At Haddon Training, we have amazing teams who work for us, who consistently demonstrate their ability to support and develop our learners in partnership with their employers. Our business division is a brilliant example of this; here our Business Area Manager Pete Milsom shares his background in the industry and explains more about what the division has achieved.
“My early career was in business management, primarily focused on hotels and restaurants. The aspect of hospitality that makes the difference above all else is customer service. It is also the most challenging to train people in. Not only do you have to train people in the technical skills, you need your team to buy in to an attitude and a philosophy of a business. Training a whole team of seasonal staff for a hectic Christmas function was a particular challenge! The most important point to convey was that everyone was working towards the same goal of ensuring each individual attending had the best experience possible. I continue to apply this same philosophy with our learners and employers at Haddon Training, as part of the business division.
Although I loved most aspects of working in the hospitality sector, it became clear to me that the part I enjoyed most was training others to succeed in the industry. Working for a training organisation seemed like the next logical step for me! So, around ten years ago I began my first job as an NVQ assessor at a huge organisation, and I got many of my qualifications then, including my assessor, IQA and FdA in Education and Training. When I saw my first learner receive a promotion after completing her management apprenticeship, I knew that working with others to achieve their career potential was where I belonged.
When I was looking to progress further, I knew that I wanted to join a training organisation that had a true commitment to development and a focus on tailoring courses to individual learners and employers. I found that at Haddon Training. The team take the time to listen closely to our learners and employers, and create programmes of learning that work for the individual employers and learners; it is bespoke for them! Whether the learner works for the NHS, an equine yard or a sales team, we design our delivery to get the best outcomes for the learner and employer. Group delivery, one to one sessions, face to face, remote, we’ll always do our best to find the right solution.
I joined the business division with the clear aim of strengthening our existing employer partnerships, making new ones and develop the best experience possible for learners and employers. We continue to do exactly this with our great working relationships with two NHS trusts, a new partnership with Bournemouth University, and an engaging curriculum that is adaptable for the diverse range of environments that we work in.
The Haddon Business team is certainly the most flexible and adaptable team that I’ve ever worked with. We work with such a broad spectrum of employers and learners, we have to be able to apply our skills, experience and creativity in all sorts of different ways to get the best outcomes for our learners and employers. I am privileged to say I work with real vocational experts who are also talented, passionate and creative in their thinking.
The whole of my team are dedicated professionals with a passion for training apprentices in the business sector, and it is fantastic to work for organisation that shares my belief in the power of work-based learning.”
If you would like to find out more about hiring an apprentice or how to provide apprenticeships to existing staff, simply contact our friendly team today.