Lifelong Learning Opportunities at Bagnalls
20 September 2022
In celebration of Adult Learners Week, we sat down for a chat with Kirsty and Lewis from our HR team to discuss the career-long learning opportunities we provide.
Adult Learners Week is all about the idea that even after formal education has ended, it’s never too late for adults to continue to learn new skills. What opportunities would you say Bagnalls provides for its employees to continue learning, progressing and even reskilling at any point in their careers?
Kirsty: There are no age limits on any of our training schemes – we’ve taken on apprentices in their 30s recently, and we encourage people to continue to learn, progress and if they want to re-skill at any point in their career. Our Management Trainee scheme can also be accessed after an apprenticeship with us; it’s not infrequent for apprentices who showcase the right talents to move into this scheme or be put forward by managers who see potential in them, and indeed this can happen with employees of any age.
We have several supervisors currently completing their NVQ in site supervision, which again is part of our wider training and skill development programme. Training can also be outside of people’s day-to-day job roles; for example, we now have multiple Mental Health First Aiders across the business, with at least one in each office and up to four or five on-site.
Lewis: Something which I’ve personally experienced is the effort the company goes to when ensuring all its employees have the right tools to progress and learn. I’ve recently moved into HR & Recruitment at Bagnalls, and the company has straight away helped placed me on a CIPD HR course to help me get started in my role.
Kirsty: People development is one of the company’s core values, so if someone wants to do a training course or learn new skills which are relevant to the business then you are very likely to get a “yes” and the required support to choose the right course or path for you.
What would you say to someone considering joining Bagnalls who is looking to build or expand upon their skillset?
From a recruitment point of view for people looking to apply with Bagnalls, it’s very rarely specific criteria that we’re searching for when finding the right people to work with us. It’s far more about the person rather than their qualifications, especially for our trainee or apprenticeship schemes. If you’re the right fit for the role, we will help train you and support you to achieve the right qualifications and gain relevant experience to succeed – a testament to that is the wide range of people with different backgrounds and life experiences at Bagnalls. It’s a very open-minded and supportive place to work. – Lewis