For some, the idea of outsourcing the management of qualifications and training would seem on merit a cost-effective solution and a bit of a no-brainer, but does it benefit the entire organisation, or a few select departments, who are out of touch with the needs of sites or the issues resulting from the services provided by the managed training provider?

Some companies may offer financial incentives based on annual spending or other indicators which make the process look extremely attractive, certainly when it enables you to reduce the workload or staffing in a learning and development department!

But do the people you’re outsourcing to have direct operational experience in their field, or are you outsourcing to a company which, internally, considers itself to be merely a sales and administration organisation? Which only cares about the numbers and retaining customers to hit those targets and projections?

But does this come at a cost? If you don’t have the passion for delivering quality alongside quantity, inevitably, what you are providing, whether a product or a service, is likely to be mediocre at best!

You think you’re getting a good deal, as senior managers in procurement, learning and development and other roles such as HR are getting what they want out of it, regular meetings with the managed service, the best cost during the tender, administration functions covered, so at a senior level everything looks rosy?

But what do the sites think, are the managers happy with the training provider or standard, are the site operatives and supervisors happy, or are they being left with no support? Are you as compliant as you should be for the size of your business?

This year more than ever, has seen a surge in sites within larger organisations contacting us because they don’t want to use their companies chosen supplier, as they have seen the poor service others within the business have received, courses cancelled or moved, learners being left for long periods with little or no contact, no offer of support, nowhere to turn to possibly because the managed services relies more on schmoozing the people at the top, than it does ensuring quality training and assessment in the high-risk operational areas of the business?

A common problem we are seeing is learners progressing slowly or not at all because they don’t hear from their assessor, the centre or anyone else for long periods of time.

Trainers spending less time than you would expect on-site, turning up at 08:00 hrs and going just after lunch? Learners who are not progressing or able to make a start because their chosen course is regularly cancelled or re-scheduled!

Suppose sites are willing to go through approved third parties to use the training provider of their choice. In that case, you have to ask why the company is continuing to use a managed service rather than building up a pool of trusted providers who specialise in core areas and will ultimately provide better service to the sites and broader business.

Not to mention improved safety and security of knowing that the business is more compliant, and staff are more competent.

Is it because of contracts which are in place or financial incentives? There has to be a reason, but whatever the reason, it does not promote learning, compliance and positive application; how can it be if the people requiring qualifications or training are looking in a different direction to those who should arrange learning and development? 

What do we offer that is different? Firstly, regardless of the business size, we have no formal contracts which tether us together or result in us being bound for an extensive period, which is the same for all our customers whether it’s an individual, medium size business, national or international PLC!

Don’t get us wrong, we have terms and conditions which set out basic principles which apply, but we believe an organisation should be able to come and go as it pleases if we are not delivering or standards are not being upheld, or you can receive a better standard else where you have a choice.

Furthermore, because there is no formal contract, we constantly strive to ensure everyone and everything we do is the best it can be because if we don’t, the customer can and will leave. Which reduces the risk of becoming comfortable which can often be a problem where a long-term contract or when collaborative working exists.

We work with many independent organisations who share our values, as we recognise no organisation can be the master of trades, so we put you directly in their hands so you get that specialist, bespoke customer experience and associated knowledge, which will adapt and react quickly to your business needs.

We also recognise that no organisation is perfect, and from time to time, there will always be an odd hick-up along the way, certainly in a new project. Still, we can guarantee any issues will be resolved swiftly and decisively because we can react quicker due to the direct involvement from the customer to the assessor, trainer and administration. 

We provide up-to-date and accurate monthly reporting to nominated individuals or departments, and we can facilitate customer access to e-portfolios alongside this to allow the organisation, to track the progression of qualifications at will, which can also be expanded to managers and other designated individuals.

We record all learner achievements, including collating a record of all cards and certificates, should you or your learners require copies in the future. We can collaborate directly, updating the training matrix or other records and reducing administrative burden.

In several years of operating, we have never charged a customer for an additional assessment visit and only cancelled two training courses. To put this into perspective, we have certificated over 300 learners at a management level alone, and delivered over 180 training courses totalling some 400 days of training to customers in the UK and overseas.

This is because of how we operate and because many customers require these awards, training courses or additional services to maintain compliance; we put that above anything else and take our role extremely seriously.

So, if you can relate to this article and want many of the benefits of a managed service without the ties, but a passion for compliance and standards, and direct access to a range of sector specialist training organisations, don’t hesitate to contact us through our website, email at info@hsecservices.co.uk or you can contact our company Director Ben Saville on 07494 242960 or ben.saville@hsecservices.co.uk.

Remember the first step is always the hardest, but you'll never regret it! Take a look at some of our customers who took that first step: www.hsecservices.co.uk/our-customers.

Have a better business, with better training!

Kind Regards

HSEC Services