Widdowson Group

“The beauty of this staff development programme is that it takes place on our premises, so the staff can apply their learning directly to our systems.”

Nick Abbot Senior Operations Manager

Business sector:

Logistics

Employees:

250+

Region:

East Midlands

Company profile:

The Widdowson Group is a logistics company with 500,000 square feet of warehouse facilities minutes from the M1/M69 near Leicester.

The Challenge

In this fast-moving and demanding business, Widdowson’s warehouses take advantage of the latest barcode and scanning technology, allowing a more efficient and flexible solution for their customers. Staff need to be trained in these modern warehousing techniques, efficiency and high levels of service.

The Solution

Widdowson got involved in the Employer Training Pilot, the scheme on which the Train to Gain service is based. The Leicestershire Learning and Skills Council’s advisers helped Widdowson assess its staff’s skills needs. They then advised on finding the right training to develop staff, as well as offering the company up to 35 hours’ compensation for time spent by employees learning new skills. The business then took advantage of free training to improve workers’ essential skills (leading to accreditation at NVQ Level 2 for some people).

The Results

“The scheme provided us with the perfect training solution,” says Kara Cragg, HR Assistant at Widdowson. It means the business has:

• 85 staff trained to NVQ Level 2 in Warehousing.
• Maximised the contribution of employees through their personal development and involvement.
• Improved the level of customer service and provided greater flexibility and operational efficiency.
• Invested in training its own NVQ Assessor, so assessment happens under the company’s own roof, and Widdowson is equipped for on-going staff development.