Transcript
Speaker: Thank you for joining us on the Use It or Lose It podcast for the Northeast Workforce Skills Programme.
Speaker: I'm Shona McCready in the project manager and today I'm joined by Sarah Jolly from the University, Kerry Burleson from Access and Michelle Francis from MTC.
Speaker: The first question is, it's more about myths about the project.
Speaker: this is a fully funded project.
Speaker: So it's just to alleviate people of the myths around the project.
Speaker: And so I'm going to go to Kerry and ask her, what have been the main myths stopping people sign up to the project that you've managed to alleviate since starting?
Speaker: I would say the main one for us has definitely been
Speaker: this can't honestly be a fully funded project.
Speaker: And if it is fully funded, the delivery of the training we're going to get isn't going to be that great.
Speaker: And that was from one person in particular who,
Speaker: was quite opinionated about not particularly wanting to come on a course, but his workplace really wanted him to come.
Speaker: They looked at the content of the course and they thought he would really benefit from it.
Speaker: And he did, he came onto it.
Speaker: He was actually really blown away by the training.
Speaker: So much so he went back into the workplace and was promoting how brilliant it was.
Speaker: And we've had probably, I would say, at least another 30 people who have actually enrolled on courses just from his testimonial.
Speaker: What course was that, Kerry?
Speaker: He came on communicating effectively.
Speaker: I probably shouldn't laugh.
Speaker: You can edit that bit, can't we?
Speaker: That is actually quite hilarious that he didn't think he would get anything from it and did, though.
Speaker: That's amazing.
Speaker: So his workplace really saw what was involved in the content.
Speaker: They wanted him to come on to it.
Speaker: He didn't think it would be beneficial.
Speaker: He thought if it was free that it was going to be pretty rubbish.
Speaker: And he actually got a lot out of it.
Speaker: I suppose it's not free though, is it?
Speaker: There's a substantial amount of European money going in.
Speaker: Well, yes, yes.
Speaker: It just looks to the outside world that it's free.
Speaker: But there is actually a substantial amount of money coming into this from Europe.
Speaker: Of course.
Speaker: But it is still very good.
Speaker: With the fully funded.
Speaker: And obviously we promoted it to his workplace.
Speaker: And...
Speaker: they've signed up around about just under 100 people so far and we're looking to work with them on a lot more programmes that we're offering as well.
Speaker: So it's been really good.
Speaker: Excellent.
Speaker: What about yourself, Michelle?
Speaker: Have there been any myths you've had to bust with MTC?
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, there's been a few really.
Speaker: So similar to Kerry where it's too good to be true.
Speaker: So how can it possibly be true and is it going to be funded?
Speaker: And then our company's too big to access this type of funding.
Speaker: because predominantly a lot of ESF funding in the past used to be for SMEs.
Speaker: So I think that's been quite a myth that we've had to overcome.
Speaker: And then really a similar thing, what you've just said as well, Shona, where we've had some people that have maybe given us late notice cancellations for courses, thinking, well, it's free, so it doesn't matter.
Speaker: And really getting that message across to say it's not free,
Speaker: it's quality training that is funded.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So that is a place that could go to somebody else.
Speaker: And then similar as well to Kerry, we've had some of our delegates that were on our management training, so not necessarily about the programme specifically, but about training in general.
Speaker: And they were on a management programme, so we spoke on that we've done through the programme, which has been really effective.
Speaker: But some of the delegates at the start of that were saying,
Speaker: I don't know why I need to come on this training.
Speaker: And I've been doing the same thing for years and years and years.
Speaker: And I've always done it this way.
Speaker: We were just having a chat when we were having coffees on the morning before.
Speaker: And I was like, that's why you need the training.
Speaker: The world's changed since our fair started managing people a long time ago, since he started managing people.
Speaker: And things are just completely different to what they used to be.
Speaker: But it has been fantastic to see that program in particular that he was on.
Speaker: All of the managers progressed right the way through and achieved two qualifications through the programme.
Speaker: And we're doing an awards event for them next month.
Speaker: It's been brilliant to see the change in people's attitude for, I don't need training because I'm doing things the same way today.
