The Council’s Waste Services has been named as one of the South West’s best employers at the regional final of the National Apprenticeship Awards and National Training Awards 2012.
The authority was highly commended for the training programmes delivered within its Waste Services operational teams. The finalists and winners were announced at a high profile joint awards ceremony organised by the National Apprenticeship Service.
The National Training Awards recognise organisations that have delivered outstanding training programmes and are organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, who received in excess of 1,500 high quality entrants this year.
The panel concluded that the passion for training and development has ensured learning is embedded in the operational plan and has resulted in significant performance improvements at the Council.
Sarah Alder, Waste Strategy and Contracts Manager, said, “We are delighted and extremely proud to have been awarded a Highly Commended in South West Training Award for Large Employer. This award highlights Bath & North East Somerset Council’s commitment to learning and development and the importance we place on customer service in our Waste Team.”
Councillor David Dixon, (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said, “It is positive news that the Council is being regionally recognised as an excellent employer to work for and for apprentices to learn from.”
Dr John Chudley, Divisional Area Director for the South, from the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “This year’s awards were a terrific showcase of the outstanding wealth of talent that we have across the South West. Given the volume and high calibre of entries we received, I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Bath & North East Somerset Council Waste Service for this superb achievement. They are a testament to the many benefits training bring to businesses, allowing employers to up-skill their staff and grow.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council Waste Services submitted an entry in the National Training Awards Rolls Royce ‘Large Employer of the Year’ category – highlighting their bespoke soft skills training programme which was designed to engage and win over a challenging workforce with the aim for staff to take pride in their work, develop competencies, and ensure that customers receive excellent service from the authority.
The validating judge’s panel commented positively on the evidence of behavioural change they noted as well as the reduction in customer complaints stating ‘quite clearly the initiative has been cost-effective, and has significantly and positively influenced the Waste Service culture’. The judges reported that one of the most memorable features of the visit was the enthusiasm and commitment of those they met and the real and lasting differences made to teams not accustomed to a learning environment and formal training approach.
