Escalator is game-changer for Smallpeice Trust

"The team leaders who are very new to management said, from the first break on the first day, it was brilliant. By the end of day one everyone being trained had had their epiphany moment."

A business devoted to the training and upskilling of young people is better-equipped to deliver that mission after ten members of its management team underwent training funded by the Skills Escalator programme.

The team leaders at the Smallpeice Trust, in Leamington, underwent a variety of training which has proved to be a “game-changer” for the organisation, says Director of Internal Operations, Deborah Austin,

“Our prime role is to provide STEM education for young people,” said Deborah. “Our focus is young people, but what about our team?

“We have a management leadership team who have all come from different environments and sectors and they all want to do good for the Trust and have a strong belief about making a difference to young people and opening up pathways for them.

They all bring with them what they did very well in their previous roles but, with one exception, their employers never invested in them as a people manager. That’s why we applied for the funding - to upskill our managers so they can give their best to the team below, work cohesively and have some of the softer skills and knowledge that you don’t see in the day-to-day job.

“The funding enabled us to put all ten people managers through training. It covered all sorts - how to handle difficult conversations, managing sickness and return to work, looking at trends and patterns behind absence, appraisals systems. There were eight separate modules covering all the aspects that surround your daily job.

“Muse HR came to us and delivered it in house and they were fantastic. The team leaders who are very new to management said, from the first break on the first day, it was brilliant. By the end of day one everyone being trained had had their epiphany moment and said ‘I didn’t realise that was my responsibility.’

“They were all together as well which was great. Some were more experienced than others, and they had different skills, but they were all in the same boat and created almost a peer group. It was about our investment in them.”

The Skills Escalator programme is managed by Warwickshire Skills Hub and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in partnership with the county’s district and borough councils. Deborah became aware of the programme via a Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce – and is so glad she did.

“For us as a business it has been a game-changer,” she said. “Without the grant we would have just been able to fund the people brand new to leadership roles. We found the funding for the rest and are so glad we did.”

• If you would like to know how Warwickshire Skills Hub can support your business with apprenticeships and upskilling, please email skillshub@warwickshire.gov.uk  and one of our Business Support Advisors will be in touch.