Category Archives: Training & Apprenticeships

International News, News, Training & Apprenticeships

Language Training App ELSA Invests Over Half a Million Dollars in Airline Training Program

The Google-backed AI English speaking coach, ELSA, has today announced an investment of over $500,000 in resources to combat the lack of language training afforded to airline staff and air traffic control operators. The investment is used for developing content, curriculum, and English training support for the airline industry.

Additionally, ELSA is sponsoring up to 50,000 trial licenses in its global Aviation English program, developed with a top-tier carrier.

Amongst a backdrop of post-COVID training cuts, airlines seeking to retain their customer base can benefit from arming cabin crew and air traffic controllers with high-level English proficiency.

The Aeronautical University’s study on English language and aviation safety found that pilots and air traffic controllers felt that current English language training programs were unsatisfactory.

As airline customer complaints increase by 300%, now more than ever, carriers need to implement effective training methods to allow their employees to communicate with confidence, and keep their customers happy.

A Lorman study found that 76 percent of employees said a company would be more appealing if it offered additional skills training to staff, and retention rates rise 30-50 percent for companies with strong learning cultures. A holistic staff training program not only extends the horizon of opportunity for great customer service, but allows employees to feel more valued.

CEO of ELSA, Vu Van, comments on the program: “English language proficiency is a key asset in an employee’s repertoire, and as the aviation industry rises to its feet, emphasis should be placed on language based training and development to aid airlines’ customer experience.”

“Good communication skills are the lynchpin of excellence in aviation, and the ELSA app offers scalable and easy-to-integrate simulated training solutions, driving increased collaboration between cabin and cockpit crews”

If you are interested in ELSA’s global Aviation English program and would like to know more, please contact support@elsanow.io.

 About ELSA

Founded in 2015 by Stanford alum Ms. Vu Van, and Dr. Xavier Anguera, a veteran in speech recognition and AI, ELSA is a Silicon Valley based company that uses proprietary speech recognition technology and artificial intelligence to help language learners improve their English pronunciation. The inspiration for ELSA, the 2016 SXSWEdu winner, came when Vu realized that pronunciation and fluency often pose a hindrance for non-native employees in business. ELSA has raised $27 million in capital and is backed by leading VCs like SIG, Gradient Ventures and Monks Hill Ventures. In 2021, ELSA was named in the Top 100 Artificial Intelligence Startups Redefining Industries by CBInsights. The company also has offices in Portugal, India, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil and Vietnam. For more information, visit: www.elsaspeak.com.

Business, HR, News, Training & Apprenticeships

Welsh employers are feeling the impact of skills shortage in poor staff wellbeing, increased workload and decreased profitability

  • Data from The Open University and British Chambers of Commerce show almost three-quarters (70%) of organisations say the impact of skills shortages is causing increased workload on other staff, while 77% are seeing reduced output, profitability, or growth
  • More than two-thirds (69%) of SMEs are currently facing skills shortages
  • 52% of organisations have implemented some form of written plan around recruitment, training, addressing skills shortages, ESG, or D&I.

According to The Open University’s Business Barometer 2022 report, published in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, Welsh organisations are experiencing the knock-on effect of ongoing skills shortages and recruitment challenges, as more than three quarters (77%) report seeing reduced output, profitability or growth.

The Open University’s annual report which provides a temperature check on the UK skills landscape, also highlighted the effect the skills shortage is having on staff morale and wellbeing, as almost three-quarters (70%) of organisations say the impact increases workload on other staff. This statistic has crept up since last year when only 60% of respondents claimed their staff were experiencing additional pressure.

 

Welsh Businesses planning to invest in training to tackle skills shortages

To address the problem, around two-fifths (41%) of Welsh businesses surveyed will increase investment in staff training over the next year. The knock-on effect of these shortages is also impacting company growth as 24% of businesses say they have had to turn down work or are not able to bid for work due to their staff shortage.

