WORKING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES
We are proud to say that many of the businesses we work with have given us great feedback on the training and support we offer them.
Don't just take our word for it - choose from the companies below to discover what they needed, the training solutions we offered them and the benefits they have gained.
Beauty
Julie Pearce, co-owner of The Beauty Rooms in Dudley, took on her first Apprentice when a vacancy for a part-time beauty therapist came up.
Her new recruit has been such a hit that she now works full time in the salon, and Julie is considering using Apprentices in the future.
Julie said: “I thought it might be interesting to start someone off from scratch, rather than employ a qualified therapist, so that we could train them up to how we do things.
“It’s worked really well. We send her on different courses and tailor her training to suit the way we work. “It’s nice to take it slowly and introduce the learner to every aspect of running a salon. It’s also been refreshing to take on someone who is new to the industry and really eager to learn – I find she appreciates the training more than someone who is already qualified.”
Motor Vehicle
Pat Wright, owner of Cannock Road Garages in Wolverhampton, has been taking on Apprentices for the last seven years and attributes the success of her business to the Apprenticeship programme.
Pat worked with a number of training providers before settling on City of Wolverhampton College, because she felt they offered the best service.
She said: “The college is brilliant and are always there when I need them. They find the Apprentices for me and interview them as they know we are a busy garage and want the best.
“We now take on about one a year and keep most of them on, so it’s a very successful scheme. It’s a great way of giving young people a chance in life because at the moment, in this economic climate, they aren’t getting it from anywhere else.
“Our Apprentices make a really valuable contribution to our business and with the support of the college are gaining the theory they need while also building up their on the job experience.
“In fact, I would put the success of business down to our Apprentices.”
Business Administration
The Wrekin Housing Trust is constantly striving to help improve the skill set of its staff. With this in mind, 12 Supported Housing scheme managers chose to study for a NVQ in Business and Administration at the college.
Chosen for its great reputation, dedicated tutor-student rapport and excellent reputation throughout the West Midlands, the college lived up to its name with the 12 students each receiving their NVQ certificates last month.
Wendy Bostock was just one of the students who enrolled. She said: “I am so pleased with my achievement. I feel that the course has been a great investment in terms of time and development.
“I know that my fellow colleagues would join me in saying just how professional and dedicated the staff are. Overall it’s a great investment that has developed those skills I wanted to improve, I am really pleased with the result.”
Set over a five week period, the course was split into manageable chunks and included five workshops that were carried out at the Trust in Telford.
Hospitality
Restaurateur Alex Abdel-All has ran Mediterranean fusion restaurant Alex’s Restaurant & Café Bar in Wolverhampton for two years, and has worked with City of Wolverhampton College from its start.
Alex currently has two members of staff gaining their NVQ Level 2 in Professional Cookery through the college.
He said: “The college are extremely helpful and they make things so easy for both myself and the students. “By employing staff through the college I know I am gaining staff who want a career in the Hospitality industry. It makes my job easier because my staff have already made a commitment to work in the hospitality industry and have the ability to accept the demands of the job.
“I’ve also found that trainees are more likely to stay with my business because they value the time I have invested in them. “The Apprenticeship and Train to Gain schemes are great for our business and really help reduce our training costs.”
Accountancy
Audit and Accountancy firm Lancaster Clements Limited have been operating in Bilston, Wolverhampton, for almost 70 years and have been recruiting Accountancy Apprentices for over 20 years. Lancaster Clements is a thriving organisation which is run by a team of very commercial people.
Director Dilip Patidar said: “We pride ourselves on the quality of service that we deliver to all our clients and by using the Apprenticeship Programme we are able to recruit and train our employees using our training methods. In fact, our current Audit and Accounts Manager initially started here as an Apprentice.”
Director Mark Cupitt added: “We were advised by City of Wolverhampton College of a new grant that was available allowing us to be part of the Apprenticeship Programme, which in the past was not available to our type of business. The initial information from the college has been very useful to us and they have explained what will be provided and also advised the trainees what their responsibilities are. We were very pleased with the assistance from the college and have now appointed another apprentice.”
Care
Ikram Ulhaq is the owner of Grazebrook Homes, - residential care home units and supported living units in Dudley for people with learning difficulties.
Ikram took on his first Apprentice a year ago, and is full of praise for the scheme.
He said: “The Apprenticeship programme was a great way for us to take someone on and ensure they had the training that was required. “The scheme has been very good and extremely flexible. Because the assessor came out to us it fitted in really well with the way the care home operates. “We have seen a difference in Mohammed since he has been through the programme. He is more confident in his role and the knowledge he has gained has made him more professional – it has definitely put him in good stead for promotion.
“The Apprenticeship programme is an avenue we will be looking at next time we think about recruiting staff.”
Are you an employer? Do you think you could benefit from our services?
Call the Employer Services on 01902 317691 or email employerenquiries@wolvcoll.ac.uk.
A member of our dedicated team will be pleased to discuss your needs, answer your questions, and arrange for a follow-up call or visit from an Account Manager at a time to suit you.