Speaker: You just give us so much to think about and so many things that I can adapt and put in place in the workplace.
Speaker: So myth-busting all around.
Speaker: Do you think it's actually encouraging them to do more training or do you think that they haven't engaged in any more training but would like to in a future day?
Speaker: Without a doubt.
Speaker: So already we're looking at the cohort of NEXT and the different skills gaps that we can create as part of it.
Speaker: Then we've had some others that Access from another big employer.
Speaker: Access started off the desktop training, then looked when they thought it was too good to be true.
Speaker: So they did little drips and jabs with some desktop training and then did some management workshops.
Speaker: And now they're doing full apprenticeship programs as well.
Speaker: So it's a real stepping stone for businesses that aren't used to accessing this training or putting that investment in staff if it's not internal training.
Speaker: It's actually looking at external provision that's out there.
Speaker: So, yeah, it's been a real eye opener for businesses because it's funded at the start.
Speaker: They've been able to dip the toe in the water.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: No, that's excellent.
Speaker: And can I just ask, has paperwork been an issue for anybody?
Speaker: Because I do always say that that is the buy-off.
Speaker: It's nothing's free in life.
Speaker: The buy-off for ESF is actually doing the paperwork.
Speaker: Have you had a problem with that, Sarah?
Speaker: Or have you found that the university's been quite accepting, or the people that have come through the university being quite accepting to the paperwork and the fact that they're getting it fully funded?
Speaker: I think we've had a mixed response to it.
Speaker: There's some people who've been absolutely against it and just don't want to engage with it when they realise that there is some paperwork to fill in.
Speaker: But then we've also had the polar opposite because I think then people realise that, you know, there's myself and another person in my team who can help them with the paperwork as well.
Speaker: And I think, you know, sometimes it's just a little bit of guidance, especially if it's, you know, a private company.
Speaker: So they need to go and have a, you know, the chance to do a bit of research to see what funding they've previously had.
Speaker: I think that's the bit that really concerns them is knowing who to ask and what to ask because they might never have accessed any ESF-funded things before themselves.
Speaker: So I think it's knowing who within their business who would have that information for them to fill in with regards to the paperwork.
Speaker: I think, you know, I'm with the rest of the girls with regards to, you know, people saying it is too good to be true a lot.
Speaker: But I also get people saying I won't just get a bill that lands on my doorstep or an invoice through, will I?
Speaker: almost as if I'm not quite telling them the truth.
Speaker: And again, we know that they're not big fans of the word free and it is very much a fully funded kind of stance that they like to take.
Speaker: And I think then it's about them suddenly realising that actually, especially from our provision with us being obviously a higher education provider, being a university, that they can actually get some really kind of sound qualifications with us that actually...
Speaker: there's potentially a lot of the workforce or some people that certainly I'm engaging with that might have exactly what Michelle was talking about.
Speaker: They're actually 20 years of experience of doing a job operationally, but actually not having some qualifications, for example, in leadership to be able to manage people.
Speaker: So they're definitely seeing that as a really positive thing.
Speaker: But I think the thing is with ESF funded courses, as we all know, you know, the payoff is the paperwork, unfortunately.
Speaker: But I think where we can support a business to fill that in and
Speaker: and almost just simplify what information they need to give us and give them in, you know, a very kind of simplistic language.
Speaker: It's a bit easier for them to digest.
Speaker: But again, just like Michelle, we've had the polar opposite of some people who are very small business owners, really kind of getting quite excited that they can still access this kind of stuff, even if they only employ two people.
Speaker: So like the polar opposite of the big companies, little companies not realizing actually that this stuff is available to them as well.
Speaker: So,
Speaker: I think we're always going to get a myriad of people who paperwork is the bane of everybody's life.
Speaker: But unfortunately, it's part and parcel of what goes with this funding.
Speaker: So I think all we can do is kind of make the best of it and give people the support to fill it in correctly and get them to understand why they're filling it in in the first place as well.
Speaker: Because I think, again, if somebody hasn't accessed some of these courses before or it might not have been them who's accessed it for the company,
Speaker: They just don't know what the company's actually had from a funding point of view over the last few years.
Speaker: And it could be a different department.