The report also revealed more than two-thirds (69%) of respondents in Wales are currently facing skills shortages, a dramatic rise on last year’s report where only a quarter (32 per cent) believed that finding staff with the right skillset was the single biggest challenge facing businesses. Organisations across the UK reported they were feeling the full impact of complex socio-economic issues such as Covid-19, Brexit, the war in Ukraine and rising business costs – all feeding into the skills shortage.

More than half (52%) or Welsh organisations have implemented some form of written plan around recruitment, training, addressing skills shortages, ESG, or D&I. Yet only two-fifths (41%) say they will increase investment in staff training over the next year suggesting financial pressures are taking over.

Interestingly, less than a fifth (15%) of organisations in Wales say that on balance, the trend towards remote working has helped them to attract new staff, while 7% say that it has caused them to lose staff.

 

Annual ‘Temperature Check’ – the Business Barometer Report

The Open University partners with the British Chambers of Commerce for the first time for its 2022 Business Barometer report. Based on a survey of 130 Welsh employers conducted by the British Chambers of Commerce, the report is an annual temperature check on the UK’s business landscape across a multitude of different UK nations, regions and sectors.

Viren Patel, Director of the Business Development Unit at The Open University commented: “Our Business Barometer report highlights the need for employers to take a long-term strategic approach to addressing the skills gaps and that it’s more important than ever to take a proactive view on employees skills. The report also shows that recruitment is tougher than ever and that places a focus on growing talent from within and opening up opportunities for hidden talent both inside and outside the organisation. Critically, staff seem to be under more pressure than ever, looking at last year’s report, an increased amount of employers admit that the skills shortage is increasing their teams workload and wellbeing. Through The Open University’s work with employers, we’ve seen how education can make a huge difference to workforce impact and diversity. Education is a huge enabler and has a vital role to easing and solving the skills shortage. If we can harness the ambitions of our people who deliver products and services, then it’s a win-win for all. “

Paul Slevin, President and Policy Lead at Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid commented: “These results confirm the skills shortage challenges are worsening and Wales cannot afford this drag on our economy as we begin to recover from the pandemic and grapple with the impact of geo–political events. Forward planning for skills has never been more important. It is time for employers, training providers and policy makers to work together to ensure the skills system delivers for individuals, businesses and the Welsh economy.”

Since 2018, the OU in Wales has offered a degree apprenticeship in Applied Software Engineering. The course gives apprentices the training they need to work in software engineering, while earning a salary at a Welsh employer.

 

Construction, Construction News, News, Training, Training & Apprenticeships, Training News

Critical Safety Company Launch New Training Roof for Working at Height

Critical safety experts Reece Safety have introduced a new typical inclined roof structure to their critical training centre to accurately simulate roof working scenarios.

Without the correct safety measures in place, working at height can be hugely dangerous. In fact, accidents from height are one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries1.

The roof safety training adds on to the existing working at height equipment training course run by Reece Safety, which is ideal for those required to make physical use of harnesses and lanyards and to develop techniques for basic personal safety when at height.

“I am thrilled to launch our new roof working training rig and it will be a great solution to our clients needing a practical training course being delivered in safe and conducive conditions. You need a roof to deliver roof worker training that is relevant to the trainee – we now have the perfect environment to deliver a market leading package,” Andy Graham, Managing Director at Reece Safety.

The new training centre in Elland fits into the main warehouse as a partitioned section and forms part of our City & Guilds accredited training centre.

“Adding in our roof working simulation structure now meets the needs of people needing to work safely at height on similar clad roof areas found on industrial and retail units, domestic structures, schools and hospitals,” explained Graham.

The new aspect of the training centre allows Reece Safety to simulate attaching lifelines and temporary anchor points with strops, whilst those undertaking the training are on the roof. Participants will be able to traverse along the full width of the roof, whilst fully connected to either the rails or fixed system, and safely experience the risks of working near the roof edge.

“The roof can be accessed through typical temporary lashed ladders, including the need to attach to a fixed lifeline system or climb safely using common height safety equipment.” Graham adds.

