Solving skills shortages
Aerospace engineering | 61 employees | Lancashire

An example of how a small company addressed the UK-wide engineering skills shortage through Apprenticeships. Recruited locally, the young people now represent A&G’s specialist skills pipeline – the organisation’s biggest asset for expansion.

Refocusing company culture
Retail | 1000+ employees | West Yorkshire

This leading British retailer successfully refocused its company’s culture in order to meet changing market requirements and customer needs. By establishing retail academies and targeting training to individuals, Asda has embedded training and development across the organisation.

Creating apprentice ambassadors
Marine and Technology | 1000+ employees | Argyll and Bute

An example of how a company has tailored a traditional Apprenticeship programme to create a culture change catalyst for the business. Alongside technically qualified employees, the programme has created apprentices to act as change agents and ambassadors.

Trailblazers for Apprenticeships
Technology and Manufacturing | 1000+ employees | Hampshire

This global manufacturer is a trailblazer for Apprenticeships – it offers over 20 routes into gaining a qualification. Unemployed young people and school children are just two of the groups with which BAE works, enthusing and educating them about employment opportunities.

Addressing the skills gap
Automotive | 1000+ employees | Cheshire

This luxury car company worked in partnership with a local college and training provider to overhaul its Apprenticeship programme in order to meet a future skills shortage. The programme, which includes an advanced Apprenticeship, ensures that talent is embedded within the company.

Utilising training to shape business
Property management | 380 employees | Northumberland

This property management company developed a successful training programme to address the challenges of identified skills gaps and an aging workforce. Their flexible and inclusive approach has made them a respected and recognised employer of choice in the area.

An example of how a care home group has trained staff to understand and deal with dementia with dignity. This has resulted in reduced levels of aggression in patients, better relationships with patients’ families and approaches from other agencies and GPs to undertake the training.

An example of how a company undertook succession planning to address the challenges of a remote location and an aging workforce. The resulting Apprenticeship programme is flexible, inclusive and has 100% retention rate – even the CEO is a former apprentice.

This organically-grown charity has focused on training as a way to meet its ambitious growth targets. An organisation-wide leadership programme offering tailored diplomas and a staff handbook which doubles as a development review tool are two of the creative ways that the charity is embedding training into its culture.

This organisation successfully positioned itself as a dementia-friendly retailer in the region after undertaking community research. Two-thirds of the staff have completed the training which is interactive, activity-based and raises awareness of dementia. The organisation is now seen as a trailblazer advising on national standards for dementia training.

An example of how a telecommunications company trained 358 staff over 8 days following the takeover of 58 stores. This ambitious project, which used creative techniques such as mentoring and buddy systems, led to the new stores outperforming existing stores in their first year of trading.

This telecommunications company developed an organisation-wide initiative to improve employee performance when launching new products. The learner-focused training programme has resulted in more confident staff and has exceeded sales targets around product launches.

As a way to recognise, retain and reward its best technical talent, Fujitsu established a Distinguished Engineer Scheme. Creating powerful cross-disciplinary networks, the scheme has led to long-term economic and reputational benefits such as enhanced performance and reduced attrition rates.

An example of how a small company invested in all staff offering systematic training and learning to deliver business growth. Through training, this company is leading the curve with technological advances and simultaneously encouraging positive organisational culture and high employee engagement.

This global company invested in training in order to meet its business growth targets. In 2015 Hilti developed a purpose built training facility and its training programme has yielded impressive results including increased sales effectiveness and reduced ‘time to performance’ timescales.

This global facilities management organisation developed a programme to meet the training needs at Derby Hospital. The i-Suite programme, which includes experiential learning and a ‘buddies’ system, has led to a 10-year contract extension and the system being adopted across the world.

An example of how a care provider has addressed a significant current need through training. As well as providing dementia training to staff, the organisation began to offer shorter courses to clients’ families and community groups with outcomes including business growth and increased client satisfaction.

Investing in young professionals
Technology | 1000+ employees | Greater London

An example of how a global technology company has established a UK Foundation programme to train new hires across student, apprentice and graduate schemes. Trainees are seen as invaluable to the business offering solutions to help IBM stay ahead of its competitors.

This automotive retailer recruited a new sales force to address a skills gap due to the current age of the existing truck sales network. It delivers a 26-week training programme, which includes trainees learning to drive a truck, has doubled its number of female trainees and has had a 78% retention rate since 2011.

National Grid has invested heavily in its three-year Apprenticeship and technician programmes in order to bridge the skills gap due to an aging workforce. In order to build a talent pipeline the company is an active promoter of careers in STEM subjects – trainees visit schools and pupils are regularly offered work placements.

This company overhauled its training provision following a strategic review resulting in the creation of the Murphy Academy. The academy has full centre status with City & Guilds and ILM meaning that the workforce can be upskilled and certified internally whilst aligning core skills and competencies directly to the business.

An example of a visitor attraction which used training as a catalyst for personal and organisational change. NMNI brought training in-house and built the programme around the needs of the employee resulting in increased visitor and employee satisfaction statistics.

This global catering company has created alternative career pathways for young people, offering Apprenticeships from level 2 to level 6 (degree level) and delivering a future workforce pipeline. Innovative training is delivered predominantly via technology-based methods to best meet the needs of the young workforce.

Delivering ‘Olympic moment’
Transport | 1000+ employees | Greater London

An example of an organisation which initiated large-scale changes to training delivery following the success of their services during the 2012 Olympic Games. TfL used innovative technology and practical role-plays to gain staff buy in, transform attitudes to learning and roll out a service fit for the future.

An example of how a school has placed great importance on training with all staff being trained in how to deal with autism. Progression is encouraged with many teaching assistants training to become teachers. The development of a Research Board which employees can feed into also shows how staff can continually input and learn.

This global technology company needed to refocus employees on a strategic approach to business. They used staff to develop elements of the new leadership programme and encouraged self-discovery and ownership of learning. Outcomes include winning a new £5 million contract and a reduction of staff attrition by 10%.

An example of a travel organisation which blends on- and off-the job learning to maximise its Apprenticeship training. Apprentices are given the chance to go on a cruise or on a flight so that they can better sell services to their customers. Results have included apprentices performing at 162% productivity compared to non-apprentice sales consultants.

An example of how a global tourism organisation has embedded its Apprenticeship programme to provide the talent pipeline for the business. Results include apprentices outperforming non-apprentices and a 95% apprentice retention rate after four years of completing the training.

This council has developed a training programme to equip managers with a set of behaviours and attitudes to deliver services against a backdrop of cuts. There is a real focus on coaching and SMART targets and this has led to time-saving and a positive shift in wider employees’ values and behaviours.

Growing leadership from within
Education | 3900 employees | North Yorkshire

An example of how a university is using leadership training to bring together academics and support staff to address real challenges in the organisation. As well as developing cross-institution working and coaching support, the programme has broken down silo-working, enhancing existing practices in the university.