Speaker: It could be a different, you know, a different team who's had the funding.
Speaker: It's just because they haven't had it.
Speaker: You know, I think a lot of the time people are more worried about asking the right questions.
Speaker: And that's why I think we can give them a bit of direction to be able to help them out with that, I think.
Speaker: And also because it is on a three-year rolling fiscal period, actually they think, oh, well, I've had some in the last three years.
Speaker: but they don't really know when.
Speaker: So then they rule themselves out, don't they?
Speaker: Because they think, oh, well, I don't want to get a bill.
Speaker: I don't want to be in trouble.
Speaker: So I'll rule myself out just out of safety.
Speaker: When I've actually looked into a bit further, they would find out that I could access it as well.
Speaker: I do think half the time it's just knowing who to ask and what to ask, I think is the bit that people are really unsure about.
Speaker: So where we can help them out with, you know, letting them know that there's documentation that people would have received if they had had some funding and obviously where that sits within their business.
Speaker: I think it's,
Speaker: it's half the battle that people suddenly go, oh, right, well, you've given us a task there and they literally will go off and go and do it if it means them being able to come onto a course that they really want to do.
Speaker: Because obviously I think the desire is massively there.
Speaker: And the other thing I think we've had, I've had a few people say to me is, how come the North East is getting this?
Speaker: Why is it in this particular area, the North East?
Speaker: You know, and I think, again, that's quite interesting because it,
Speaker: it sometimes feels as if we don't get a lot of these wonderful projects.
Speaker: And the fact that we have, I think sometimes we can be a little bit cynical.
Speaker: So I think ultimately having such a positive thing, we've seen very much more traction on that when people are having, you know, conversations with other people within their business, just like what Michelle is saying.
Speaker: Suddenly one person's done it, but then, you know, the water cooler moments and over making a cup of coffee, suddenly those conversations start happening and everybody wants to do it, which is great, you know.
Speaker: Because I do think that the desire to better yourself, especially on the back of the pandemic, people have been potentially changing jobs or their jobs themselves have changed.
Speaker: So they've got extra skills that they need to acquire.
Speaker: I think this project absolutely fills all of those little gaps that we've got within the workforce in the North East.
Speaker: I think for me, it's quite nice that although I've had these funded programmes before for years through ESF,
Speaker: But it's always been the same employers that have accessed the funding over and over and over again.
Speaker: And it's never really expanded out to other employers because you've kind of just gone back to the people that have always accessed it.
Speaker: They haven't hit that magic number of the €200,000.
Speaker: So they just keep on going back to the easy wins.
Speaker: I think it's quite nice that actually there's such a wide range of employers coming through this program that probably wouldn't have accessed funding before that
Speaker: are now accessing the funding and upskilling their staff and improving their own workforce and investing in their own workforce.
Speaker: It's really quite nice to see that it isn't just the same culprits that come through all the time, for want of a better word.
Speaker: Although, you know, they are more than welcome to access the funding too.
Speaker: It's nice that we're widening that bunch of employers that are accessing it.
Speaker: I think it works, you know, it's worked well.
Speaker: And then signables has been an absolute godsend for paperwork.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: So now we can do that electronically.
Speaker: That just saves a whole lot of time for everybody.
Speaker: And it also gives you a proper audit trail, doesn't it?
Speaker: So, you know, you can't then say it hasn't been signed because you've got the audit trail to match the paperwork, which is ultimately what ESF wants.
Speaker: So that's really quite good as well that, you know, we've taken all those boxes, which then
Speaker: I think takes the pressure off the employer that they know that they can just press a, almost press a button, write a name in and they've done it.
Speaker: It's not, they don't have to do anything, anything more than that if it's set up correctly.
Speaker: So yeah, I do think signables has been a winner.
Speaker: I'm quite glad we've invested in it.
Speaker: So the next question I'm going to ask is just around about what levels of courses are you offering to?
Speaker: And when is the last step?
Speaker: last starts you know bearing in mind this finishes in the end of 2023 when could you last sign individuals up for courses and I'll start with Michelle.