“All training is done indoors in a clean, bright, and dry environment and we have other simulation equipment installed at ground level to easily train in safe anchorage and equipment use. Any roof working scenario, involving the ascent onto and descent off, are covered during the training course.”

You can find the full information on Reece Safety’s new working at roof height safety training centre here.

—

Sources:

1 https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf

News, Training, Training & Apprenticeships, Training News, Wales News

Leading training provider Educ8 celebrates 18 years of education excellence

One of Wales’ leading training providers Educ8 Group has marked 18 years of education excellence with a companywide Gr8 Day, following another year of significant growth.

Headquartered in Caerphilly, the business has an unrivalled track record of delivering high quality training programs across a range of sectors, from leadership and management to health and social care.

Educ8 was founded in 2004 by Chairman Colin Tucker, following his successful development of residential homes for highly dependent individuals. Integral to this business was a high focus on staff training, which sparked the beginning of Educ8 to address skills shortages in Wales.

Now almost two decades on, Educ8 has seen impressive growth and success, having recently announced that its staff will own 51 percent of the business though an employee-owned trust, further empowering staff and benefitting the company as a whole.

As the business marks its 18th anniversary, Mr Tucker said: “To have grown from an organisation employing 14 people into a leading provider of apprenticeships with 230 staff is an incredible feat, and I am honoured to have been a part of that journey.”

Anniversary celebrations included an all-staff company “Gr8” day – where for the first time Educ8 and Haddon Training staff met face to face, following Educ8’s acquisition of the equine and animal care specialists, taking part in a range of team building activities.

A champion of employee engagement, Educ8 was named Best Mid-sized Company to Work for in the UK in 2021, an accolade the business continues to strive for as it currently ranks #1 for the UK’s Best Big Company to work for in 2022.

Mr Tucker concluded: “We are thrilled to have been able to celebrate our anniversary with the whole Group and shine a light on the achievements earned along the way, which would not have been possible without our team’s hard work and commitment to building a strong community spirit.

“As Educ8’s offering of first-class training expands, we look forward to many more years of growth and success.”

News, Training & Apprenticeships

StepEx levels up by adding three world-renowned boot camps to its UK client list, allowing more students to access Future Earnings Agreements to support their learning

StepEx, a fully FCA authorised fintech, providing infrastructure for boot camps and universities to enable students to accept payment with a share of future earnings, has added IronHack, Northcoders and Le Wagon as clients.

Signalling a significant move into the UK by the two largest European boot camps, StepEx, by partnering with the renowned Spanish IronHack and French Le Wagon, demonstrates the vast opportunity for IT training boot camps in the UK and the opportunity for students to access courses in a new, affordable way.  These partnerships allow StepEx to add even more data to further enhance its ability to reliably predict, verify and collect an applicant’s future earnings by using cutting edge analytics and algorithms.  This in turn provides boot camps with meaningful data-driven feedback about pricing and the value the courses are delivering, helping to make their courses accessible and affordable to all students.

This follows the release of the government’s Levelling Up White Paper (published 2 February 2022), and the news that the Education Secretary is establishing a new Future Skills Unit that will look at data and evidence of where skills gaps exist in turn highlighting the need for easier access for students to upskill and enter the workforce.

Gabriel Pizzolante, UK Manager at Ironhack, comments: “Our partnership with StepEx means we will be able to offer more students the financial support they need to get started on acquiring new skills. As the demand for our tech bootcamps continues to rise here in the UK, we are excited to now be able to ensure students from all backgrounds are given the opportunity to change their career path.”

 Founded in 2017, StepEx became the only regulated provider of Future Earnings Agreements in 2019 and continues to be so today across the UK and Europe (FEAs; variously called “Risk Sharing Agreements”, “Income Share Agreements” and “Human Capital Contracts”). Students pay for their qualification with a small share of the initial earnings they achieve with that qualification, meaning that course providers have an incentive to ensure they provide a relevant education and select students they believe will benefit from the course. In January 2022, StepEx announced undergraduate degrees on its platform for the first time courtesy of the University of Buckingham and continue to offer post-graduate degrees through Cranfield, London Business School, INSEAD and Cambridge University

Utilising Open Banking data and machine learning, StepEx can reliably predict and verify an applicant’s future earnings by using cutting edge analytics and algorithms. The company also gives its education and financial institution partners meaningful, data-driven feedback about pricing and the value courses are delivering as well as building the largest and richest dataset of graduate earnings.

