Training Funder Proves Good Development Begins at Home!

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In proof that workforce development is good for everyone, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) London Central has gained a place in the finals of the National Training Awards 2005 for their work with training partner Hartnell Training Ltd.

The LSC London Central, a public body that is responsible for investing some £320 million each year to raise skill levels in the area of vocational learning for young people and adults, have been awarded the place in the finals on the back of the £21,000 invested in training for 32 of the LSC London Central’s Workforce Development team in areas such as facilitation skills. This allows the staff concerned to develop their skills so that they are better equipped to manage bigger scale training projects.

This sees the LSC London Central’s Workforce Development team moving forward and being able to take a more pro ““ active approach to their role. Previously, they were driven by a volume – led approach to skills investments, which saw them engaged in more than a hundred smaller projects at a time and reacting to training ideas as they were brought before the team for approval for LSC support.

Working With Hartnell Ltd

The Director of Skills and Workforce Development for the LSC London Central, Tony Nelson, viewed this with some concern: “This was a time-consuming approach, which did not actively identify sustainable investments or take a long term view of what we wanted to fund,” he said. Recognising the limitations of this ““ particularly from the employer’s point of view, as he saw that the staff “lacked the skills to shape the publicly funded training market to meet employer needs” ““ the LSC London Central approached Hartnell Training Ltd, a “bespoke” behavioural change and management development consultancy.

Together, they developed a six ““ day workshop programme for the staff. This incorporated high performance team dynamics, action planning, transactional analysis (which presents a psychological model of what drives behaviour), building rapport, networking and information gathering.

Improved Efficiency and Development

The change in performance levels and achievement has been remarkable. Using what they had learned during the intensive six day workshop, the team managed 81 additional Investor in People recognitions. The total number of other skills outputs rose dramatically, up from 227 to 1,312. And they even managed to reduce the total unit cost of training to £3,931. “Evaluation of the intervention has shown 88 per cent of the team and 100 per cent of managers increased their effectiveness and has recorded favourable comments from external stakeholders,” said Tony Nelson.

Highlighting the “pioneering work” that this represents for the LSC London Central, Tony Nelson stated: “We have met our purpose and indeed exceeded the learner expectations from the programme, demonstrated LSC London Central and employer community benefits reaching an additional 1,085 employers. We have shown value for money in training delivery as well as generating a 274 per cent increase in LSC London Central purchasing power as the new skills were applied.”

Jethro Marsh

So, learning begins at home! Tell us in the FE Blog

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