Speaker: So the different levels of training that we offer are
Speaker: really dependent on the subject matter that we're doing as well so we've got some customer service qualifications or basic maths and english that we can support people with or basic skills with it through to your management which we're focusing really on your first line maybe second line management that we have as well and then we have a huge range of
Speaker: very, very technical IT training.
Speaker: So that is for people that are already very qualified, probably already degree qualified that are working in IT, who are really looking to sharpen on some technical skills.
Speaker: But we are broadening our provision as well.
Speaker: So we're looking at what our customers are wanting.
Speaker: We don't just want to tick in the box to say, yep, we can just do that extra provision.
Speaker: We're really trying to review what the skills gaps are going to be for next year.
Speaker: So a lot of what I'm talking to customers about now is about efficiency saving, about doing data analytics and being able to do more research so they can do trends, et cetera, as well.
Speaker: And looking at right first time change management, that all falls within our operational management that we do as well.
Speaker: But then still focusing very much on your people management.
Speaker: So your communication skills.
Speaker: So it all seems to be about efficiency and productivity really moving forward and people because of recruitment being so bad all along.
Speaker: So all different levels.
Speaker: And then I think the last courses that we would be able to accept people on, again, just depends on what they want to do because we do some one day courses that can be one day done, paperwork done, or then we've got longer term programs such as the CMI, which
Speaker: is a six month program yeah you know so it just depends on that I think the best thing to do is get in touch about what the training needs are going to be and we would match something to make sure that we could support you with what your um with what the employers different gaps were because we've got some employers that have busy periods in summer some in autumn some in winter and we'll just work around the training best to them
Speaker: How about yourself, Kerry?
Speaker: How's it going for you?
Speaker: When do you think you can last sign people up on courses?
Speaker: Well, for Access, all of the courses that we offer are fairly short.
Speaker: So 90% of our courses are one-day courses.
Speaker: Our longest course at the moment is our four-day, which is the Train the Trainer course.
Speaker: And that seems to be certainly the employers that we're working with.
Speaker: They're happy to release them for one day.
Speaker: And the ones that are doing the four-day Train the Trainer,
Speaker: got a couple of different models of delivery so it's like a four-day interactive or two days one day and two day the following week and that's not to say we're not looking at you know broadening our offer as well and looking to see whether we can offer longer courses and but certainly the the conversations i'm having with employers and the training needs analysis that i'm currently doing with with the companies in the region this is suiting them the one day quite interactive come in get get some upskilling for the staff
Speaker: And similar to Michelle, management courses, we were offering a whole suite of management and people courses.
Speaker: And we also do some accountancy qualifications as well.
Speaker: And the main one for us at the moment is mental health first aid, which we offer for you a level three.
Speaker: Qualsafe for qualification and that's going down, it's going down brilliantly at the moment.
Speaker: We're getting a lot of demand from employers.
Speaker: That is a two day course and we've got a lot of employers who are looking for that to be delivered on site at their premises and they're putting up to 10 people on at one time and they're really seeing the benefit because it's so prevalent at the moment that, you know, staff are really investing in their people and we're seeing that and the fact that they can get it through a fully funded ESF project is even better.
Speaker: So for the marketing that I'm doing at the moment, we aim in probably September next year.
Speaker: But again, we probably just take it as far as we can with it being the one day courses.
Speaker: I think as well what's really interesting, just with your mentioning the mental health first aid, even though we can't access the funded programmes with each other at the moment, because obviously we're working on the contracts,
Speaker: It is quite interesting to show the value of the training that each of the partners are offering because I know we're going to be doing some training with Curry's company for some of our staff members on a commercial basis.
Speaker: But that's courses that anybody else could get funded.
Speaker: I know that Joy, who was on seat there, she's doing some training with us on a commercial basis for desktop training for Excel.
Speaker: So I think that really does show the actual value of the training that we're all offering that
Speaker: we're prepared to pay for it.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Also on that, Michelle, you know, just the synergy between the training providers is brilliant and the collaboration.
Speaker: It's absolutely fantastic.
Speaker: I'm signposting employers to all of you guys all of the time and it's a different world.
Speaker: It's not like a competitive world anymore.
Speaker: We're working in partnership with each other and that's brilliant.
Speaker: It's brilliant for access and I'm hoping it's brilliant for everybody else.
