Business
May 2014
Welcome Welcome to the first edition of the new look @Business newsletter, I hope that you will find this interesting and thought provoking. As a college we have taken a very forward looking approach in working hard to make education and business work hand in hand, providing the courses and skills needed for the local workforce through listening to what is needed and responding accordingly. With this aim and continuing goal in mind I would welcome any comments, guidance or even stories from your own industry so we can add this in for the next edition, informing and educating all our future choices. Please take the time to read this newsletter, you will find a wealth of information including the Skills Support for the Workforce scheme which allows us to deliver, subject to local criteria, FREE training to the businesses of Worcestershire, this combined with the great work done by Worcestershire Business Central, is making the accessibility of support for your company’s growth a real opportunity. If you would like to contact us then please do so on: business@sworcs.ac.uk, or telephone 01386 712715. Thank you Perry
Meet the New Business Development Team
With businesses realising the many benefits of up-skilling their workforce, the demand from local employers for good quality, bespoke training is higher than ever.
With the new Business Development Team in place the College is geared up to support local businesses and fulfil training needs.
advice to employers about increasing their workforce through an Apprenticeship programme.
The team will be backed up with a full complement of support staff including members of the College’s Marketing Department and Learner Services Team.
Leading the team is Director of Business Development Perry Perrott, and working alongside Perry will be Business Development Officer Claire Adlam and Work Based Learning Operations Manager Donna Harris. Other members of the Work Based Learning department, including the assessors from across the subject areas, will also be on hand to give
Claire Adlam, Perry Perrott & Donna Harris
FREE Training for SMEs in Worcestershire Claire Adlam
If your company employs fewer than 249 members of staff and is based in Worcestershire, we may be able to help you with FREE training through the Skills Support for the Workforce programme. The College has been awarded funding through the European Social Fund (ESF) to enable us to provide bespoke training to Worcestershire based SMEs, providing qualifications to support the up-skilling of individuals in order to improve their career opportunities and their existing skills and knowledge through work based learning. Funding is available until June 2015 and dependant on numbers. Training can be provided on the business premises or if preferred at one of our campuses, in either Evesham or Malvern. Courses on offer include those listed over the page in the B2B section.
Our Business Development Officer, Claire Adlam said “We are so pleased to have been awarded this pot of funding. We have seen a great deal of interest from local companies and are pleased that we are able to help them with up-skilling their workforce through free training. The funding will only be available for a limited amount of time so if you are looking for some free training, we urge you to get in touch sooner rather than later.” The Skills Support for the Workforce programme is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and co-financed by the Skills Funding Agency and delivered under the overall auspices of Worcestershire Business Central. For more information on how your business can benefit from free training and to find out whether you are eligible or not, give Claire Adlam, Business Development Officer a call on 01386 712715 or email business@sworcs.ac.uk
The development of students’ personal, social and employability skills is strong, links with employers are good and a high proportion of students progress into work.
2013 Ofsted Report
B2B
Perry Perrott
Current courses on offer...
Through a partnership with Worcestershire Business Central and the European Social Fund we currently have the following courses available for businesses to take advantage of FREE of CHARGE*. This list is not exhaustive and if you require any other
training then please contact us anytime to discuss.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
EAL Award in Introductory Metal Inert Gas Welding Skills Award in Automotive Management (QCF) Award in Fabrication and Welding Practice (QCF) Diploma in Engineering Inspection and Quality Control Award in IT User Skills Certificate in IT User Skills Introduction to English for Speakers of Other Languages Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Certificate in Employability Skills Manufacturing Technologies (Engineering) Certificate in Business Improvement Techniques (QCF) Mechanical Measurement and Inspection Techniques
• • • • • •
Level 2 Health and Safety/Forklift Certificate in the Principles of Sales Certificate in Principles of Business and Administration Certificate in the Principles of Social Media for Business Producing Engineering Drawings Using a CAD System Manufacturing Technologies (Food Industry)
* Certain criteria has to be met for entitlement to the free training. To find out whether you are eligible give Claire Adlam, Business Development Officer a call on 01386 712715 or email business@sworcs.ac.uk
Meet Donna Harris Work Based Learning Operations Manager
How long have you been in your job role? I’ve been at the College 11 years, and I’ve had this job for 9 years. What do you enjoy about your job? I love interacting with people including staff, employers and the Skills Funding Agency - it brings a lot of fun into the job.
How many apprentices are training with the College? At the moment we have 138 apprentices on a variety of levels of Apprenticeship programmes.
How is the Work Based Learning Team set up? As a team we work closely together, share the workload, and spin ideas off one another, I feel that it is important to create a friendly environment within the workplace. What are your hobbies? I love gardening in the summer, and spending time with the dogs. I also love travelling to interesting places abroad.
