Community members employed by the Stirling Group have taken up the opportunity to learn while at work. The Stirling Group’s Distribution Centre, based in Altrincham, has entered into a learning partnership with Community, Communitas, Skillfast (A Sector Skills Council) and 2 local Colleges to provide training and up-skilling for the workforce. The partnership is utilising Government funding through the ‘Train to Gain’ initiative - a scheme which allows employers free access to training in return for providing learners with time off.
The site management team and Community recognise the value of working with skilled staff, and the potential benefits it can have for company and employee alike. Learning at work is a key objective of Community and encouraging a proactive response from employers, like Stirling, can have many beneficial outcomes. The early stages of this learning partnership have seen the appointment and training of Phil Simons as a Union Learning Representative, and the implementation of Level 2 NVQ training and Adult Literacy programmes.
Workers have always had skills for work but rarely the opportunity to convert these skills into a qualification. Staff at the Stirling Group’s Distribution Centre now have the opportunity to engage in paid NVQ training, via a bespoke course set up through Skillfast and Blackburn College, which will lead to a full level 2 qualification in “Warehousing and Distribution Skills”. Complementing this, the company have also agreed to release learners to attend an on site Literacy Course provided by Stockport College. The company is currently looking at training provision for employees requiring English language training, and is hoping to include this skill as an optional unit within in the NVQ in the near future.
Community is at the forefront of the Lifelong Learning agenda, supporting members into learning and education, and working in partnership with employers and colleges to deliver quality and diverse opportunities for our membership and their communities.