Benefits of Quality Training

Training outlook by HSS Training (NAS Approved Training Provider). NAS members receive between 15 – 30% discount on specific courses from HSS Training.

Back in 2022, in an attempt to address the growing skills shortage within the industry, The National Association of Shopfitters surveyed its members, both large and small. The subsequent findings have resulted in a number of actions.

The NAS have already begun the process of building its first Specialist Applied Skills Programme (SAP) and is also looking at two further routes into the sector, a Specialist Sector Occupational Traineeship, and the Trailblazing Apprenticeship for Shopfitters. All of these options, once in place, will go a long way to addressing the lack of new entrants into the shopfitting industry.

However, these are long term solutions and will take time to implement and we can’t leave our workforces without the vocational training they need to be compliant.  The requirement for employers to provide training is clearly documented, the law requires us to provide “whatever information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of your employees.” (The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974)

This is expanded by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which identifies situations where health and safety training is particularly important, e.g., when people start work, on exposure to new or increased risks and where existing skills may have become rusty or need updating. Like many employers, you may not be in a position to provide this training on your own, in which case you will need competent help.

Training is often perceived as being expensive and a draw on resources, wasting valuable work time.  But are we all missing the big picture, and missing out on the benefits that training and development bring to employers and employees alike?

Professional training offers the employee, and the company benefits that make the initial investment in time and money worthwhile.  It seems like an obvious thing to say, but trained staff will perform better in their role.  This in turn leads to better service and productivity, both of which will have a positive impact on the bottom line.  But there are many different ways in which we can learn and develop as individuals. 

At HSS Training we have a number of departments; we actively promote a collaborative environment that encourages our staff to reach out to their peers and colleagues for guidance and advice.  In doing so we learn from others and gain an understanding of their respective roles, the daily challenges they face and how these can be overcome.  By sharing the big picture with your staff, they understand the company’s vision, and in doing so they will feel engaged and driven to support the company in achieving it goals.

It is generally accepted that most employees that are engaged feel valued and more able to contribute.  These feelings of wellbeing lead to a reduced staff turnover and promote employee loyalty.  At a time when we are experiencing skills shortages in most sectors, especially in shopfitting and construction, this can only be a good thing.  After all, training the business’ existing employees is considerably more cost effective than recruiting from scratch.

Training helps to ensure the ongoing competency of employees and makes them more effective and valuable to your business. So, do you have a training plan ready for 2023, is your training matrix robust, reflecting both the needs of the employee and that of the business?  If you need support or advice HSS Training are ideally positioned to assist you as we look at the challenging months ahead.