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Launch of unique new training partnership

A unique new partnership between Lincoln College and Nottingham based company, the UNOCO Group has just been launched which will have massive implications for the training of employees across the East Midlands.

The partnership will concentrate on training in employer premises in order to help employers overcome skills shortages of adults in the workforce, using funding from the new 'Train to Gain' service being offered in the region.

The two organisations will draw on their individual strengths and experience to deliver the perfect training solution for employers and learners from all sectors of industry, with up to £4m of training being delivered over the next twelve months in the region. Unoco will use its commercial expertise and contacts to engage employers in training and will also provide workplace training and assessments, whilst the college will focus on providing off the job training at their fully equipped training facilities at their Lincoln and Newark campuses. Together they will also work to recruit learners and train assessors, internal verifiers and tutors.

The partnership aims to provide a wide range of training solutions for employers and learners across the region in priority industry sectors including construction, manufacturing, engineering, health & social care, transport and hospitality. Programmes will include skills and management training for adults in the workplace under the Train to Gain Service, apprenticeships for 16 to 25 year olds, Entry to Employment for unemployed young people and pre-apprenticeships and diplomas for 14–16 years to prepare them for success in working life.

Courses on offer will include NVQs, technical certificates and key skills, covering subjects from operational skills to ICT, management training to the new Business Improvement Techniques which can dramatically improve the efficiency and profitability of any business. A wide range of government funding streams are also available through the partnership covering most, if not all, the cost of training for the employer.

Key to the success of UNOCO's programmes is the ability to respond to the individual needs of employers and learners, by using the latest screening technology for accurate assessment, and delivering tailored programmes using high quality resources and flexible methods of delivery. This approach has led to over 90% success rates, and reduced training time by half. When combined with the expertise and facilities offered by Lincoln College an even wider choice of methods and qualifications can be successfully delivered.

Another key element of the new partnership is the sharing of a business development director, Robin Peak, who was previously employed exclusively by Lincoln College in this role. He will now be sharing his time between the two organisations and will be acting as the key interface, making sure that the benefits of the partnership are optimised for all parties involved and championing the development of the model in other areas and regions.

Lincoln College, which includes the Newark College campus, famous for its school of musical instrument crafts and UNOCO will also be jointly bidding for contestable funding for other training programmes.

Ted Stanley CEO of UNOCO says: "By pooling our resources and combining our respective strengths, the new partnership will offer creative, customer focused solutions to meet the changing demands of government departments, employers and learners. This model will pave the way for further successful private and public partnerships capable of meeting the challenges ahead."

John Allen, principal of Lincoln College says: “This strategic partnership with a leading national private learning provider, together with our recent merger with Newark College, will enable us to respond better to the training needs of East Midlands’ employers, and the new regional focus of the Learning and Skills Council. All colleges will need to find creative solutions to adapt to the changing landscape of government funded training and I believe that public/private partnerships can play an important role in meeting these challenges.

Robin Peak, director of business development says: "I am thrilled to be leading this new partnership which will tackle regional skills shortages and deliver training that meets employers’ needs in an entirely new and exciting way".

Notes to editors
1. The Newark College campus of Lincoln College, famous for its school of musical instrument crafts, is being developed and extended to meet the demand for skills shortages in the construction, engineering and automotive sectors. This will provide an important facility in the development and delivery of a new style of apprenticeship programme which will form an integral part of the complete training solutions the partnership will offer to employers.

For further information contact:

Ted Stanley, UNOCO Group, tel: 0871 4333363
Dianne Allen/Ruth Gross, Gemini PR & Marketing, tel: 0115 852 3850
John Allen, Lincoln College, tel: 01522 876000
Beth Rogers, Lincoln College, tel: 01522 876000