Accrofab's leaders benefit from Real Play

"Twelve of our managers attended the training and they found it very engaging and valuable."

An SME in Alcester is targeting greater productivity and a more engaged workforce after receiving support from the Skills Escalator programme.

Senior management at Accrofab (Alcester) Ltd, which manufactures formed and fabricated products for aerospace and power generation, received some bespoke and very engaging training from Manchester-based provider Take Effect.

Two actors from Take Effect visited Accrofab’s factory in Kinwarton Farm Road to deliver training funded by the Skills Escalator programme, managed by Warwickshire Skills Hub and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in partnership with the county’s district and borough councils.

Staff training can be a dull affair and, therefore, ineffective as it fails to engage the trainees. These sessions were very far from that, however, and  the team leaders emerged from them better informed and equipped to deal with various situations that crop up in the workplace.

Accrofab’s Group Operations Director, Mike Tew, said: “Twelve of our managers attended the training and they found it very engaging and valuable. It was Real Play - the actors wore Accrofab uniforms to get into their roles and acted out some scenarios that could occur in the workplace and how they should be handled.

“It was really well done. You could see our managers respond positively to them.”

With a sustained focus on continuous improvement and investment in technology, Accrofab’s factory in Alcester, one of the company’s three sites in the UK, continues to grow alongside customers both new and old. Key to that growth, says Mike, is good leadership of an engaged workforce.  

“The overall aim is for greater productivity and a more engaged workforce so we want our managers to be the best leaders they can be,” he said. “We carry out regular departmental surveys to measure how we are doing and our staff rate us from one to five on a range of issues. The target is always four and we are better-placed to achieve that consistently after the training.

“There was a lot of learning and we are very grateful for the Skills Escalator funding and all the support we have had from Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub and Warwickshire Skills Hub.”

Steven Convery, Business Skills Support Officer at Warwickshire Skills Hub, said: "I am proud to have played a role in securing crucial funding through Warwickshire County Council in partnership with Stratford District Council UKSPF Skills Escalator for Accrofab (Alcester) Ltd. This support has enabled the business to put their leadership team through "Effective Interpersonal Communication for Line Managers" training to upskill the management team they have in place.

“By assisting businesses like Accrofab to access vital resources, we can foster a thriving and innovative business environment within our community. Mike and Gemma (Group HR Director) have a real passion for developing their workforce and fostering an "ownership attitude" with their managers who will support Accrofab to go from strength to strength. I am so excited to see how the business expands over the coming years."

• 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.