region’s agricultural, horticultural and forestry industries and I am really pleased to pass on my congratulations to the LandSkills team on the first anniversary of the programme.

“Agricultural and rural businesses play an important role across the region helping to provide jobs and investment in many of our communities, and they have a crucial role to play in the region’s recovery from the economic down-turn. “

“Well done to Lantra and everyone involved for making the programme a success so far and I look forward to seeing even more positive results in the future.” Regional Minister Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP

“The charcoal course was a huge success! David, the instructor, was brilliant and a lot was learned. The burn was a great success too with loads of usable product which I can sell at my market stall rather than buying it in.” Beneficiary, Greville Worthington

“The training I have carried out, with funding from LandSkills, has been great for my Continuous Professional Development, which enables me to do my job better. Through my training I now have a greater understanding of the expensive chemicals I work with, can ensure that I meet new and existing legislation effectively and manage my time better in order to get everything done that is needed.” Potato Farmer and beneficiary, Andrew Wilson

“Training enables me to gain expert knowledge and also learn from the others in my training group.

“Technical performance is key. Therefore training and recognition of these skills is essential because enhancing our technical performance can lead to greater profits.” Dairy farmer and beneficiary, Robert Graham

“Such study tours add to our learning and open our minds to the importance of investing in training which provides the stimulus we all need to stay ahead of the game.” Beneficiary biscuit wheat farmer, Robert Atkinson

HOW LANDSKILLS HAS BENEFITED THE rEGION AND ITS FArMErS, FOrESTErS AND

HOrTICULTUrALISTS

Take a look at how funded training from Lantra has benefited farmers, foresters and horticulturalists across Yorkshire and Humber

DAIRY FARMER AND BENEFIcIARY, ROBERT GRAHAM

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Rutland Plastics of Oakham, who employ around 100 staff, offer NVQs in Polymer processing and related operations to levels one, two and three

with its own qualified assessors and verifiers.

rutland plastics of oakham, who employ around 100 staff, offer nvQs in polymer processing and related operations to levels one, two and three with its own qualified assessors and verifiers. they made the Skills pledge in april 2009, and have found this has shown their customers and staff how committed they are to training.

Steve Ayre, a director at rutland Plastics, said: “Making the Skills Pledge has been important for us as it proves to our customers and staff how committed we are to training and offering a highly skilled workforce capable of even the most technically demanding injection moulding work.

“It also helps boost our employee’s careers and as a result we

have a low turnover of staff, which is important as we are located in a very rural area where skilled labour can be hard to find.”

The company also has several apprentices working towards their qualifications at any one time. This includes injection moulding as well as other engineering disciplines. It also has its own training facility which it uses to develop its staff with minimal disruption to the manufacturing process. This is also available for use by external training suppliers.

One trainee is machine operator Stuart Jolly who completed an NvQ level 1 in polymer processing and related operations last month. Stuart, 57, said: “It’s great that my company invests so much in their staff. I really enjoyed my NvQ.”

RUTLAND PLASTIcS OF OAKHAM

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a leicestershire firm helping young people get work experience, a wild game production company in chesterfield and an injection moulding company in oakham are just some of the organisations celebrating two years of the Skills pledge.

Since its launch in June 2007 the Skills Pledge has helped over 342,500 employees as 2,032 East Midlands employers have made the public commitment to invest in the skills of their workforce.

Nationally more than 17,000 employers have made the Skills Pledge, which means almost 6.5million employees now have the opportunity to realise their potential and increase their skills by undertaking training leading to a recognised qualification.

Sue Peake, Skills Development Director, Learning and Skills Council East Midlands, said:

“Skills are vitally important to any organisation but it’s more important than ever in the current climate for individuals, for their future employability and for the success of organisations throughout the UK.

“We’re delighted that so many employers across the East Midlands have made the Skills Pledge, committing to ensuring their workforces receive the training and development necessary to keep their skills up to date.”

