City of Westminster College is a leading provider of training to business and offers flexible and cost-effective options to increase skills and provide a springboard for growth. The College works with organisations of all sizes – from small and medium enterprises to leading national brands. Here are two case studies of SMEs that have used training to ensure their businesses are prepared for future growth.
Generator Hostels London is a leading backpacking hostel off Russell Square, Central London. It plays host to around 280,000 travellers here each year, with many more travellers visiting its sister branch in Berlin. With a staff of 75 in London, the company recently embarked on a new training programme with City of Westminster College. So far four staff have completed NVQs in Customer Service, with one staff member receiving a Team Leader qualification.
It was crucial that training be delivered through the workplace and be tailored to the needs of the workforce, who are in a busy customer-facing environment. The company was also looking for tangible benefits. Immediate training priorities were to build customer service and customer management skills, as well as developing confidence among staff.
Longer-term priorities were to build flexibility and undertake succession planning within the workforce. The company has new hostels opening in Dublin, Hamburg and Copenhagen in 2011 and is also planning for London 2012, when its London operation is sure to be even busier than usual.
Travel is a highly competitive market, where online review through accommodation search engines has a direct impact on brand perception and future bookings. Benefits of the training have been instantly measurable through significantly increased positive staff ratings on search engines.
Describing the value of training, Generator Hostels London Human Resources Manager Rosalind Rafferty says: "At Generator Hostels we are always eager to bring new talent through our doors. We're an energetic company and keen to use our enthusiasm for the travel industry to help others embark on their careers."
Crystal Services Security Division is a Loughton-based company that provides site- and client-specific security services across Greater London. It has 180 employees working in sectors ranging from schools, offices and hotels to industrial plants.
The company has trained around 50 security staff through City of Westminster College over the past 12 months, using NVQs and customised courses. Training is matched to contract and client specifications – as well as Crystal’s own stringent requirements. Security staff are the ‘public face’ of an organisation, and must also have the knowledge and confidence to tackle any major or minor incident such as a terrorism alert or on-site accident.
Crystal Services’ ongoing training relationship with City of Westminster College has delivered two benefits. First, it has ensured positive feedback from existing clients. Secondly, it enables Crystal Securities to pitch for and win new contracts because of its demonstrable commitment to training and its flexibility in delivering security staff equipped for each specific security role.
Describing the ongoing training relationship with the College, Crystal Security General Manager Martin Chisnall says: “The training team at City of Westminster College shine above everybody else in providing site specific security training to suit our own high standards and – most importantly – our clients’ requirements.”