Kensington and Chelsea College's Training and Consultancy Unit (TACU)

TACU have just completed a wonderful Ambassadors in Management programme with the Red Carnation Hotels. They are "a small luxury international hotel group" with hotels all over the city. In total, twelve candidates passed the course all of whom are now well placed to lead teams within the hotel. Training and Development Manager, Liz Kedge said: "The Ambassadors in Management has been an extremely valuable exercise for all concerned . . . it has been inspiring to witness this programme taking place and we now look forward to reaping the rewards of the training". This programme was funded by a Learning and Skills Council Initiatives fund. The programme was so successful, that the hotel has already commissioned Kensington and Chelsea College to deliver a second programme later this year, and the LSC has invited us to tender for a Basic Skills/ ESOL project with the same chain.

The unit has just received funding from the Learning and Skills Council enabling Kensington and Chelsea College to offer FREE IT and Management NVQ training to companies for their under 25 year old employees.

Accessing Finance for Small Businesses
Tower Hamlets College is working with its corporate partners to support the local community. SMEs are assisted to gain the finance they require in order to grow their business. Following an in-depth review, specialist advisers provide one to one support to develop funding proposals, as well as to aid presentation and pitching to lenders. Other requirements identified during the review are also catered for, either directly or through an extensive network of partners.

Advice and Training for Micro-businesses
The BusinessClub.com is a membership organisation run by Richmond upon Thames College. It serves micro-businesses, particularly those belonging to home-based owner managers. Independent advisors undertake a full business review and devise a business and training action plan to suit the client's needs. Members are then offered access to training and also benefit from on-line business advice, a business factbank and networking chatroom, as well as access to a WAP directory of businesses.

All-round help for SMEs

PEGASUS is a comprehensive business support service for start-up and small businesses delivered by Carshalton College. The support ranges from deciding whether a business idea is commercially viable, through tailored workshops/seminars and networking opportunities. One-to-one business advice and planning is provided, in collaboration with the Institute of Business Advisors, as an integral part of the package.

At Leisure - London Leisure College

Greenwich Community College and Greenwich Leisure Limited have developed a hi-tech, responsive centre after auditing the skill requirements of people entering into, or working in the leisure industry. London Leisure College provides high quality skills, training and career development programmes in the Sports and Leisure industry and is based in the prestigious new premises of Charlton Athletic Football Grounds.

Valley Media is a high-tech business services centre associated with The College of North East London. Employers and employees are assigned learning advisors who help them devise personal development plans. They are then assured of getting full benefit from the latest ICT training options. The centre's primary role is developing e-business and e-commerce opportunities, and it provides training for individuals to develop, build and maintain their own web sites. There are also business sector-based web portals through which businesses can develop and utilise web-based services.

Crossing the European Divide

Bromley College has been working to break barriers to training and trade across Europe. The college, together with partners from 6 other countries, has identified common issues faced by businesses throughout the continent. The best practice in training across Europe is being incorporated into new flexible delivery programmes, covering aspects of IT, business and management development. The focus is on distance learning via CD-Rom, Internet and e-mail.

Developing Basic Skills
Hammersmith and West London College specialises in providing basic skills assessment and training in the workplace. As an accredited broker and provider of the Basic Skills Agency's "Freshstart in the Workplace" initiative, the college has extensive experience in delivering this training in the food, care and security sectors.

Flexible Learning On-Line

Colleges acknowledge the difficulties which businesses face in choosing the right courses and finding time for training. Therefore most of them run learndirect centres offering easy access to the high quality training and learning support services which are essential for any small business to thrive. Learndirect provides access to flexible packages that can be used as and when they are required. Learning is on-line in the centre, at work, at home or wherever the Internet can be accessed. Business issues are addressed individually through small modules.

Networking in the New Millennium

The Employer's Millennium Club at Lambeth College is a free facility for local SMEs offering the opportunity for networking and the dissemination of information. Members are invited to attend seminars on topics relevant to their business with key speakers from Government and industry. The club provides access to a team of Business Development Managers who are able to discuss individual training plans and development needs. Discounts on training and the hiring of facilities are also available.

One-stop Shop for Transport

The West London Logistics Centre at West Thames College is a one-stop resource for those in the transport business. It serves firms in the logistics industry - from the smallest to the largest – as well as companies in the supply chain. Membership of the centre is free. Training, workshops, seminars and networking opportunities for suppliers and customers are all available under one roof. Customised training can be provided using a firm's own documentation and systems.

Retraining for New Work

Delta Plus, an initiative of the Iron and Steel Confederation, works with companies whose staff are facing the threat of redundancy and need to be retrained for alternative employment. As part of the project Enfield College, Southgate College and The College of North East London deliver training packages which are tailored to individual needs.

The upskilling enhances employability for other job opportunities. The support package includes free training, help with CV writing, jobsearch skills and job brokerage, and ongoing advice and guidance for workers and employers.

Spring Training

The Month Of Business Training (MOBT) is run exclusively for SMEs every spring at Kensington and Chelsea College. It involves a series of short targeted training sessions, each lasting two and a half hours, focusing on a wide range of practical business skills e.g. negotiation, coping with change and dealing with unsatisfactory performance. SMEs can get involved in anything from 1 to 32 sessions. These short sessions can then be developed with employers into customised training programmes that can be delivered on their premises.

Support for Manufacturers

East London Manufacturing Excellence (ELMEX) at Waltham Forest College offers a range of services that are required by companies in the manufacturing industry. ELMEX is a computer integrated manufacturing project offering technological support, skills training and updating, breakfast seminars and access to an expanding network of expertise over a wide geographical area. Support is not limited to companies in East London.

Town Centre Provision

Upbeat training centres specialise in providing free IT training for small businesses in the London Boroughs of Enfield and Barnet. They are conveniently situated in town centres, making them easily accessible for local business owners and their staff. Sessions are just 90 minutes long, and are offered throughout the day and evening. Training is available in all the main Microsoft Office products, the internet, web authoring, bookkeeping and Sage accounts. Upbeat is supported by Barnet College, the London Boroughs of Enfield and Barnet, and by local organisations.

Training for E-Commerce

Free e-Shop training is offered to employees of small businesses by City & Islington College and Westminster Kingsway College in conjunction with Birkbeck College. One-day practical workshops enable the employees to create their own template e-commerce web-sites, using on-line shopping tools. The workshops are hands-on courses for participants who already possess basic PC, Windows NT and word-processing skills. The workshop makes use of Macromedia Dreamweaver, Flash and Digital Imagery.

Virtual Recruitment

The Virtual Personnel Department run by Lewisham College provides SMEs with a streamlined recruitment service. A professional team takes on the burden of recruitment from the planning stage right through to on-the-job assessment of new recruits. In addition assistance is given on induction and mentoring.

Working with the Cultural Industries

If you would like to benefit from this great opportunity, please contact TACU on 020 7573 5322.