Speaker: It's just got a really good feel, this project to it.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, I've got to say, I do really like that.
Speaker: I do like the fact that everybody's working in collaboration, that you're quite prepared to pick the phone up and speak to each other, that, you know, there isn't any kind of, you know, there isn't sort of any competitiveness there, that you're just working in partnership to get the best for the employer.
Speaker: I do think that makes a massive difference.
Speaker: And I do think it probably helps people engage with the partnership as well, because, you know,
Speaker: they realise that it doesn't matter who they speak to, they'll find out about the majority of the offer out there as long as it fits what their business wants, which I think probably really helps them.
Speaker: What about you, Sarah?
Speaker: Have you got anything to add to that?
Speaker: I think the thing is with our portfolio, I suppose one of our longest running courses we've got the last cohort for in January, which is for our leadership and change.
Speaker: which will be done in November.
Speaker: But again, we've got some of the offering the same as the other girls.
Speaker: So some of them are one days, two days.
Speaker: But also, you know, we run a suite of courses for practice nurses as well, which, you know, can be around 10 weeks.
Speaker: But again, they've proven to be really, really popular because obviously we're always going to need our NHS nurses all skilled up to the max.
Speaker: You know, we know what the last few years have been like and
Speaker: And ironically, you know, they've really kind of stepped up to the training challenge, which is exactly what you would expect of all of our GP surgeries and foundation trusts around the region, which I'm not surprised at.
Speaker: But we're also, you know, seeing great traction on one of our shortest courses.
Speaker: And I think it's just purely because it's topical.
Speaker: So our menopause in the workplace masterclass is only two and a half hours long, but it's hugely topical at the moment.
Speaker: You know, if you are one of those, I think there's only one in 10 workplaces who are even
Speaker: talking to their female employees about this particular subject matter yet ironically there will be absolutely policies for childbirth and parental leave and this that new then yet they haven't got policies in place for their female employees who are going to absolutely enter into this particular period in their life and I think that's become especially in 2022 has become a bit of and I hate the word trendy but it is very much that kind of subject matter that you know
Speaker: exactly at Torton, what the girls are talking about, their people are looking after their people right now because we know how hard it is to get good people into a business and people don't want the churn of staff if they can help it.
Speaker: But I think also, you know, Torton, the same kind of thing as Kerry, we've just brought on board a Mental Health for Managers one day masterclass, which again, I think it's a brilliant kind of the Mental Health First Aid course is fantastic.
Speaker: But I think if you're a manager in charge of some teams at the moment,
Speaker: You know, this particular course really helps you identify any of the signs within your workforce and helps you to work out where to signpost people to and how to support them, which I think, you know, unless somebody does this kind of thing, how do you get that information other than you doing the reading on it yourself?
Speaker: So I think being able to support the managerial staff within people's workplaces with this particular subject matter, again, you know, we've just had World Mental Health Day.
Speaker: Every day should be World Mental Health Day.
Speaker: It shouldn't just be one day a year.
Speaker: It should be something that we're all really kind of focusing on
Speaker: personally and professionally with our colleagues as well and I think the more businesses do that the more people will be supported and actually will be hugely successful in their businesses because they feel a valued member of the workforce because they're being supported in that way but I think it's one of those I absolutely agree with the girls everybody is working together there is no bunfights here for outputs because actually everybody wins and being able to have conversations because everybody has such different offerings whether that's
Speaker: different content different levels you know we've got some just one days in our media suite of courses which are just knowledge based but somebody can go straight back into work and utilize that knowledge straight away um so i think actually having that kind of breadth of provision between all the consortium partners can only be a positive thing for any business access in the program really when that goes back to the management though isn't it like we've had like you say managers have been in post for 20 years um
Speaker: But management's changed, hasn't it, massively in 20 years.
Speaker: And things that you did 20 years ago, you would never dare do now.
Speaker: And, you know, and so people accessing that and the mental health first aid and the mental health for managers can only make that manager a better manager and can only make that manager, like, you know, make it a happier workplace if you've got better management and better management styles.
Speaker: you can only make that workplace a bit happier.
Speaker: And especially when it comes to the menopause, you know, it will affect everybody somehow, won't it?