Leicestershire Education Business Company (LEBC), who work with companies and organisations so that young people can get work experience, made the Skills Pledge to confirm their commitment to raising skills within its own company and young people across Leicestershire. During the year approximately 11,000 students were placed with nearly 5,000 organisations for a work experience placement and over 1,500 employee volunteers supported other work related activities for young people in school.

Barbara Chantrill, Chief Executive of LEBC said:

“Our role is to influence and persuade the business community that investment in young people whilst they are at school or college will pay dividends. It helps companies from a recruitment perspective and enables employees to put something back into the local community and gain skills at the same time. Many companies have not been able to award salary increases this year, but have continued to show their commitment to employees by investing in their development.

“Our staff play an important role in setting up links between schools, colleges and companies. I will continue to invest in their development so that they feel valued and empowered to achieve their business goals.”

Susan Ellis, 20, an LEBC Apprentice, has been with the company for two years and is studying for her NvQ Level 3. Susan said:

“Having left school with two A levels, I have developed and improved many skills since being at work, including IT and the ability to take responsibility. LEBC also allows me to volunteer one hour per week at a school, where I listen to children read. This has helped my confidence and developed my communication skills, as well as broadening my horizon.”


“We are delighted that so many employers have made the Skills Pledge. Skills are vitally important to any organisation but it’s more important than ever in the current climate for individuals, for their future employability and for the success of organisations throughout the UK.

“By making the Skills Pledge LEBC have committed to ensuring their workforce receive the training and development necessary to keep their skills up to date.”

CELEBrATING TWO yEArS OF vITAL

SKILLS IN THE EAST MIDLANDS

“MAKING THE SKILLS PLEDGE HAS

BEEN IMPORTANT FOR US AS IT

PROvES TO OUR cUSTOMERS

AND STAFF HOW cOMMITTED WE

ARE TO TRAINING”


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Since its launch in 2007 the Skills pledge has already helped 403 employers in Derbyshire to make the public commitment to drive their organisations forward, training more than 98,000 employees.

Husband and wife team Andy and ruth Portlock, who started Andy Portlock Tree Specialists Ltd 16 years ago, made the Skills Pledge in April 2008 and renewed the pledge again in 2009 to show their dedication to providing a well skilled service to its clients.

Based near Ashbourne road in Derby, the company has contracts with Balfour Beatty, Stuart Smith and several local authorities in both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. From the company’s formation in 1993 it has been in regular contact with Business Link. Their adviser helps find appropriate local training courses and advises on any grants that may be available.

Every member of its 12 strong team is fully qualified to task and the company has an ongoing programme of refresher training. In the past few months, first aid, manual handling, risk assessment and temporary traffic signing courses have been delivered.

One member of staff is currently training in towing trailers with LDC in Burton-on-Trent and ruth recently completed a Health and Safety in the Workplace course at Derby College. Further health and safety refresher courses are planned for later in the year.

Director ruth Portlock said: “By making the Skills Pledge we are investing in our biggest asset - our skilled workforce. We believe that this commitment to constant improvement has given us a competitive advantage and helped bring in bigger contracts.

“We like to feel as though we are helping our tree surgeons progress in their careers and regular training shows our workforce that they are valued and helps staff retention.”

Chargehand Arborist, Matthew Scholes, 31 from Shelton Lock, has recently completed a course in first aid. He said: “I think it’s great that my company invests in training in the way it does because it not only keeps us up-to-date with the latest in health and safety, it gives us relevant key skills which we can take with us in the future too.”

Geraldine Wilson, Business Link Adviser, who has supported the company for five years, said: “Andy and ruth have both demonstrated their commitment to training and development. They understand the importance of providing staff with training that is relevant and timely and that is going to have a significant impact on their business. The Skills pledge has provided the organisation with an opportunity to highlight their continued commitment to training.”


“We are delighted that so many employers have made the Skills Pledge. Skills are vitally important to any organisation but it’s more important than ever in the current climate for individuals, for their future employability and for success of organisations throughout the UK.

“By making the Skills Pledge Andy Portlock Tree Surgery has committed to ensuring their workforce receive the training and development necessary to keep their skills up to date.”

