| Type of employer: | School Meals Service | |
| Learner's occupation: | School Meal Kitchen Assistants (5 learners) | |
| Region: | North West, Merseyside | |
| Course details: |
Food Processing & Cooking NVQ level 2 Skills for Life Numeracy / Literacy entry level 3 to level 2 (including progression through the levels for some learners) |
| A brief history: Bootle High School is closing down next year, which means that all those currently working as part of the school meals service will be seeking alternative employment. The employer wanted to provide the staff with an opportunity to gain vocationally relevant qualifications to support them in their development but most importantly to find suitable jobs once the school has closed. |
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| Employer objectives • Staff to gain a nationally recognised qualification • Improve staff morale under such difficult circumstances • Encourage staff to remain with the service until the school closes • Increase skills and confidence of staff • Minimum disruption to the operation of the school kitchen |
Learners' objectives • Gain a qualification to improve the chances of getting a job once the school closes • Increase self confidence • Learn more about cooking and running a kitchen |
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| Course delivery • All delivered in the work place • One to one coaching and mentoring • Worked with the employer to identify learning opportunities, develop skills and confidence • Assess-train-assess |
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Achievements & Outcomes
| For the employer; • Staff are more aware of their responsibilities, which leaves the manager able to concentrate on the business side • Increased staff confidence • Greater awareness of hazards, health & safety and food hygiene • Staff have taken on additional responsibilities including stock control and cooking • The team is fully qualified and can be relied on • The course met the staff needs as it was work based and fitted in around their work and family commitments • The qualifications are really worth while; gaining the NVQ level 2 will improve their chances of getting a new job next year |
For the learner; • Increased self confidence and able to work on own initiative • Increased awareness and understanding of food hygiene and health & safety • A better understanding of the day to day running of the kitchen, including stock control • Cooking has become something to enjoy both at work and at home • More confident with the forthcoming job search • Understanding of job role and it’s importance (not just a dinner lady) • Enjoyed the course, would recommend it to anybody and keen to continue developing skills and experience |
| Type of employer: | Business Space (Rented offices / meeting rooms etc) | |
| Learner's occupation: | Customer Service Representative | |
| Region: | Chertsey, Surrey | |
| Course details: | Customer Service Level 2 NVQ |
| A brief history: Zoey achieved her qualification efficiently and to a high standard. When Zoey was first based in Chertsey, she was sent to other Regus sites on a secondment to gain more knowledge and experience. This proved to be invaluable, as it opened up endless opportunities to gain evidence for her qualification. Consequently, since achieving her qualification Zoey has been promoted to Customer Services Representative in Chertsey. Zoey has now adopted a mentoring role for other NVQ candidates within Regus and has just started her Advanced Apprenticeship in Customer service (level 3). |
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| Employer objectives • Staff to gain a nationally recognised qualification • Increaced skills andconfidence of staff • Better customer service |
Learners' objectives • A nationally recognised qualification • Increased self confidence • Gain new skills • Career progression |
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| Course delivery • All delivered in the work place • One to One coaching and mentoring • Secondments to other Regus sites • Assess-train-assess |
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Achievements & Outcomes
| For the employer; • Increased confidence with staff and training • Zoey has become more customer focused • The Learning Advisor was there to offer support, help and ideas • Zoey was offered a promotion and is now assisting her Manager in the running of the centre. |
For the learner; • A nationally recognised qualification • Enjoyed the experience of the NVQ training • Increased skills and confidence • Better job prospects, career development and recognition from her employer • Better awareness of the training needs of her staff |
| Type of employer: | Hotel (part of the Orchid Group) | |
| Learner's occupation: | Head Chef | |
| Region: | North West, Manchester | |
| Course details: | Professional Cookery Level 2 NVQ |
| A brief history: Damien had been working as a chef for 5 years. He started within the trade as a commis chef, progressed to second chef and is now the head chef. Damien wanted to do the qualification to gain the recognition for his skills and to gain new skills to develop him further and improve his prospects. |
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| Employer objectives • Staff to gain a nationally recognised qualification • Increase skills and confidence of staff • Improved stock results • Achievement of company Gross Profit (GP) targets |
Learners' objectives • A nationally recognised qualification • Increase self confidence • Gain new skills • Learn more about cooking different dishes and running a kitchen |
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| Course delivery • All delivered in the work place • One to one coaching and mentoring • Learning resources to allow supported learning without the supervision of the Learning Advisor • Worked with the employer to allow time to practice Damien’s new skills before assessment visits • Assess-train-assess |
