Training & Skills

Finding a Training Provider

Once you've identified your training needs, how do you find a provider you can trust to deliver in a way that will really benefit your business?

Skills brokers

Your first port of call should be the Business Link skills brokers. They provide a free, government backed service that will help you:

• Identify your needs
• Find any funding and grants available
• Find the right training provider

Coupled to their understanding of tourism businesses, they have up to date knowledge of the courses, training providers and funding available. They will be able to suggest solutions - from formal courses to e-learning and from one day events to long term training - that will make up the mix that meets your business' objectives.

Where to look for a training provider

In addition to working with a skills broker you can also do your own research:

• Use the web and phone directories
• Contact your local college of further education
• Contact the Northumberland CoVE (our North East Centre of Vocational Excellence for Inbound and Domestic Tourism)
• Ask businesses in the same sector as you for recommendations
• Use the training provider directory at the end of the the Learning and Skills Council North East Directory of Provision 2008
• Contact the Learn Direct Career Service
• Browse the learning directory on the UK Skills Passport pages of People 1st (the Hospitality and Tourism Sector Skills Council)
• Contact your Area Tourism Partnership

What to look for in a training provider

When choosing a training provider you want to be assured that the provider has a strong track record, great qualifications and is quality assured.

Look for the following:

• Ofsted inspections give you a clear, detailed and accurate idea of the quality of the provider and the effectiveness of their teaching and resources
• CoVEs - these are recognised centres of vocational excellence and offer quality hands-on learning to acquire specific skills and crafts
• Learning and Skills Beacon status indicates an outstanding provider of education
• Matrix Quality System - accredited organisations have met stringent assessment for the quality of their information and guidance provision
• Investors in People - this well-known award means that the training provider invests in the development of its own people - a sign that it practices what it preaches!
• Charter Mark - this indicates that an organisation excels in customer service, an extremely important element of training provision
• Customer First - this is a quality mark given to publicly-funded business support services

Seek a recommendation

Finally, when you identify a provider who meets your needs and appears to have the right levels of quality, the next step is to seek a recommendation. Ask to speak to businesses similar to yours who have used their services, and follow up the contacts you are given. Ask them how happy they were with the provider, how useful they felt the training was, what they would do differently if they undertook the training exercise again and whether they felt the training was value for money.

Next step:

• Contact a skills broker for free, impartial help and advice on training