Nationally more than 17,000 employers have made the Skills Pledge which means almost 6.5million employees now have the opportunity to embark on training programmes at work – far exceeding the original employee target.

DErBy TrEE SUrGEry COMPANy IS A CUT ABOvE THE

COMPETITION THANKS TO SKILLS PLEDGE

A Derby tree surgery business is backing the Skills Pledge, which it says has helped win larger and more profitable contracts.

“WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT SO MANY EMPLOYERS HAvE MADE THE SKILLS PLEDGE. SKILLS ARE vITALLY IMPORTANT TO ANY

ORGANISATION BUT IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EvER IN THE cURRENT cLIMATE FOR INDIvIDUALS, FOR THEIR FUTURE EMPLOYABILITY AND

FOR SUccESS OF ORGANISATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UK”.

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cARvE A cAREER IN THE cONSERvATION INDUSTRY

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Thanks to Lantra’s Women and Work scheme graduate Katy

Nicholson hopes her latest qualification, in using a chainsaw,

should help her carve a career in the conservation industry.

For 22-year-old Katy Nicholson volunteering and getting additional qualifications are, she hopes, the way to get onto the career ladder.

Katy gained a degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology, from the University of Exeter.

That combined with the practical experience she is getting as a National Trust conservation volunteer, she hopes, will make her stand out to future employers.

She said: “After I left university I found it hard to get a job in the conservation industry. So last year I started volunteering with the National Trust on its estate in Eskdale, in the Lake District, which is near to home.

“The practical experience has been excellent and I am really enjoying the work. In the meantime I’ve been searching for full-time work on the Countryside Service website.

“What I came up against time and time again for the jobs I was interested in was the need to have at least a basic qualification in handling a chainsaw and grass cutting.

“Thanks to Lantra’s Women and Work programme I got on a five day course at Newton rigg College. I’ve taken the CS30 certificate and the step up which is the CS31 qualification where I learned how to fell and process small trees and I will be having my assessment in a few weeks’ time. What has been good about the course alongside volunteering is the enormous amount of practical experience I’m getting.

The opportunity to volunteer on the estate has given Katy experience in a range countryside management skills from dry stone walling to felling trees.

She said: “Going on the course has made me realise how much I really enjoy the tree surgery side of work and I am now thinking about taking up more courses specialising in this side of conservation work.

“In this industry it’s a chicken and egg situation. you can’t get jobs without experience and you can’t get experience unless you have a job. So volunteering for a year and fast-tracking my skills development by taking up courses like the chainsaw qualification will, I hope, make me a better candidate when I go for job interviews and help me get on the conservation career ladder.”

“THE PRAcTIcAL ExPERIENcE HAS BEEN

ExcELLENT AND I AM REALLY ENJOYING THE WORK”


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“IN THIS INDUSTRY IT’S A cHIcKEN AND EGG SITUATION. YOU cAN’T GET JOBS WITHOUT ExPERIENcE AND YOU cAN’T GET ExPERIENcE UNLESS YOU HAvE A JOB. SO vOLUNTEERING FOR A YEAR AND FAST-TRAcKING MY SKILLS DEvELOPMENT BY TAKING UP cOURSES LIKE THE cHAINSAW QUALIFIcATION WILL, I HOPE, MAKE ME A BETTER cANDIDATE WHEN I GO FOR JOB INTERvIEWS AND HELP ME GET ON THE cONSERvATION cAREER LADDER.”

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Thirty-four-year-old Laura is a partner in the firm founded by her father Albert in 1970. He still works in the business with his wife, Hazel, and 11 employees. Now Laura has been invited to join Lantra’s national steering group for apprenticeships - a role she is looking forward to developing this autumn.

AF Wiltshire serves the agricultural and ground care industry in Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire, selling Landini tractors, new and used machinery, spare

parts, servicing and repairs. Laura joined 10 years ago, leaving behind her original career in psychiatric nursing.

This summer the company employed its latest apprentice and Laura is keen to continue training for others in the business, including herself. She is hoping to combine her work, caring for a toddler and taking a foundation degree in Machinery Dealership Management.

