Skillstories

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Business Drivers

The key business drivers for the company are recruitment, retention and motivation. The principal objective of First’s Skills for Life initiative was to grow local access to learning to stimulate interest and increase competence and retention.

Implementation

Skills for Life is now a key strategic activity for First UK Bus with learning facilities playing an important role in establishing the company as an “Employer of Choice” within the sector.

Working in so many different communities, there were other important aims such as the need to proactively increase job opportunities for local people (particularly minority groups), to ensure maximum safety and to provide increased customer satisfaction.

Partners

In 2002 a Lifelong Learning Manager was appointed and the TGWU funded the development of 100 Union Learning Representatives (ULRs). The 40th Learning Centre opened in March 2006, and employee access to the Centres now stands at 60%, exceeding the original target of 40%.

Impact

• Independent customer satisfaction measurements continue to show substantial improvements, with the last 10 months seeing a 41% rise • Average number of staff injuries has decreased by 30% • Physical assaults on staff have reduced by 11% • Driver turnover has progressively improved since 2002 and is now at 23%% (set against an industry average of 30%). This has saved at least £4.9million in driver recruitment costs since Learning Centres were introduced • ESOL and basic skills for EU recruits have resulted in 94% retention of drivers and engineers recruited from EU Accession States • An increasing number of Learning Centres are now open to the public as well as employees.