Course boosts language skills

More than 100 staff at Team Knowhow, Newark, have graduated from a 30-week English language course at the town’s college.

The course is part of a collaboration with Lincoln College, of which Newark College is a part, to support employees whose first language is not English.

The programme allows staff to improve their English communications and progression prospects within the business.

Jane Wilson, HR business partner at Team Knowhow, said: "Basic English is a prerequisite to working at the Newark site, but for colleagues who want to progress their communication skills even further we developed the voluntary English Language Functional Skills course.

"Our vision was to give something back to our colleagues who every day go that extra mile to deliver for our customers.

"This has been a huge success so far. The groups that started in January were our first to start the programme and embraced the whole learn-while-you-earn philosophy."

Team Knowhow, part of the Dixons Carphone group, employs around 3,000 people at its Newark site, 105 of whom took part in the course.

Newark is the main site for the company’s supply chain operations, supplying products into Currys PC World and Carphone Warehouse stores nationwide.

Alison Williams, business development manager at Lincoln College, said: "We joined up with Team Knowhow in Newark to form a unique partnership utilising our college tutors to deliver learning at the Team Knowhow site.

"We have also signed up another 85 employees at Team Knowhow who will be enrolling on the programme with us.

"We have been working with the learning and development team at Team Knowhow providing courses for their employees to support areas they might wish to develop, such as certified IT training, apprenticeships and management courses. This first graduation is just the start.

"We have many more development courses planned over the coming months as part of our ongoing relationship with the business."

Student Marian Bratosin said: "It has been a fantastic opportunity to improve my English skills with support from my employer. I work shifts, so to be able to attend a course while at work has been helpful."

Any business interested in starting a similar programme with Lincoln College can contact the business development team on 0845 270 7227.