Case studies

Making Train to Gain work

As purse strings tighten and budgets are cut many organisations seek to cut the luxuries from their expenditure.  All too often, training falls into the ‘luxury’ category.  In reality it is during tough times that the focus on skills development should be sharpened.  With tighter margins and fewer resources organisations need to make the most of their teams and provide them with the skills needed to operate more efficiently.  It is for this reason that training must remain on the agenda and, if needs be, other sources of funding identified to enable this to happen.

Mid Sussex District Council’s (MSDC) parks department is one such example of an authority which hasn’t let the tougher times hinder their staff development.  They had already formed a good working relationship with their local Landex college, Plumpton, when they were approached by the college with the suggestion that their teams work towards achieving a Level 2 Diploma in Horticulture under the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). 

QCF allows a more flexible approach to building a qualification than the existing NVQ system and is able to offer accredited learning at a range of levels and packages.  A Certificate is achievable in the shortest time, followed by an Award and then a Diploma.  MSDC, in consultation with Plumpton, decided that a Diploma met the needs of their staff best.  Furthermore, Plumpton had already negotiated funding for all seven candidates under the Train to Gain scheme.

Many of the staff had been working in the trade for a number of years and had accumulated considerable experience.  Eduardo Lugto joined Grasstex, MSDC contractors, more than 10 years ago but did not have a formal qualification to demonstrate his extensive knowledge.  For many the prospect of returning to education was daunting and, as David Terry of MSDC explained, there were a few reservations.  Some were wary of the programme which included one day of formal learning each month, plus an initial basic skills assessment and the requirement to assemble a portfolio of work.  However after an induction day, led by Plumpton, which demystified some of the jargon and confusion around the qualification, seven staff embarked on the Diploma in October 2009.  The aim is that, within 18 months, all seven will have achieved their qualification.  Moreover some of MSDC management team are now training to become A1 assessors so that they can both assess the work of the students and better understand the programme. 

With the training for the Diplomas funded through Train to Gain, MSDC have found an affordable and achievable route to providing qualifications for their valued parks staff.  Given the challenging economic times it is more important than ever to identify sources of funding that make this happen.  Train to Gain is one such solution and, as MSDC and Plumpton amongst many others have demonstrated, not all of the stories about the lack of Train to Gain funding should be believed!  Speak to your local Train to Gain broker (www.traintogain.gov.uk) or training provider to find out if you can follow the example outlined here.  Budget cuts and financial challenges must not be allowed to hinder skills development.

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