Member Article

Training made simple with OneDoor

Businesses and individuals have been taking full advantage of training programmes and support offered through OneDoor – the higher-level training network.

OneDoor, a partnership consisting of award winning Teesside University and five further education colleges across the Tees Valley, has been specifically designed to offer vital financial support and simplify the often confusing and time consuming exercise of identifying the correct professional development courses available.

“There are many people and businesses across the region that will be better positioned to weather economic turmoil and keep pace with development by broadening and strengthening their skills base thanks to the OneDoor programme,” said Professor Graham Henderson Vice Chancellor of Teesside University, winner of the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2008-09.

“Rather than having to wade through the huge number of programmes available out there OneDoor offers a solution that channels professional guidance and financial support to one simple to use place.”

OneDoor has eight workstreams offering a wide range of schemes, courses and financial support aimed at apprentices, students, professionals and businesses. These range from interview advice and guidance (IAG) meetings and high-level skills programmes for those facing redundancy to collaborative innovation partnerships, graduate placements and management development schemes aimed at businesses.

Bay Plastics the North Shields based plastic stockist and fabricator was looking for a web development resource that would enable it to build a detailed picture of customer behaviour from its website traffic.

“We wanted to invest in web development and track enquiries from first visit to our website that eventually end up as orders which we have achieved thanks to OneDoor who recommended using the Innovation Voucher scheme,” said Michael Currell managing director of Bay Plastics.

The Innovation Voucher scheme is targeted at businesses that have a specific new project or need. It allows them to apply for a grant of between £3000 and £7000 enabling them to buy in expertise and training from the university or one of the five partner colleges including Redcar and Cleveland College, Darlington College, Stockton Riverside College, Hartlepool FE College and Middlesbrough College.

“We knew we needed the web development but we were able to share the risk of the investment - without it the development probably wouldn’t have happened,” concluded Michael.

“With OneDoor, we’re able to offer access to the whole range of higher-level skills and innovation provision from the University and colleges, often with financial subsidy,” said Laura Woods, Director of Academic Enterprise at Teesside University.

A video detailing the impact of OneDoor is available to view on the B Daily website by following the link.

For more information, get in touch with OneDoor at www.onedoor.co.uk or on 0845 463 0101.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .