We’re letting employers do the talking…
With companies more likely
to feel convinced of the benefits of training if they hear it from a business
peer, the Learning and Skills Council recently launched a dedicated Skills
for London Ambassador Network.
One of the first volunteers to ‘talk the walk’ is the aptly named Paul Messenger, a founding director of franchise business Coffee Snobs. Having seen the benefits that training is bringing to his own company, he is enthusiastic about spreading the word.
“If all employers could be where I am now, where I can see the benefits, then I think the take-up of skills support programmes would increase enormously,” says Paul.
“As part of my Ambassador work I am speaking to other franchise operators and companies such as Costa Coffee about our experience and the benefits we’ve had. I’m encouraging them to look at how they can put in place similar training for their employees.
“Staff skills are important at any stage of a company’s development, but during tough economic conditions like we have now, it can really help business success and survival.”
The Ambassador Network is a volunteer employer-to-employer sales force, and is a response to LSEB’s call for new and direct ways to get organisations learning about the business advantages of workforce skills development programmes. Increasing employer awareness of the business case for a well-skilled workforce is an important part of our strategy, and complements our emphasis on offering services geared to their priorities.
Currently the Network has 35 ambassadors, all senior business people drawn from both large and small companies across London and representing various industries.
To celebrate and promote the Network, LSEB recently hosted a Skills Ambassador event on 19 January 2010 at City Hall.
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