Improving skills can lead to a more healthy business

Hillarys Group, the UK’s leading made-to-measure window blinds specialist, is delighted to announce the NVQ success of 26 of its Washington Tyne-&-Wear employees with a further 20 currently working towards achieving the qualification.  30% of Hillarys employees have now completed or are in the process of completing their NVQ qualification.  Hillarys is encouraging employees to study for  a high-level National Vocational Qualification as a vital part of their ongoing personal development.

Recently selected as finalist for the National Business Awards 2004 for both the Business of the Year category and the Employer of the Year category in the Midlands and East of England region, where the Head Office is located, Hillarys views investment in its people as crucial.  At the heart of the strategic business plan is the desire to have a national reputation as an exceptional place to work and Hillarys has implemented a number of initiatives to ensure this is achieved.

Funded by the Learning and Skills Council and delivered by Business Link, eQ8 is one of 18 Government supported programmes set up to develop vocational and essential skills training in the workplace.  Hillarys was able to take advantage of this innovative programme to enable their employees to train for NVQ Level 2 Manufacturing qualifications. Training is facilitated by SETA (Sunderland Engineering Training Association).

Chris Roberts, regional director of the Learning and Skills Council North East explained: “eQ8 is unique and innovative because it is entirely employer led. This means we can work with employers to identify skills gaps, then deliver training to meet their individual needs.”

The 26 employees, who attained their NVQ Level 2 in Manufacturing have been praised by Group Director of Hillarys Blinds, David Burke: ”Congratulations to everyone who has achieved this qualification; I look forward to seeing them build on this success in the future.

“It has been an excellent opportunity for Hillarys to use external national standards as a bench mark and motivator for our people. We are always keen to facilitate opportunities for the growth and development of our employees and we are delighted that so many of them have shown such enthusiasm in furthering their own personal development. We look forward to helping many more to follow in their footsteps.”

The NVQ programme is a nationally recognised qualification based on an on-the-job assessment.
An exam is not required, but it is expected that employees collect evidence to support how they do their job to a specific standard. NVQ levels range from Level one to Level five and are verified by external assessors.