“Dad was an agricultural engineer originally. He started working on his

own then took on other people and added the parts and sales departments. We have had that structure for a long time now and it works well for all of us. We have new and used machinery sales, the parts department with three employees - two of them on the road calling on agricultural businesses, golf courses etc. We have five engineers in all, plus the apprentice and Sarah handling accounts,” Laura explains.

TRAINING IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF ALL cOMPANIES

Even more so for a family firm with a reputation for backing up machinery sales with parts and repair services. Laura Brown stresses the importance of training not just new staff, but long serving members of the

team at agricultural engineers AF Wiltshire in Godalming, Surrey.

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“The new apprentice started here the day after his 16th birthday in July. He is the son of someone who used to work for us a long time ago and they asked if Sam could come on work experience. He loved it so much he asked if there was a job going.

“Our last apprentice, Ben Jimmison, had just finished his Level 3 training so the timing was perfect. Ben too came for work experience and asked for a job when he was 16. He’s now 22 and a qualified agricultural engineer. When Sam finishes, we will take on someone else.”

Laura joined as business manager and became a partner in 2006: “My job is to manage the business, finances, our business plan, staff, recruitment and training as well as selling machinery. We’re lucky, our people have been with us a

long time. Ian in the parts department started in 1988 - he gave my Dad a medal when he’d done 20 years with us! David renmant our sales manager has been with us even longer and Mark the workshop manager started here when he left school.

“We’re fortunate in that we have just the right number of engineers we need now, but we went through a long period when we struggled to recruit, partly because of high employment and people not wanting to come into this industry. We’re a family firm, so not as glamorous as the big name dealers, but anyone who works for us finds it more interesting because they’re more challenged. We put a lot of emphasis on the service side as well as the machinery.”

AF Wiltshire takes advantage of specialist product training offered by manufacturers and provides statutory training, but has also worked closely with their local Business Link to access management training.

“I’ve done various courses but don’t have a certificate to prove it and I want one,” smiles Laura. “I did a creative leadership course through the University of Creative Arts, which was great because it was local and ran over a few months. That involved analysing your team, getting the best out of them, understanding how people learn and conducting assessments. I also met other business leaders and we drew a lot from each other. Now Dad, Mark and have done some more ad hoc management training here through a business leaders grant, on dealing with different situations, setting your own goals and improving our management skills.”

Laura does not need to be convinced of the value of training: “For me it’s essential. Training gives people confidence, it shows them you care about them, that you are involved in what they want to do. And if they have the skills to their job they do it better which is going to enhance your profits.

“It’s also important to bring in new people. That stops everybody stagnating. Our engineers are training others, which encourages a more proactive culture towards learning. It’s not just about renewing skills but awareness. And it works both ways. The older generation might cut corners a bit so the trainees who have been taught to do things very carefully remind them!”

Laura says AF Wiltshire customers

are so used to the company training its people that the apprenticeship is taken as a ‘given’.

Now she is looking forward to working with the Lantra steering group to encourage more young people into the agricultural engineering sector.

The first step, she suggests, could be educating careers teachers about what is involved, because it is by no means a traditional engineering role.

“A lot of engineers in this industry haven’t enjoyed school or a traditional way of learning but they end up with fantastic skills. We should encourage apprenticeships where people learn on the job in a more practical way. you start with the raw materials and ‘create’ your own staff your own way,” she says.

“As well as English and Maths, I would also like to see an improvement in communication skills and the ability to produce written work. We need to make trainee engineers more professional, including talking to customers, without swamping them with academic work.”

But Laura says there is one other hurdle the land based industries must overcome - generating interest from young people to start working in the sector.

“There’s no point creating a fantastic apprenticeship if nobody knows what it is or nobody is attracted to the industry in the first place. Some sort of taster would be good. We take one or two work experience youngsters every year. The last one wanted to be an engineer but in the rAF! He really enjoyed it here but he wasn’t going into agriculture.”

Laura would also like to see more interest from girls in what is historically but not essentially a totally male profession: “One girl came on work experience and ended up working in a parts department. But there’s no reason a female couldn’t get into engineering.”

