Nelson and Colne College vice principal goes ‘back to the floor’

By Nelson and Colne College

15 Mar 2019

back-to-the-floor-panaz.jpg

Apprentices at leading upholstery manufacturer and supplier Panaz were celebrated at a National Apprenticeship Week opportunity with Nelson and Colne College.

Vice principal at NCC Alison Rushton went ‘back to the floor’ at the Hapton-based company, where she met with CEO Tony Attard OBE and members of the senior management team, to gain a greater understanding of the thriving business and how it operates, and to help identify any skills gaps to strengthen its position in the future.

During the visit, Alison also enjoyed a tour of the company’s fantastic facilities and warehouse space, and met a number of Panaz employees who are upskilling with Nelson and Colne College through Apprenticeship programmes. These include Accountancy, Business Administration, Marketing and Leadership and Management Apprenticeships.

Tony Attard OBE said: “We believe very seriously in training and developing intellectual capital. We are a team-orientated business and everyone is part of that team. If people are willing to invest in us, we will invest in them. It’s a ‘win, win’ situation.

“The service we have received from Nelson and Colne College’s Apprenticeship Team has been great. It’s flexible and responsive to our needs and all of the learning has been work based without employees needing to go into college. The training has been extremely beneficial to the business too, including improving staff retention rates, which are very strong.”

Alison Rushton said: “I would like to thank the team at Panaz for taking the time to host the college’s visit during National Apprenticeship Week. I was made to feel extremely welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed my ‘back to the floor’ experience.

“It was fantastic to hear the learner journeys from our current and previous Apprentices, and the value that their Apprenticeships have brought to their roles, at whatever level they work at.

“Panaz is an exceptional and progressive business with talented staff. I am very proud that they have selected Nelson and Colne College to support their training. The visit has been very useful for pinpointing potential future developments in the Apprenticeships that we can offer valued companies like Panaz, to develop talent and support the regional economy.”

Nelson and Colne College is the number one general FE college nationally for overall Apprenticeship achievement, at all ages and levels, and is also number one for 16-18 timely Apprenticeship achievement, at all levels, in the government’s National Achievement Rate Tables.

Sarah Lloyd, head of creative resources and branding at Panaz, has completed an ILM Level 5 Diploma in Principles of Leadership and Management and an ILM Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management.

Sarah said: “I am delighted that these qualifications have significantly helped me in my role as Head of Design at Panaz. I have been with the business a long time and have a lot of experience but I felt that I could learn more and was hungry to be challenged with new ideas.

“Most of my work is project based and these projects involve many stakeholders, both internal and external, and these relationships have already benefited from my studies. I have learned new ways to analyse and plan and this has had a direct effect on our existing projects and processes.

“Communication and collaboration are key in our overall business development and I have been able to review and enhance my approach to these after study modules in this area. From a personal perspective, I feel more confident about my leadership decisions and I embrace change in a more positive way than before.”

Nicholas Groves, a digital marketing coordinator at Panaz, has completed a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Marketing and a Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Marketing.

Nicholas said: “I believe that learning while adapting to my new position has provided me with both a deeper understanding of marketing responsibilities generally and the personal skills which I can bring to the job.

“Learning with Nelson and Colne College at the workplace has allowed me to learn at my own pace and use practical examples from my own experiences to deepen my knowledge of marketing. I was able to structure my learning around my role by choosing units which were most convenient to me.

“My Trainer Assessor Carly was very approachable and knowledgeable and offered plenty of guidance and was instrumental in helping to make the course criteria more relatable. Panaz have also been accommodating employers, understanding the value gained from developing their staff and providing me with the time and support required to complete my courses well within the scheduled timeframe.”

For more information about Apprenticeships by Nelson and Colne College contact 01282 440319 or visit www.nelson.ac.uk/apprenticeships

Latest news

1

Management buyout at Suresite Group Steve Holden

Management buyout at Suresite Group

17 Oct 2025

2

Meet the influencers who have generated £2m sales for one company Helen and Richard Chalu new

Meet the influencers who have generated £2m sales for one company

16 Oct 2025

3

WHN strengthens position in prestigious legal guide Daniel Long

WHN strengthens position in prestigious legal guide

16 Oct 2025

4

Warden appoints new commercial manager to strengthen project delivery and growth Peter Heskine

Warden appoints new commercial manager to strengthen project delivery and growth

16 Oct 2025

5

Stockley's finds its sweet spot Stockley's front view

Stockley's finds its sweet spot

15 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

Chamber Business Lunch – October
LBV Hub Networking
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Chamber Business Lunch – October

Lancaster Golf Club, Lancaster, LA2 0AJ

11:00 - 13:30

North West Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880456273-4862066883-1-original.20241022-105445.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Oct 2025

North West Business Expo 2025

Bolton Stadium Hotel, Bolton, BL6 6SF

09:00 - 15:00

Lancaster District Business Support Expo
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Oct 2025 - 29 Oct 2025

Lancaster District Business Support Expo

The Platform, Morecambe, LA4 4DB

10:00 - 15:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
06 Nov 2025 - 06 Nov 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November

Porsche Centre South Lakes, Carnforth, LA6 1FW

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Roundtables
10 Nov 2025 - 10 Nov 2025

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner

Lancaster Castle, Lancaster, LA1 1YN

14:00 - 16:00

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human
2.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin