“We’ll come out with a much stronger workforce!”
Bluestone, Swansea Bay University Health Board and Tredz, are among the hundreds of Welsh organisations currently reaping the benefits of fully funded training.
From business administration and marketing, to sector-specific accredited courses across housing, manufacturing, and green technology; Gower College Swansea has nearly 100 fully funded courses available for businesses to utilise.
One popular area of focus is the Digital Skills for Business programme, which equips people of all digital competencies with the skills to thrive in the ever-changing, digital world.
With many businesses now working remotely, there is a stronger need than ever for employees to demonstrate basic levels of digital know-how across a range of industries. Around 82% of all job roles require digital skills amongst their staff in some capacity, and Gower College Swansea is working towards closing the digital skills gap in Wales.
A business about to reap the benefits of the programme, is Welsh tourism giant, Bluestone, who’s staff are currently enrolled in several courses provided by Gower College Swansea.
Helen John, Bluestone Academy Manager, said: “Historically, the hospitality industry isn’t portrayed as a career of choice and has the perception that it is low-skilled and low-paid. By giving accreditation through these training courses and by building the kudos, you’re going to change the mindset and perception of the industry. In Wales, and Pembrokeshire in particular, tourism and hospitality is one of our biggest employers. I think we need to start showcasing it as a great career to go into, and at Bluestone we value the people taking on these roles. The skills you need for this industry are a lot more than people give them credit for.”
Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) have also focused on getting their team up to scratch, with Anne Davies benefiting hugely from the extra digital support through enrolling on the IT User course.
Anne Davies, Ward Administrator for the Acute Medicine Units (AMAU), said: “Part of my role is keeping on top of everyone’s training, which is a massive Excel spreadsheet. I’ve learnt tips on how better to organise it and how to get the most out of Word and Outlook.”
She explains how the course has helped her to build on her existing IT skills: “I love learning new things and I had a basic knowledge of the units covered so wanted to learn more and hopefully make my job easier.”
Another SBUHB member of staff who has further developed their IT skills through the course is Jenna Pickin, a Clinical Coder, she said: “Just go for it! There’s so much support and if you need something explaining further or in a different way, the tutors are really helpful. Knowing that you’ve got somebody there that’s either just a phone, email, or a click away was very beneficial.”
Fully funded, accredited courses span a huge breadth of skillsets and topics. Bike retailer, Tredz is taking advantage of available funding with almost 60 of their staff undertaking a range of Cytech bike courses through Gower College Swansea.
Ceri Forward, People Business Partner for Tredz, said: “We rely on lots of people who are keen cyclists who kind of fall into the skill, but they pick up bad habits, and they’re not really taught. So what that Cytech training does is correct that, and it’s done in an accredited, consistent way… and we’ll come out with a much stronger workforce so it’s been really beneficial to Tredz.”
Courses are funded by the Skills for Industry project and the Personal Learning Account programme. The Skills for Industry project is aimed at private, public and voluntary sector organisations to invest in their workforce and is fully-funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government. A Personal Learning Account (PLA) is a programme funded by the Welsh Government, which allows those who meet the criteria to study part-time around their existing responsibilities and obtain skills and qualifications to change or progress their career.
If you would like to explore the courses offered through Gower College Swansea, contact the team directly on: training@gcs.ac.uk or call 01792 284 400. The deadline for course applications is 31st July 2022.