Mon, 10 Jan 2011
The South West Skills Awards has named airline Flybe the Skills Pledge Employer of the Year.
The award is given to a company within the region that has shown the most significant commitment to training its staff. Part of the winning formula for Flybe was the ongoing construction of its £24 million training academy at Exeter Airport. In addition, its moves to develop better training programmes at its existing facility were also praised, says Flybe’s training academy director Simon Witts.
Witts explained the company’s approach to learning through work: "We signed the Government's Skills Pledge back in 2007 - but it takes a while to build a programme that delivers what the pledge was intended to deliver, which was to set up a system where employers play their part in encouraging skills development."
Another part of Flybe’s training plan involves the launch of 100 apprenticeships for its four-year engineering programme. The airline has also pledged to offer a professional apprenticeship as a more affordable means of training to become an airline pilot.
Witts concluded, “The academy is encapsulating everything that we are trying to do with our vocational learning programme. It's on schedule — the building is due to be finished before Christmas and will be officially opened in the New Year."
Judges at the awards ceremony said that they were looking specifically for firms that ensured their staff were qualified, skilled and competent enough to fully contribute to the success of the business.
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