Daniel George, founder of StepEx says ‘We are thrilled to be adding such prestigious and acclaimed boot camps to our client list.  By offering Future Earnings Agreements, we are allowing boot camps to level up their offer and open their doors to a wider range of students.  With many traditional lending schemes becoming less accessible, debt is a poor solution to this problem, and lending restrictions limit the types of candidates who can apply. Outcome-based finance fixes this and opens up enormous economic opportunities for people who would otherwise be priced out of the kind of courses that unlock significantly higher earning potential. We are pleased to see that the UK Government is putting emphasis on the importance of upskilling in their recent Levelling Up White Paper and with the move from the big players in the IT boot camp world moving to the UK, we are excited to see what the partnerships can achieve in the UK.  We have significantly more in the pipeline and the acceptance of FEAs by bootcamps will accelerate this becoming the way all adult education is priced in the near future.’

Katrina Harradine is one example of a student who has graduated using StepEx.  Katrina had to quit her job to care for an ill family member and wanted to switch up her career as she returned to the workforce. By paying with a share of future earnings via StepEx, she was able to take a Software Development course with Makers Academy and is now employed as a full stack developer at Revmo.

‘I have been successfully hired as a Full Stack Developer and StepEx was instrumental in this process. StepEx has been invaluable in helping me change my career. From supporting me with funding for my Software Development boot camp to networking and support in finding my first role.’

Construction, News, Training & Apprenticeships

Persimmon Homes Launches 2022 Graduate Programme

Leading housebuilder Persimmon Homes has launched its 2022 graduate programme and is actively searching for new talent to support the future growth and development of the business.

The housebuilder has 31 regional businesses in England, Wales and Scotland. Its centrally managed graduate programme immerses emerging talent in a structured two-year training programme with a variety of career pathways.

Madi Pilgrim, Persimmon’s Director of Talent and Diversity, said the company was searching for people from all backgrounds that share its business, community and environmental goals.

“At Persimmon our role goes far beyond construction and property development. We are focused on maintaining a sustainable business that cares about the community, customers and employees. Growth comes through challenge and we offer our graduates responsibility early in their career while at the same time lots of support from senior mentors across the business.”

Graduate Monika King joined Persimmon’s graduate programme in 2021. As part of her role, she is currently seconded to the New Homes Quality Board, assisting with the launch of the New Homes Quality Code and a New Homes Ombudsman Service.

“Regardless of what you studied or what your background is, if you are curious and eager to learn, Persimmon is the right choice,” said Monika.

“In just a few short months I have already been given opportunities which are far beyond what I anticipated prior to graduation. In my current secondment I am gaining experience in project management, procurement, the development of IT systems, content creation, board meetings, perpetration of board materials and operating in a start-up.  I am working with senior people and gaining a huge amount of experience.

“My advice to students looking for their next move on graduation would be to not let what you have studied or your background limit you in any way. The housebuilding industry has delivered for me and I’m excited for what the future holds” added Monika.

The 2022 programme offers roles in commercial, customer experience and general management.

Persimmon is dedicated to building quality homes across its three brands – Persimmon Homes, Charles Church and Westbury Partnerships. Alongside new homes, the company has its own supply brands including ultra-fast broadband service Fibrenest, timber frame manufacturer Space4 and Brickworks and Tileworks factories.

Further information about the graduate scheme and details on how to apply can be found by following this link:  https://www.brightnetwork.co.uk/graduate-employer-company/persimmon-homes/

 

News, Training, Training & Apprenticeships, Training News

The Importance of Training Your Staff Well

Training your staff well is vital, both for the business and for the employees themselves. It is an essential aspect of inducting new members of staff. Training goes way beyond simply teaching your employees how to do their jobs. It provides them with an introduction into your business; it lets you both get a feel for the other one. Let’s dive in.

