Blackpool and The Fylde College

Time and again B&FC has seen business partners make huge leaps by upskilling existing workforces through co-creating training programmes focusing on each organisation’s unique challenges and opportunities.

B&FC has extensive experience collaborating on learning and development solutions.

As you'll read in the case study on Blackpool Transport and B&FC, an organisation-wide skills audit is a great way to identify where you're needing support to strengthen your existing expertise.

B&FC isn’t just here to deliver training – it can help with any or every step of a training and development plan.

Make 2020 your year for people development to deliver sustainable success.

Case study: Blackpool Transport

Life moves quickly at Blackpool Transport. Adapting to the changing needs of customers and embracing new technologies requires a galvanised workforce.

That’s the objective of a long-term learning and training strategy empowering Blackpool Transport's 600-strong team with upskilling opportunities to help the company flex to whatever the future holds.

At the heart of that workforce development plan are apprenticeships, and an innovative approach developed in partnership with B&FC to introduce an in-house learning community.

Sally Shaw, Blackpool Transport’s director of people and stakeholders, said: "A couple of years ago there hadn't really been any significant investment in learning. We didn't know whether there would be a thirst for training among our staff.”

Internal discussions highlighted the Apprenticeship Levy as a crucial funding instrument, and Blackpool Transport called in B&FC early in 2019 to identify how it could best be invested.

Later that year Blackpool Transport and B&FC hosted an open day for apprenticeship opportunities and to launch the company’s training school.

Sally explained: "It was a gamble, a risk. We didn't know what the appetite would be for doing something so different.”

But the response was overwhelming: 43 people of all ages and departments are now signed up to Level 3 and 5 Leadership and Management apprenticeships delivered one day a week at B&FC and supported by the college's dedicated apprenticeships team.

Blackpool Transport is currently conducting a company-wide skills audit to identify further opportunities for upskilling.

Sally said: “Apprenticeship Levy was daunting at first sight - and the college's expertise was hugely beneficial in unpacking that. We've discovered the tremendous benefits of investing in upskilling our existing workforce and working closely with a local college was key.”

• 01253 504 343
  business@blackpool.ac.uk
  www.blackpool.ac.uk

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