Glenn Robinson outlines the advantages of a better-skilled workforce to bring about a more motivated and productive workforce, as well as benefits to the bottom line.

The question:

I run a specialised food manufacturing business in the north of England. We have a strong and competent workforce with over 100 dedicated employees. We’ve always had a constant stream of orders from a range of large and small businesses, but our biggest client has recently explained that they want to have only one supplier to streamline their supply-chain.

They have asked us whether we would be able to manage this and while I’m pleased with the prospect of more revenue, I’m also concerned that we won’t be able to cope with a bigger workload and the impact it might have on our other, smaller business accounts.

Also, our client has stated that to finalise this offer we have to show them how we are going to manage the bigger demands on long-term scale.

Either way, I foresee that we face the prospect of losing either our biggest client or lots of our smaller clients. Obviously, we could invest in more machinery but there isn’t enough room in the factory and it would probably prove too costly anyway.

Can you recommend anything our business can do to meet these new demands on a long-term basis and cope with our existing clients?

The answer:

Glenn Robinson, director of Train to Gain

Have you thought about the benefits a better skilled workforce will bring to your business? Higher skills will help motivate your staff and encourage them to work more efficiently, ultimately, boosting your monthly output. This would help your factory to deliver top-quality service on a larger scale and on a long-term basis. It is also a tangible investment that you can inform your clients about – especially when your staff receive their qualifications!

To meet your clients’ expectations, I suggest that you consider using the Learning and Skills Council’s Train to Gain service. By using this service, you will receive the tailored advice of a skills broker who can provide you with recommendations in a range of areas. They will come and visit your business at a time most convenient to you and at no cost.

Brokers will provide high quality, impartial advice, and will work to find the best training solutions for a whole raft of skills; perhaps a ‘Business Improvement Techniques’ qualification will be a good starting place for some employees.

In addition, training will be tailored to your company’s needs so, for example, it may be conducted on-site to ensure minimum disruption. This means you wouldn’t need to worry about employees missing out on their work and you can rest assured they will apply their newly acquired skills directly into their working practices. Also, the time consuming parts, such as finding suitable training providers or investigating possible funding opportunities, are also taken care of – leaving you free to manage your usual day-to-day issues.

Train to Gain can also help identify other skills needed to keep your firm in good shape. For example, a broker may suggest having apprentices or they might go right to the top and recommend a leadership and management aspect so that you can improve your own managerial skills.

Together this will help you recognise training as a long-term commitment and investment, giving your employees the chance to work towards a better future. As you already know, it has never been easier or more important to make sure your business has the competitive edge it needs in such a competitive environment.

Indeed, you may find that training will prove equally appealing to prospective clients as much as they do to prospective employees – without an extra piece of machinery in sight!