01732 759725
advanced but different skillset than would
have been the norm a few years back,”
he said.
He added: “Technical posts are harder
to fill than ever. People are generally keen
to move over from a similar technical role
within IT or similar, but not within the
office equipment sector.”
Apprenticeships
One solution used by many in the industry
is apprenticeships. Brother took on two
apprentices last year, both of whom have
now secured full-time employment, and
plans to take on three more next month.
“As recruitment costs increase, training
up young people is a good investment,”
said Jones. “How you retain good people
is as big a challenge as how you recruit,
so ensuring that people feel valued, have
career clarity and confidence that their
impact is being recognised is key too.”
He added: “We have re-formatted our
entire recognition system based around
learning and development at all levels of
the organisation, from top to bottom. We
use a combination of in-house and external
providers to deliver specific training linked
to our company and individual role/people
objectives. Improving 'self' improves our
company.”
Goodall explains that Office Evolution
is recruiting and training its own technical
staff and, in conjunction with Develop,
provides online and residential-based
training to bring the skillset up to the
required level.
“Apprenticeships are growing in
popularity and most local educational
authorities and chambers of commerce
are actively promoting the provision of
apprenticeships,” he said. “Our County
Business of the Year Awards always have
an award for Apprenticeship Provider
of the Year in recognition of apprentice
programmes. It’s a great way to develop
your own staff with appropriate skillsets.
In addition to this, hiring the right people
and training them for our business is key to
our future.”
Goodall works closely with Develop to
ensure staff are suitably trained and that
the training provides them with the skills
to develop within the industry. However, he
points out that it is important to develop
one’s own in-house programmes too.
“Less than five years ago, the copier
industry was viewed by IT professionals
as a lesser industry. Nowadays, the influx
of IT specialists into the printer and
copier industry has seen the skill levels
increase and close working relationships
between key providers has also increased.
You cannot therefore rely solely on a
manufacturer to formulate training;
bespoke in-house training has to become
...continued
Mark Smyth,
Operations Director,
Vision
TRAINING
48
the standard,” he said.
Midshire’s approach is to hire
apprentices and junior staff who wish to
progress through Midshire’s academy
to a position in IT or field servicing.
Stafford said: “They learn the business and
how to do things the Midshire way. This
works well for us and ensures we have a
multi-skilled team around the customer
at all times. Two of our junior staff, who
started in telesales and on the delivery van,
are now among our most successful area
sales managers.”
Stafford adds that Midshire works with
a number of apprenticeship specialists to
find junior staff with the skills needed for
different roles within marketing, IT, service
and logistics. “Finding the right youngsters
who are keen to learn, grow and develop
is our greatest challenge. But having the
right support from the providers helps us
through this process,” he said.
In-house training
Vision has introduced a Trainee Academy
program to develop the services and
technical requirements to support
continued growth. It has also introduced
an e-Learning package, which it promotes
to all employees, and has re-launched
various learning programs, including those
led by manufacturers and vendors, notably
Samsung.
“The Samsung Print Training Academy
offers a structured and accredited
education program managed by
Birmingham Metropolitan College in
association with Samsung, and offers
recognised technical accreditations as
part of a comprehensive learning and
development program,” explained Smyth.
As a Xerox partner, RDT welcomes
Xerox’s partnership with the National
Apprenticeship Scheme to provide an
Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3)
Diploma or Certificate in ICT Professional
Competence, ICT Systems and Principles
and Customer Service. “It’s a structured
three-year development programme,
which includes a range of on and off
the job training coupled with structured
support from a network of mentors within
the business so that candidates have
all the tools necessary to succeed,” said
Shackleton.
He added: “We utilise the Xerox
Training Programme. It’s very intensive
but very rewarding for the attendees,
and it covers all aspects of the industry,
from sales to service. The course is mainly
classroom-based, accompanied by lots of
online exams, followed up with good old
fashioned role play scenarios for those
budding actors out there! The industry
recognises the Xerox Training Programme
as one of the best there is.’
Julian Stafford,
Director of Midshire
Business Systems
Northern
Vision has introduced a Trainee
Academy program to develop
the services and technical
requirements to support
continued growth.