And Laura has one final request for everyone involved in agricultural training - stop changing the terminology!

“The education system drives me nutty with all the different terms. They change the names of courses and qualifications and trying to keep up with that as an employer is impossible. What we need is people who understand what we do and the training offered. When you’re running a business you don’t have time to find all the information, you need something specific to land on your desk. Hopefully we can make that happen.”

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“WE cAN MAKE A DIFFERENcE, ESPEcIALLY IF THE INDUSTRY WILL LISTEN TO AN INSIDER LIKE ME. I KNOW TRAINING WORKS BEcAUSE I’M PREPARED TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF POUNDS ON IT EvERY YEAR”.


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But it is still a business built on customer service, which is crucial to busy farmers especially in the harvesting season.

John Barrett, a leading figure in the agricultural industry for many years, has taken on a new role as part of the driving force behind training, as vice Chair of Lantra’s land-based engineering industry group. He is one of the first agricultural engineers to take a role in this group which is made up of dealers, employers, training managers from the main machinery companies such as CLAAS, John Deere and JCB, plus trade associations such as BAGMA and AEA.

An advocate for training, John believes that you need the right people in the right jobs and the right training to develop your staff your business. John said: “Grow your people and you grow your profits.”

Today, John Barrett is chairman of Hamblys Ltd, which was founded in 1892 and has always been a family firm. John’s son, Steve, who joined the firm in November 2003, is now the MD. Hamblys has 55 staff working in five depots across the South West serving Cornwall, Devon, West Somerset and Dorset. Hamblys, one of just 11 CLAAS key dealers, has also taken on Lemken sales, offering a full range of farm machinery and back-up services.

“I joined as a fitter in 1972 and learned this business from my father-in-law, who owned Hamblys with a partner. In 1980, my wife, Jeanne, and I bought half the business. I moved into the workshops, then ran a branch as a manager and learned by experience. I have grown with the business and grown the business,” John explains.

“Now as Hamblys’ Chairman, I have time to do the job with Lantra, to put something back into the industry. I am particular keen to drive training forward.

“Lantra has an industry group for each of its seventeen industries, which meet throughout the year to discuss how we can work to improve skills, training, qualifications and improve the image of the industry. We can make a difference, especially if the industry will listen to an

insider like me. I know training works because I’m prepared to spend thousands of pounds on it every year.

“I hardly recognise this as the industry I joined: it has changed so much. Hamblys is still unusual in that it is totally specialised in agricultural machinery, not involved in anything else like a farm co-operative or feed sales. It’s no longer a hammer and chisel job. Technology is so much more sophisticated, making training essential. It takes people with the right skills to run that business.

“One thing never changes because we are still service oriented: you have to look after your customers. We have built this business on service which must be available 24-7 if required. We still always have two technicians on call outside working hours, which is why we need all our staff trained to the same high standard.

“Out of our 55 staff there are eight apprentices and we are looking for two more. Out of 24 technicians who work for us, about 70% came through the apprenticeship scheme with us or others. We have been working towards Investors In People status for about 18 months. That sets rigorous standards and we are going for our initial assessment this autumn.

“Plus as we have always done, 25 technicians go through the CLAAS academy every year and some take LTA (Land-based Technician Accreditation)

Level 3 or 4, so our product training alone costs about £85,000 a year.

“What difference does training make in land-based engineering? It makes sure your staff know what they need to do to make the business more successful. At Hamblys we run a profit-sharing scheme which works for everybody.

“Training helps your business in a lot of different ways. It can keep employees loyal and enthusiastic in their work. We have very low staff turnover: people due to retire soon have been with us since they left school. People like working for Hamblys, staff will tell you we are a good company to work for. They are expected to do a lot of training. We expect them to perform well. There is no point taking someone on unless it’s for the benefit of the employee and the company.

“Ultimately everything you do in business is about customer satisfaction because then you get more business and more customers, enabling you to make a profit. That is why investment in training and development is crucial!”

The land-based engineering industry has changed almost beyond recognition within the past two decades - and continues to develop

rapidly with new technology that demands the best training.

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