Training Options

When it comes to training your staff, there are a lot of options at your disposal. The best training programmes include a combination of techniques—hands-on experience, shadowing existing members of staff and e-learning. However, this is not possible for all businesses. For example, businesses that operate remotely will have to come up with a different training programme that is accessible for their staff in spite of their locale. In this instance, eLearning is invaluable. Luckily, you can create your own eLearning modules to ensure that they are perfect for your business and the roles that you are training for. Businesses like createlms.com help you to create your own training programmes.

Improving Knowledge and Skills

Training doesn’t have to simply be an induction into your business. It is a continual process. Making training a priority allows your staff to continue to make strides in their own development. It keeps them abreast of industry developments which allows the business to evolve and keep up with the changing demands of the clientele and the industry as a whole. This continual improvement of the staff is also reflected in the productivity of the staff and the profitability of the business.

Encourages Achievement

Most businesses conduct employee appraisals regularly. Their performance is reviewed, and as part of this process, goals are set. However, sometimes employees need a little extra help in order to reach those goals. Training programmes can help your employees to achieve these goals as well as achievements in other areas of the business; they can learn new skills which can help them to progress in their career at your company.

Preparation for Progression

Implementing good training practices also helps your employees diversify their skill set. Through these training programmes, you can prime your employees for taking on more responsibilities and perhaps even prepare them for progression. Retaining employees often means promoting internally. In doing so, you also have a wider talent pool and a better grasp of the capabilities of your candidates. Promoting internally allows you to carefully cultivate your staff and pull in and develop your own talented candidates.

Communicates Their Value

When a company takes the time to develop a solid training programme, it shows its employees that they are invested in them. By making the effort to continue to develop their skills and their knowledge, you are showing them that they are valued members of the team. When employees feel valued, they work harder. This then translates into growth and higher profits.

Increased Productivity

When an employee is trained well, they have a better grasp on their responsibilities and the expectations that you have of them. Training your employees well teaches them their job, inside and out. This builds their confidence; they believe in their abilities. They are then better able to conduct their daily tasks and often are much more productive.

Uniformity of Working Processes

People learn differently; they approach tasks and work differently, too. Training programmes help you to standardise work processes. You teach your staff how you want them to work. This means that all of your staff are working in the same way, producing similar results and making it easier to track their progress.

Reduced Managerial Supervision

Well-trained staff require less help and tend to make fewer mistakes. This means that they require less supervising on a day-to-day basis because there simply isn’t the need for managerial intervention. Supervising staff can be tiresome; it takes management away from other areas which may need their focus. In training staff properly, you free up managers. They can then dedicate their time to other areas where they are needed more.

A Better Workplace Environment

Through implementing good training practices, you are removing doubt and confusion from the workplace. Your staff are then better equipped to deal with unforeseen issues that may arise. Through your training programme, you can help to create your company culture. You can encourage collaboration by fostering an inclusive environment. Your employees can help each other to further their own skillset.

Summing Up

Your employees directly affect the success of your business. It may be pricey and time-consuming to come up with an effective training programme, but it is an investment into your staff and, therefore, your business at large. Employees make or break a business; it is that simple, which is why you need to ensure that you are training them well.

Training, Training & Apprenticeships

How to provide your staff with the best training possible

As a business owner, your team should be your number one priority. Employees keep your business afloat and act as a representation of everything you stand for. As such, you need to invest time, energy and money into your employee training programme. The more you train your employees, the more their skills will develop. Furthermore, you can elevate your company performance and improve each employee’s career progression.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can improve employee training in your company.

Invest in training

A few sub-par training sessions throughout the year isn’t enough. You need to take a hard look at your training programme and identify areas of improvement. A business loan could provide the additional funds needed for high-quality training. You can invest money into your team’s progression to help your business move forward.