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Achievements & Outcomes
| For the employer; • Increased confidence with staff and training • The kitchen is running more smoothly with less day-to-day issues • Improved stock and GP results • The Learning Advisor was there to offer support, help and ideas • Damien was offered a new position, along with his manager in another site • His kitchen has now been put forward as a “Training Kitchen”, one of few within the company |
For the learner; • A nationally recognised qualification • Increased skills, confidence, job prospects and recognition from his employers • Better awareness of the training needs of his staff • Practice dishes were sold to the paying public as “Chef Specials”. This is now a regular feature in the restaurant • Promotion to a new position in another site in the same company • He has also now enrolled on a Hospitality Supervision Advanced Apprenticeship to continue his learning |
| Type of employer: | Cambridgeshire County Council School Meals Service | ||
| Learner's occupation: | School Caterers and Catering Assistants | ||
| Region: | East of England, Cambridgeshire | ||
| Course details: |
L1 Providing a Healthier School Meals Course L2 Food Processing & Cooking L2 Multi Skilled Hospitality |
L2 Professional Cookery L2 Food & Drink Service L3 Hospitality Supervision |
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| A brief history: Cambridgeshire Catering Services has always prioritised the training and development needs of its staff, understanding the value to be gained from training investment. Due to the recent introduction of various training funding initiatives, CCS began looking into vocational qualifications that could be offered to catering staff, achieved quite simply, through the execution of work roles. CCS has quite a diverse operation of catering services, ranging through catering in primary and secondary schools, a central catering production unit and hospitality services, for which Qube Learning were able to offer appropriate qualifications and thus our training partnership was initiated in early 2007. |
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| Employer objectives • Staff to gain nationally recognised qualifications • Staff receive one to one skills development through each award • Increase the skills and confidence of staff • Encourage staff development and equip staff to become more widely employable within the service • Minimum disruption to the operation of the school kitchen |
Learners' objectives • Gain a nationally recognised qualifications at no personal expense • Increase confidence and occupational insight and build upon skills |
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| Course delivery • Delivered in the work place • One to one coaching and mentoring • Worked with the employer to identify learning opportunities, develop skills and confidence • Assess-train-assess • Completed the Providing a Healthier School Meals Service level 1 certificate; a balanced nutritional menu, helping children to make good choices |
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Achievements & Outcomes
| For the employer; • Staff have proven to be more proficient carrying out their responsibilities, making for a more efficient workforce with greater reliability • Provides one to one mentoring and coaching • Catering Assistants gain insight to further responsibility • The awards are achievable within the working day, meeting the needs of staff • CCS benefits from motivated staff with increased self esteem through attainment of national recognised qualifications |
For the learner; • Increased learners confidence and able to work from initiative • Improved occupational insight, developed new skills and honed existing skills • Provided appropriate understanding of customer nutritional and dietary requirements • Created further enthusiasm towards work role • Puts learner in control of occupational development and motivates staff to continue developing skills and experience |
| Type of employer: | Domestic Kitchen Suppliers | |
| Learner's occupation: | Reception / Customer Service Representative | |
| Region: | Rotherham | |
| Course details: | Business Administration Level 2 NVQ |
| A brief history: Andrew works full time at Howdens Joinery and has been employed there for over a year. On starting his qualification, Andrew worked mainly on the reception desk answering telephone calls, dealing with traders, giving information on products and making sure accounts are up-to-date and paid for. Since completing his qualification, Andrew has been promoted within the company to the kitchen design team. He is currently being trained on how to design kitchens and to map these designs onto a computer. |
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| Employer objectives • Staff to gain a nationally recognised qualification • Increase skills and confidence of staff • Better customer service • Staff to expand their skill set |
Learners' objectives • A nationally recognised qualification • Increase self confidence • Gain new skills • Career progression |
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| Course delivery • All delivered in the work place • One to One coaching and mentoring • Assess-train-assess |
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Achievements & Outcomes
| For the employer; • Increased skills, confidence and motivation • Andrew became more customer focused with improved customer interaction both face-to-face and on the telephone • Better working relationships within the business • Improved customer satisfaction leading to increased sales • Greater employee loyalty to the business |
For the learner; • A nationally recognised qualification • Enjoyed the experience of the NVQ training • Increased motivation, skills and confidence • Andrew felt a greater sense of team spirit and loyalty to the business after the training • Better job prospects, career development and recognition from his employer |