Employer Partnerships
Claire Adlam
Working with employers and building strong and lasting relationships and partnerships is something that South Worcestershire College takes great pride in. We take every step we can to prepare our learners for employment and are extremely lucky to have a number of very successful relationships with a range of local employers who provide our learners with work experience and come into College to provide talks about their organisation and industry. We also work closely with Worcestershire Skills Central which is provided by Worcestershire Business Central to help link schools with business. Their "One-Stop-Shop" approach aims to provide an online portal where businesses can advertise quality work placement opportunities which can then be applied for by students.
Education establishments and businesses alike can advertise forthcoming events targeted at improving awareness and employment opportunities for young people throughout the county.
Current students are our next generation of workers and with the help of local businesses we are able to ensure that they are fully prepared and equipped with the skills required for work.
If you would like more information on how you could work in partnership with the College, please call 01386 712715 or email business@sworcs.ac.uk.
Apprentices develop a good range of industrial and commercial standard skills and produce work to a high standard.
2013 Ofsted Report
Is an Apprenticeship right for you?
• Improve your bottom line • Fill your skills gaps • Motivate your workforce by taking on an apprentice!
Did you know...
If you are a small to medium sized
business employing fewer than 250
employees and interested in recruiting
your first apprentice you could be
eligible to receive a £1500 grant.
Find out more... Contact the
SWC Work Based Learning Team on (01386) 712690
All About Apprenticeships at South Worcestershire College
As Apprenticeships are work based training programmes, most of the training is ‘on the job’ - at your premises. The rest can be provided by South Worcestershire College.
Apprenticeships are designed around the needs of employers and lead to nationally recognised qualifications. You can use Apprenticeships to train both new and existing employees.
The Apprenticeship programmes are designed by the Sector Skills Council. Business representatives from the relevant industry
sectors work with the Sector Skills Council to develop the course content. Because they genuinely understand your business the training will be relevant to your industry.
If you go ahead and employ an apprentice we will provide you with an experienced Assessor who will be able to support and guide you. Your Assessor can assist you in recruiting an apprentice, and manage the training, assessments and evaluation.
South Worcestershire College offers the following Apprenticeship programmes:
Accountancy (Levels 2 and 3) | Business (Levels 2 and 3) | Childcare (Levels 2 and 3) | Customer Service (Levels 2 and 3) Domestic Plumbing and Heating (Levels 2 and 3) | Engineering (Levels 2 and 3) | Hairdressing (Levels 2 and 3) Land Based Engineering Operations (Levels 2 and 3) | Motor Vehicle (Levels 2 and 3)
Find out more about employing an Apprentice by calling the Work Based Learning Team on (01386) 712690.
SWC Apprentices Judged to be the Best in the Region
In April, at a ceremony at the House of Commons, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced the finalists of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge 2014, the official search for the apprentice team of the year.
After three months of tough competition between over 100 teams from the country’s leading Apprenticeship employers, training providers and colleges, four regional winners were announced and the winner of the Central region was South Worcestershire College.
The Challenge has seen the SWC team deliver a community project renovating a young people’s centre and spreading the word about Apprenticeships to schools, where they shared their experiences and explained how an Apprenticeship allows young people to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and a real future.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, “The finalists of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge have shown they have the energy, enthusiasm and commitment to be the best they can be, but also to give back to build a better future for Britain.” “It is important that we foster and harness that kind of dedication to secure their future and Britain’s long term success: building a stronger economy and fairer society for this generation and the next.”
The finalists will continue their activities until the summer when the Challenge culminates in a series of team building, logistical and physical challenges at Brathay Trust’s Windermere headquarters.
ROTEC Provide the Right Tools for the Job
Students Shine at JVCE
The first cohort of SWC students to go through the doors of the
SWC and ROTEC Engineering, based at Vale Business Park in Evesham, have joined forces to offer cutting edge engineering apprenticeship programmes and full-time courses to local students; providing training to a high standard in preparation for joining the local engineering workforce. “All of our engineering apprentices and full-time students study at the ROTEC premises, giving them access to excellent facilities and equipment”, said Andy Simms, Engineering Course Manager. “Our aim is to ensure that we equip our students with the engineering and employability skills which employers are seeking.”
W SC
South Worcestershire College
Students at the JVCE specialised Training Academy, based in Evesham, are nearing the end of their first successful year of training.
Andy Simms
Evesham Campus, Davies Road, Evesham, WR11 1LP Malvern Campus, Albert Road North, Malvern, WR14 2YH
Recognising the skills needed to thrive in the specialised Custom Body and Paint industry, SWC and JVCE have worked successfully together to design a curriculum, designed to provide students with the specific skills required by employers.