College a Class Act Against Recession

With the economic downturn still biting, many companies and organisations are seeking out ways to increase their efficiency and turn recession into recovery.

Scotland’s Colleges are well placed to lend a hand in helping to turn the economy around and Dundee College has no small measure of expertise when it comes to training and, perhaps more importantly, identifying an organisation’s training and business needs.

When boom turns to bust there is a tendency for firms to forget about the long term and concentrate on seeing out the recession but myopic planning of this sort does no company any favours – there isn’t much point in surviving a downturn if a firm is not capable of exploiting the opportunities that come with a recovery.

And careful planning in the present can reap huge benefits in the future.

Dundee College is not only a highly-regarded training provider but has the expertise to help companies identify their individual business needs as well as vital training that will not only ease a firm’s performance during a slump but will set it up to garner enhanced returns when an upturn arrives.

The college’s external relations and business development team is geared up to help organisations prepare for the future and help increase the chance of recovery.

An independent report published on January 20, this year, highlighted the fact that colleges played  a key role in helping companies create or protect jobs.

The report, commissioned by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), was compiled with the help of 100 companies and revealed that as many as 800 jobs existed due to the input of Scotland’s Colleges.

In addition, college input had helped companies add nearly £40 million to their turnover over the past two years, according to the research.

A much as 75% of the companies who responded said that training and development of staff was the main reason they had forged links with college, not a bid to improve sales or income but the  increases in turnover were a real bonus.

Local companies who have chosen to go down this route and work closely with Dundee College recently are diverse.

PrintMatters was established in 2003 and employs 14 people. The Brechin-based business offers a range of services in terms of printed materials – from specialist print work for canine and motorsport events and printing and adapting Ordnance Survey maps to general print needs.

Having traded for over a century Thomson’s of Blairgowrie can certainly be described as well-established. The family-run firm has a core team of 12 but, as can be imagined, this rises to hundreds at the height of the season.

Discovery Packaging & Design was established just last year – rising from the ashes of Prisme Packaging Ltd – as a co-operative business employing six people. The city-based firm offers bespoke packaging and design services to a range of business – from whisky, wines and spirits to clothing, ceramics and sweeties!

All three companies, a brand new co-operative, a long-established family firm and a specialist printer have one thing in common – they have benefitted from the help offered to business by Dundee College.

The firms were all referred to college by Scottish Enterprise and the Business Gateway.

In each case Dundee College staff successfully completed a training needs analysis, while simultaneously producing an independent strategic business review.

“Colleges are no longer just about training, consultancy is high on the agenda,” explains Karen Donaldson, employer engagement manager, at the college.

“Dundee College offers a variety of interventions for business, including the hire of college facilities, training, which can be bespoke, consultancy and Knowledge Transfer.

“Dundee College is keen to support the business community and ensure companies find it easy to do business with college.

“We are happy to offer the Overate Learning Centre ‘for business’ as a venue or to deliver on company premises.

“When an organisation engages Dundee College to carry out an independent business review we set about looking at the company’s communications, its leadership, team working, and employees’ awareness of strategic direction of the business.

“Essentially, the firm is getting a fresh pair of eyes on their business which might support and reinforce the management’s view or reveal new opportunities which could be the catalyst for a change in strategy.”

Depending on the size of an operation these assessments can be made by the college in anything between three to 10 days, starting with an initial meeting with directors/senior management of the companies.

This meeting allows the college staff to gain an understanding of the company’s expectations and the challenges it faces while also explaining how the review work will be tackled.

The process to carry out the review is designed to suit each individual business. This often involves designing a questionnaire for staff which forms the basis of later interviews to determine training needs.

Different specialists depending on the sector or type of business do the analysis before a report is created.

This report may affirm an organisation’s business plan but also identify initiatives that will help meet needs for business growth.

In the case of PrintMatters, the business review was highly successful in identifying ways to create growth as Fraser Jones, marketing and business development manager at the company, avers:

“During the analysis of the business Dundee College not only identified training needs but also individuals who were capable of assuming greater responsibility in their roles therefore relieving key personnel to focus on business growth rather than operational issues.

“As a result PrintMatters have created opportunities in new markets in Europe which could vastly increase turnover and international recognition.”

Dundee College also received positive feedback from Thomson’s of Blairgowrie with Peter Thomson, managing director declaring:

“We have been very impressed with Dundee College’s professional approach.

“Not only has working with the college helped to give us a structured approach to training our staff it has also revealed new opportunities.”

David Taylor, of Discovery Packaging & Design, has also recognised the benefits of working with the college.

“Working with Dundee College, has resulted in our company having a focus and a direction that was lacking before,” said the managing director.

“Proof is in the pudding and since our liaison with Dundee College we have seen sales rise by as much as 300% in one month.”