 

Take people away from their work

Everyone needs to take a step back from work from time to time. Organise a staff training retreat away from the office and create an exciting itinerary. You could have guest speakers, team-building activities and a few relaxation sessions throughout the weekend. Your team can work on their professional relationships and their career goals. Stepping outside of the office can help everyone gain some perspective. Look at how far you have come together and what you want to achieve in the future.

 

Pay for professionals to come in

Hire a few professionals to present different training workshops throughout the year. You could even look outside of your industry and reach out to experts in different fields. Your staff can learn from people with valuable insight and hear from a fresh perspective. They can learn something new, and you can gain an understanding of how other businesses work.

 

Explore online courses

If your staff need extra training urgently, an online course may be more appropriate. Perhaps you could buy an online course for everyone to complete in the office. They can complete the course when they have a spare hour here and there. Each team member can organise their time and fit training into their daily routine. You may have to lighten their usual workload to fit training in.

 

Give rewards at the end

Your staff are far more likely to engage with additional training if incentives are involved. You could buy a chocolate hamper or gift card for the staff member who performs the best on their training course. Alternatively, you could offer them an extra few days of annual leave or another employee benefit. The incentive needs to be something your team really values.

 

The most successful teams consistently look for ways to improve their operations. Don’t settle for less when you can improve the skills and professional experience of your workforce.

 

Law, News, Training & Apprenticeships

Even more opportunities to train as a paralegal with 7 new colleges now offering Ofqual-regulated courses

NALP (the National Association of Licensed Paralegals) is delighted to announced that their courses will now be available at seven more colleges across the UK. This will provide paralegal students with more options when it comes to where to study and what method of study works best for them.

For those looking to take their first steps to becoming a paralegal, or enhancing their career prospects, they need to choose a training centre with which to complete their NALP qualification. NALP training centres offer taster and CPD courses right through to full postgraduate qualifications.

NALP is an awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England) and through NALP Centres (Colleges and Training organisations) offers recognised qualifications.

Each of the following colleges will be offering NALP’s Level 3 Certificate in Paralegal Practice, which is the entry level qualification for paralegals. The course is perfect for those looking to become a paralegal and those with some paralegal experience who are seeking to progress their career in the legal sector or within a variety of other industries. The NALP qualification gives students a good grounding in law. It covers four units relating to Introduction to Law including Contract and Tort Law, Legal Ethics and Responsibilities, Civil Litigation and Criminal Litigation. https://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk/training-centres/

The new colleges offering NALP’s Level 3 Certificate in Paralegal Practice are:

Guildford College (Stoke Road, GU1 1EZ)
Study Method: Online and On Campus

City of Oxford College (Oxford City Centre Campus, OX1 1SA)
Study Method: Online and On Campus

Bracknell and Wokingham College (Church Road, RG12 1DJ)
Study Method: Online and On Campus

Professional and Vocational Law Training (Chambers Business Centre, Oldham, OL8 4QQ)
Study Method: Online and On Campus

Leicester College
Study Method – On Campus mainly but may have elements of online teaching

South Thames College (Kingston Hall Road, KT1 2AQ)
Study Method: On Campus – Part time evening

Walsall College (Wisemore Campus, WS2 8ES)
Study Method: Online and On Campus

Manchester College (St Johns Campus, M3 3BE)
Manchester College is offering NALP’s Level 3 Diploma in Paralegal Practice. This is ideal for those looking to become a paralegal or who seek to expand their knowledge of the English legal system and provides a pathway for learners to progress to NALP’s Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies.
Study Method: On Campus

Amanda Hamilton, Chief Executive of NALP said, “We have been giving people access to Ofqual-recognised paralegal qualifications since 2009 and are delighted to be extending that opportunity to people across the country with the new colleges that are coming on board. Paralegals have an increasingly important role to play in the legal system, as well as within other organisations, and it is a genuinely great choice for people looking for a career in law, who may not have the time or finances to go down the traditional routes to becoming a solicitor or barrister. We are very much looking forward to working with these colleges and the new paralegal students!”

For more information see: https://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk/training-centres/

ABOUT NALP
The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) is a non-profit Membership Body and the only paralegal body that is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England). Through its Centres around the country, accredited and recognised professional paralegal qualifications are offered for those looking for a career as a paralegal professional.

