95% of BPIF Training customers would recommend programmes

BPIF Training’s bi-annual survey of apprenticeship trainees and their employers show that 95% of employers and 89% of trainees would recommend the courses to others. In addition 93% of employers felt that the training programme delivered the skills that their businesses required.

The BPIF’s network of 14 training co-ordinators (TCs), who deliver the programmes and assessments in-company are key to providing customer satisfaction. 87% of employers and 81% of trainees regard their TCs as good or excellent.

The report is being published within a week of BPIF Training receiving an accolade from the Adult Learning Inspectorate following its successful inspection in the summer of 2006.

“We have now had confirmation from both our stakeholders – our customers and the government which provides the bulk of our funding – that we’re doing a good job,” says BPIF Head of Training Ruth Exelby. At the publication of its annual report on 12 December 2006 the ALI rated BPIF Training amongst the top 10% of training providers in the UK.

Sixty-six employers returned the questionnaires representing a 25% response rate. Seventeen percent of the BPIF’s 650 trainees (400 apprentices and 250 adults) replied.

Forty trainees and 35 employers took the trouble to make additional comments, which were overwhelmingly positive.

Examples from the trainees include:

• “I have now completed my apprenticeship and it has vastly increased my knowledge of the industry, thank you!
• I will be very proud to achieve my NVQ.  It increases knowledge in lots of areas that sometimes we all take for granted.”

Employers were happy to praise the scheme:

• “Excellent programme: helped develop and focus individuals as well as management: highly recommended.”
• “The training programme has standardised the way all our printer operators now work, therefore reducing rejects off the line and increasing throughput.”
• “Your on-site training programme is ideal for our requirements”.

Ms Exelby is keen to encourage more companies to take advantage of the courses on offer: “Relevant, and supported training programmes based in-company are available right across the country however most companies still prefer to ‘go it alone’ when it comes to training. The companies that we work with know that BPIF Training delivers a better outcome than they could by themselves and therefore, although the investment in training is slightly higher than going alone, the return is delivered many times over.”

BPIF Training is the UK’s only nationally contracted provider of government-funded programmes to the UK printing industry and delivers a wide range of work-based training in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Staff can also perform training needs analyses for companies in order to help succession planning and recruitment and selection strategies.

For more information about BPIF Training visit www.britishprint.com and click on Training.

For further information contact:
Ruth Exelby
BPIF Head of Training
Tel: 07801 977908
e-mail Ruth here