Speaker: Whether you're a female or male, it's going to affect you in a workplace.
Speaker: And it's really important to make sure that there's support in there for people because without it, all that happens is people get disgruntled or annoyed, leave, and you don't want to lose those good stuff.
Speaker: They've got skills that they want to keep in the workplace.
Speaker: And it all creates ideas because if we've got an open environment at work, people are more creative.
Speaker: They're able then to express themselves, know that they can actually talk about any ideas they've got.
Speaker: They're not going to get shot down.
Speaker: You know, when I first had a manager, my first manager ever, I loved her.
Speaker: She was brilliant.
Speaker: But it was do as I say.
Speaker: And she liked things a certain way.
Speaker: And that's the way that she did it.
Speaker: And I had to just do it her way.
Speaker: there could have been better ways.
Speaker: You know, definitely when we look at technology and, you know, even us on this podcast before we started today and when it's newer things to you, why shouldn't we learn from younger people that are coming through that are more familiar with certain things or looking at the different skill sets that we have within our teams to really utilise all of that, but also give people that value at work.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: they're then going to be sharing that more.
Speaker: And I think that's one of the things that definitely comes across when you're changing the way that you're working and changing your management style to be able to suit.
Speaker: You're actually getting more from that individual and recognizing different skills and different talents that you didn't necessarily know were there.
Speaker: So we're just doing it your way.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I think it's really important, isn't it?
Speaker: Because like, it's like somebody can come in from outside and glaringly see where something doesn't work.
Speaker: that you've been so entrenched in in years that you just can't see it because you've always done it that way and you think that's the right way and by somebody coming in with just a fresh pair of eyes and going oh well why don't you do it this way it seems so obvious on the state but you've never thought of it because you're so entrenched in doing the day job every day so it's so important to listen to everybody else and it's so important to keep on developing yourself and training as well because you know and and
Speaker: you know, the younger generation coming through have so many more ideas of how to do things quicker and easier through technology than we ever had.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: We've learned on the job.
Speaker: And to think, I mean, just going back to exactly that, and obviously we do desktop training.
Speaker: I've done some of our desktop training.
Speaker: Obviously it would be silly not to because I'm here, but you don't learn everything then.
Speaker: If you don't know it, you don't know it.
Speaker: And, you know, one of our trainers could walk past and say to me,
Speaker: why are you doing that that way you know have you not thought of doing it this way um and as soon as the show you want and I'm thinking that's just saved like a year of my life over that I'm not going to say how long my life's been um but that's just saved us like about a year 21 years yeah 21 about there somewhere um so but that you just think
Speaker: I just really wished I'd known that I think as well from the program side.
Speaker: So although we do the one day courses, people can follow up and do the unit of credit as well after.
Speaker: And the unit of credit helps them embed the skills at work and get one-to-one support on the project.
Speaker: And what's been really fantastic to see from that, even from a desktop point of view, is people actually coming out of that with a completed project.
Speaker: So something that's been on their to-do list of like, actually what I would like is really to see if I can change the efficiency of that or,
Speaker: make that a little bit better or do whatever.
Speaker: And it goes on the back burner and it's on your to-do list.
Speaker: There's further down the to-do list.
Speaker: And then it goes back on your next day's to-do list.
Speaker: But when you're doing the unit of credit, you've got that support actually put it into place to say, right, so this is how I would do it.
Speaker: Have you thought about doing it this way?
Speaker: What would you do there?
Speaker: What would you like to see here?
Speaker: And actually having that.
Speaker: So some people have been coming out with these working spreadsheets that they've wanted, but efficient ones.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, I need them to have a look at all my stuff, to be fair, but they don't have the time because they're training all about ESF people.
Speaker: We had a conversation with some HR people up in the Thumberland.
Speaker: They want something very similar to that.
Speaker: They don't want a formal full qualification.
Speaker: They want really somebody just to go in and then do a myth busting on certain applications.
Speaker: They don't want to do a full day's training.
Speaker: They don't want to do a half day's training.
Speaker: They literally want a half an hour workshop to see how they can
Speaker: how somebody can make their life so much easier for them just by showing them a couple of quick wins.