Web: http://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk

Web: https://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk/training-centres/

Twitter: @NALP_UK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAssocationsofLicensedParalegals/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-hamilton-llb-hons-840a6a16/

Care, Midlands News, News, Training & Apprenticeships

Training provider responds to care staffing crisis with comprehensive recruitment, retention, and training pathway programme

With staff shortages in the care sector commanding news headlines on a daily basis, Staffordshire-based Acacia Training has responded with the launch of a new Professional Care Pathway programme – the most comprehensive the sector has ever seen.

Structured as a flexible six-year package, the training programme provides learners with the opportunity to progress to a Level 5 qualification and those wishing to, can also complete a teaching qualification in the final year.  Significantly, it is open equally to those new to the sector, those already following a career within it, and those considering a return to health and social care.  For employers, the pathway commences at the recruitment stage making it the most comprehensive and advanced programme of its kind in the care sector.

Created in direct response to the needs of care employers, Acacia’s Professional Care Pathway has been developed to transform how care workers are perceived, through the raising of standards and provision of professional qualifications to degree level and beyond.

Lisa Davies, speaking on behalf of Acacia Training, comments: “The pandemic shone a spotlight on the vital role of those working in care like never before.  However, recruitment and retention combine to pose the sector with its biggest challenge of all.  Official figures from Skills for Care suggest that whilst recruitment initially improved in the six months after the start of the pandemic, it has since worsened and there are now in excess of 100,000 positions which remain vacant.

“Employers in the care sector are under immense daily pressure to deliver their core services to those who rely on them.  Yet they’re also battling to keep their existing staff empowered and invested in their careers, whilst also attracting new talent.  They’re certainly superheroes but they simply can’t do it all.  Our Professional Care Pathway addresses this.”

Starting at the point of recruitment, the Professional Care Pathway allows employers to hand their vacancies over to Acacia’s dedicated recruitment service to manage all aspects of advertising the vacancies, vetting applications and recommending a shortlist for interview.  Acacia Training then manages pre-employability training for successful candidates before they commence on their professional career training.

Home Instead, which provides care at home services nationwide, is Acacia’s first partner in the roll out of the Professional Care Pathway and was pivotal in its creation.  Michelle Blunt, General Manager for Home Instead across North Staffordshire, comments: “For too long, care work has been seen as a low wage job, attracting people who don’t aspire to a career.  This isn’t how it should be.  We want to drive up standards, give care workers a newfound professional status and, of course, provide those we deliver care services to with the most qualified workforce.

“By partnering with Acacia, we identified how their expertise in recruitment, pre-employability training and unrivalled experience of specialist training could provide us with the most advanced recruitment and retention programme in the care sector.  I can’t wait to see how this ground-breaking approach empowers our current and future workers, providing them with a sense of pride and genuine career progression.”

The Professional Care Pathway not only offers flexibility to the learners who follow it but is also entirely flexible to meet the needs of the sector.  Lisa Davies concludes:

“When Home Instead approached us to support on its recruitment and training needs, it quickly became apparent that the challenges it faces are far from unique.

“Whilst the focus is often on recruitment and retention, the detail behind these factors is far more complex and countless reports highlight the myriad of challenges the sector faces that also include engagement, motivation, promotion and how those in care are rewarded.

“Simply, Acacia can relieve the pressure for care providers across all these areas.  Starting with our bespoke recruitment and onboarding offer, through our in-house careers guidance service that maps individualised career progression journeys, our impactful employee engagement strategies and, of course, our rich heritage in all areas of care sector training, we can provide the most comprehensive and professionally focused recruitment, training and retention programme to meet the individual needs of every care provider in this country.”

The rollout of the Professional Care Pathway with Home Instead starts this month (October 2021) with Acacia looking to onboard multiple care providers by the end of the year.

To find out more about Acacia’s Professional Care Pathway programme, contact the team on 01782 646 346 / www.acaciatraining.co.uk