Exeter International Airport has made a special New Year commitment to staff training and development by making a Skills Pledge. The Skills Pledge, led by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), is a voluntary commitment by organisations to support all employees to develop their skill levels to at least Level 2, the equivalent of 5 GCSEs (grade A-C).
Jamie Christon, Exeter Airport’s Managing Director, signed the Skills Pledge at a ceremony today (Thursday 22 January) at the Airport. The Skills Pledge reads:
On behalf of Exeter International Airport I make a commitment that we shall:
• Actively encourage and support our employees to gain the skills and qualifications that will support their future employability and meet the needs of our business/organisation;
• Actively encourage and support our employees to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills, and with Government support work towards their first level 2 qualifications in an area that is relevant to our business/organisation;
• Demonstrably raise our employees’ skills and competencies to improve company/organisation performance through investing in economically valuable training and development.
Commenting on the event Mr Christon said: “Over 260 people are directly employed by the airport company and in the next few weeks they will be surveyed so that we can a better understanding their training needs. I’m sure that the scheme will prove extremely beneficial for the company and each individual.”
Ingrid Purse, Skills Development Manager at the LSC, said: “In making the Skills Pledge Exeter Airport are not only committing to increase the skills of their workforce, but are also realising the potential of each individual employee. They are supporting their employees as they gain the skills to make the business succeed and grow.”
A Skills Broker will support the Airport’s Skills Pledge by helping to create a training plan for staff through the Train to Gain service. The tailored action plan will look at all business processes and suggest ways in which these can be made more efficient and effective by providing the right skills to meet the needs of each employee.
Exeter College is one of the learning providers for the Airport and will be offering NVQ courses in areas such as Aviation Operations on the Ground, Customer Service and Health and Safety. Michelle Snowball, head of employer engagement at Exeter College, said: “We are delighted to be working with Exeter International Airport to help them up-skill their workforce and fulfil the Skills Pledge, as we already are with many organisations. This will enable Exeter Airport employees to have even more progression opportunities and contribute to the airport’s continued importance to the local economy.”
Exeter Airport also boasts an on-site training facility which can be used by all airport staff and those working for partner companies. The Exeter Skills Shop, funded by the LSC and hosted by Flybe, offers advice and information to airport employees and provides a range of suitable training courses.
