Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards: Training and Development (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards: Training and Development

4:11pm Monday 23rd November 2009 in Business By Chris Hopper, Reporter

TWENTY years ago, people who worked in social (or council) housing were unlikely to be the most highly-trained workers in the economy.

However, that has all changed and privately-run housing associations, like Calico, based in Croft Street, Burnley, are blazing a trail when it comes to investing in their workforces.

Now not-for-profit firms are learning all about the benefits of having a full training programme from Calico, which runs Burnley’s 4,500 former council homes.

The company, which picked up the Training and Development award, has reaped the benefits of improving its 280-strong workforce, according to head of HR Kay Atwood.

She said: “We bring in people who have not had a chance elsewhere and give them opportunities, we train our management and our customers too.

“The recognition we have got, like winning this Lancashire Telegraph Business Award, tells us that it makes sense and it is absolutely fantastic that people recognise that. We think investing in people is the way forward.”

Calico’s business award comes after it was placed alongside the likes of Microsoft in the Sunday Times’ Best Places to Work list. Its commitment to training is also demonstrated in the £400 it shells out for each staff member every year.

It all means worker satisfaction levels are up and sickness levels are down – as good an advert as any for a committed training scheme.