Member Article

Durham-based Bonds partners with AS Training in upskilling initiative

County Durham-based Bonds, which was first established in 1868, is upskilling staff with the help of a Newton Aycliffe training firm.

Bonds enlisted 15 employees on Btec level 2 and ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) training programmes through Aycliffe-based AS Training.

Six members of the sales department gained qualifications in Principles of Sales, accredited through Edexcel, while nine team leaders completed their Certificate in team leading, accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management ( ILM)

Bonds, which incorporate three sites including Bonds Foundry at Tow Law, Bonds CastTech at Crook and Bonds Precision Castings in Cumbria, now plan to progress their staff to further education while also encouraging others to gain new training and qualifications.

Director Melissa Duncan said: “We’ve been looking at skills and succession plans, because we want this company to continue for another 150 years, and although we have invested in individual training before, this is the first time we’ve put a group of employees onto a long-term training programme .

“So this was a cautious first step for us, and I’m delighted to say the staff has completely exceeded our expectations. Fifteen people started and 15 finished it, which is not typical from my experience, so they have set a precedent for their colleagues across the group. AS Training have been a great support to the business and have allowed us to experiment with this different approach.”

Melissa says Bonds, which employs 240 people across its three sites, now wants staff to take their new training and experience into the workplace.

She added: “We’ll be sitting down with the supervisors especially, and we’ll ask them what are the key things they’ve learned and want to introduce to the business, and how they can apply it to their jobs.

“For sure, one of the key things in training is not only that you learn something new, but you also get to apply it. We’ve very practical in what we do and we want to set targets for this group of people who’ve gone through this extensive programme.”

As part of their training, Bonds’ sales team completed seven modules over four months, while nine team leaders completed 12 modules over six months.

The firm’s HR manager Pauline Gordon added: “All employees have put in a great deal of time and effort. They have all embraced and engaged with the training, making it successful and enjoyable and it will benefit both them and the company in the long run.

“They also bonded as a team as they all worked together, which was something else that we wanted to achieve. Without AS Training this wouldn’t be possible. They delivered two very excellent programmes and the staff gained the knowledge required to get them the qualification.”

AS Training director Steve Foster says other firms, including those situated on Aycliffe Business Park, can now benefit from the Level 2 training programmes, which are government-funded.

He said: “Bonds have found this exercise to be of huge benefit to the company.

“Their staff showed complete dedication to completing this training and not only have they come out of it with a well-recognised qualification it will also improve their confidence levels and performance at work which ultimately improves the business.”

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