Speaker: And I suppose that takes me on to my next question of how flexible do you think this part, this program is?
Speaker: Do you feel that you can add new qualifications or change the way you deliver to the demands of the employer?
Speaker: So if somebody did want myth busting, you could just give them myth busting?
Speaker: Or do you feel that you have to rigidly stick to the training you've put in your plan?
Speaker: I'll pick that one up.
Speaker: For us, one of the big things about access training is we are a really flexible training provider.
Speaker: We'll be as responsive as we possibly can with any employer that we work with.
Speaker: And that's testament of one of the companies that we are working with up in Northumberland.
Speaker: They dipped the toe in the water with this ASF project with us.
Speaker: We had some staff enrolled on leading teams and managing performance.
Speaker: which has since actually become our most popular ASF programme.
Speaker: From that, they started some people on actual qualifications with us on apprenticeships.
Speaker: And as a result of that, we've had some more discussions with them.
Speaker: We've actually worked alongside them and we're actually part of looking at their sort of internal offer for management programmes.
Speaker: and working with them to develop something.
Speaker: And now we are also delivering equality and diversity to their entire workforce.
Speaker: Just off a conversation about ASF about six months ago, we're now looking to train nearly 200 staff within their organisation and all through ASF.
Speaker: But as a result, we are obviously getting apprenticeship starts with them as well, which is absolutely amazing.
Speaker: And we are now their provider of choice.
Speaker: from just a conversation six months ago that I had with them.
Speaker: So being able to offer that flexible approach and I was speaking to her just the other day and she was saying, do you think you can do this?
Speaker: And I was like, well, I'll take it to my trainer, see what they're saying.
Speaker: They're like, absolutely no problem.
Speaker: We can badge that up.
Speaker: We can do a potential qualification around that.
Speaker: And, you know, I'm having those conversations with a lot of employers.
Speaker: And, you know, she's actually signposting employers to me now.
Speaker: And I got something the other day that we couldn't help with and I signposted them to the university.
Speaker: So, you know, it's happening all of the time.
Speaker: We're just signposting here, there and everywhere.
Speaker: We're being as responsive and as flexible as we can and it's working.
Speaker: Was I off mute?
Speaker: Yeah, you're off mute.
Speaker: Yeah, I think that's the same for us, Shauna, as well, really.
Speaker: I mean, we do just respond to business needs.
Speaker: We listen to what people are wanting and we match something up that's going to suit them.
Speaker: Where you've got your more bespoke programmes, really you need volume to be able to make it worth it because there is development time that's involved in it.
Speaker: Sometimes we can just do a pick and mix.
Speaker: So we've got some of our companies that maybe don't have massive volume, but they want a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B, and we can match something together for that on slightly smaller numbers.
Speaker: But then we've got another employer and, you know, he was quite specific.
Speaker: He had 100 managers, but he wanted five days training over five weeks.
Speaker: And he wanted them to have no homework outside of that, yet he still wanted to have certification of some sort as well.
Speaker: So we had to write a complete bespoke program for them, got it CMI approved and delivered it over five weeks.
Speaker: And he's had his second cohort through.
Speaker: All completed, which was brilliant.
Speaker: And then the next cohort to start next year because they are really busy in the winter period.
Speaker: So that was a complete rewrite that was responding completely to their needs.
Speaker: And then we've had another employer similar to what you just talked about, Shauna, and they didn't want a full day's training.
Speaker: They do a festival of learning.
Speaker: So they do a two week learning period where they have little short sessions on different things.
Speaker: And we did a little short session on project management and the project life cycles, which was an hour.
Speaker: And we also did two in Excel.
Speaker: So one was Excel shortcuts, which is similar to what you've mentioned, Shona.
Speaker: So it was just going over the shortcuts and how you can reduce some time.
Speaker: And then one was analyzing data on Excel, using Excel.
Speaker: So looking at pivot tables and sparklines and a load of words that I have no idea what they mean outside of that as well.
Speaker: but they sound fancy um so yeah so we've created we are creating all of the time but it's just about capacity and making sure that essentially we look at it as not our money it's funding that we've got to support as many people as we can so we just have to weigh up time and how many people it's going to help yeah uh really but yeah so
Speaker: do we do bespoke quite a bit and then obviously we have our public workshops on all of the time as well which helps what about you sarah um i suppose i don't get involved in obviously the kind of portfolio um pulling together from the university side of things so um i do often get asked about bespoke courses from clients which obviously i then accelerate up to the project manager um
Speaker: But I would guess, you know, I suppose where we have little flexibility is in the courses that obviously carry university credits because they're kind of set out the way they are set out to achieve those university credits at the end of the day.
Speaker: So I suppose probably out of everybody, I'm probably the least flexible in that respect because obviously we've got some frameworks that we absolutely have to adhere to, especially where the university credits are attached to something.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think what's quite interesting is I do encourage employees and employers who I talk to, if they are getting asked for something very specific that's not in any of the consortium portfolios, because I do encourage people to go onto the news website and look at each individual's course offering, because ultimately when they're signing up to this project, I think people originally think, going back to the myths things, that they're just signing up to our part of this.
Speaker: And actually they don't realise that there is seven delivery partners all involved in this.
Speaker: And then suddenly all of a sudden it's a,
Speaker: It's like a whole new world, for want of a better phrase, of training that's actually at their fingertips.
Speaker: So I think that's where most definitely once they do realise that the breadth and scope is there with other training providers in the consortium.
Speaker: But if something's still not there, I will always encourage them to ask the question because for a better Northeastern phrase, shy bern's getting out.
Speaker: So actually, what is the harm of asking the question?
Speaker: Because even if the answer's no, nobody can do it, nobody's actually any worse off.
Speaker: So I don't know why we wouldn't ask the question anyway, because if we can't do it, you know, exactly what the girls have mentioned, there's a lot of directing to other providers in the consortium happening all the time anyway.
Speaker: And if somebody is actually a little bit best placed to offer that than ourselves at the university, why would we not encourage them to then pick up that conversation with that particular training provider in the consortium?
Speaker: Because ultimately, if they can manage to fill the gap that they currently have,
Speaker: by, you know, they've come to us with a problem.
Speaker: We've just got to find who can give them the solution at the end of the day.
Speaker: But I think, you know, from my side of things, you know, I do encourage people to always ask because I just don't believe there's any harm in not asking the question, really.
Speaker: And last question before we finish on this podcast.
Speaker: How easy is it to access the funding?
Speaker: What would somebody have to do to access the funding through the partners?
Speaker: Who wants to take that question?
Speaker: I think pick up the phone or email us
Speaker: and we will take you through the rest.
Speaker: It is a very, very easy program to access.
Speaker: There's a lot of provision, and we are always there to support.
Speaker: We've made things as easy as possible for people with signables, looking at the process.
Speaker: So the paperwork is reduced down from a lot of programs that I've seen in the past for funding.
Speaker: But all you need to do is phone or email, and we will help you with the rest.
Speaker: It's so easy to access.
Speaker: I think to echo that, Michelle, I think the other thing that we've got you hit the nail on the head is the support in each one of our training providers.
Speaker: There is somebody who can give you that kind of direction and help to make sure that the paperwork isn't going to be a headache for you.
Speaker: And I think, you know, if you can kind of take that barrier out of the way for somebody, what really is the excuse for not accessing some of this stuff?
Speaker: Because actually, it's not because the paperwork's hard because we've simplified it and you've got support to do it.
Speaker: It's not because you're going to get an invoice or a bill at the end of it because you're not going to get that because it's all fully funded.
Speaker: And it's not because you're going to get lesser quality training because you're going to get high quality training.
Speaker: So really, if somebody's looking for another excuse, maybe they're not suited necessarily to the news program in general.
Speaker: But I think, you know, from any business within kind of this northeast landscape who hasn't accessed it already, like literally, it's exactly what Michelle said.
Speaker: Pick up the phone, engage.
Speaker: You know, people are using their social channels.
Speaker: People are using emails.
Speaker: There's so many
Speaker: touch points where people can actually ask the question and start the conversation because if you don't start the conversation you'll never know where it can go fab well thank you Kerry, Sarah and Michelle and thanks for listening to the ESF North East workforce skills podcast
