ParaRail Makes Hefty Investment in Staff Development
19 November 2009
Anyone working for fast-growing Kent building services company ParaRail can be sure of one thing — they'll be offered every conceivable opportunity to improve and develop their skills.
In the last year, the Ruckinge-based company has spent more than £250,000 on staff training and development — over £3,000 per full-time employee.
A similar amount has been written into the current budget to help ensure that ParaRail's staff — both office-based and those working on-site — are constantly improving their knowledge and skills.
As well as employing several apprentices and people doing everything from HNC courses to Open University degrees, the company has also signed up to the UK government's Skills Pledge programme, which involves a commitment to helping all their employees to work towards developing their literacy and numeracy skills to NVQ level 2 standard — the equivalent to five A* to C GCSEs.
ParaRail is also a keen supporter of the national Train to Gain initiative, a joint venture between government and industry, which aims to improve the skills of employees as a route to improving business performance and encouraging recognition of the value and benefits of learning and skills.
Managing director Lee Ruston said: "Whether they sit in the boardroom or work on the tools, we regard it as vital that all our staff are constantly refining their existing skills or developing new ones. This is not only important for their personal career development, but also for the future wellbeing of the company."
One of the company's biggest recent staff training investments has been in a bespoke management development course designed and run for them by Kent Trainers.
25 existing and potential managers spent one day a week for 12 weeks honing their management skills, team building, learning and buying-in to the ethos of the company, and helping to formulate plans and strategies for moving the company forward.
ParaRail chief executive Anthony Saunders, who worked closely with Kent Trainers to tailor-make the course, said: "It was a big success and has helped to develop a greater clarity of purpose among our senior people."
