Is your business cyber secure?

Is your business cyber secure? 

With hefty fines for data breaches it's worth finding out.

Businesses across the South West are being urged to step up their cyber security after a recent report by the British Chambers of Commerce identified that one in five businesses have been hit by a cyber-attack in the last 12 months. 

“The impact of a cyber-attack could be huge; there’s the time needed to fix your website and systems, a potential loss of customers, damage to your reputation plus disruption to business and productivity. It’s absolutely crucial that businesses are secure and can protect their data, relying on an IT provider may not be enough”.

Sally Foard, Director of Development - The Cornwall College Group

With the new General Data Protection Regulation also coming into force in 2018, bringing with it potential fines of up to €20 million, there has never been a better time to ensure that staff are aware of technology-related risks, and know how to protect both themselves and their business.

What: NEW One Day Cyber Security Workshop

When: 14th June and 6th July 2017

Where: Cornwall College St Austell, Tregonissey Rd, St Austell

If you would like to find out more about our Cyber Security workshop or any other training opportunities, please contact CCB on 0800 731 7594, email hello@ccbtraining.co.uk or visit www.ccbtraining.co.uk

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How will Brexit change HR in the UK?

How do the Apprenticeships reforms impact on you and your business?

The CIPD qualifications Cornwall College Business Training offer, at both Level 3 Foundation and Level 5 Intermediate will delve into areas such as these, drawing from and exploring today’s issues, bringing relevance and realism to your CIPD qualifications and support for all those involved at all levels whether in HR or Learning & Development.

From April 2017 the new apprenticeship levy will be applied to all UK employers with an annual wage bill of £3 million or more - whether or not they offer apprenticeships themselves, fundamentally changing the way apprenticeships are funded. If you are responsible for the training and development of your business it’s an opportunity to ask yourself how this fits in with upskilling my workforce and to take advantage of this opportunity to upskill or consolidate your own development through a Level 3 or 5 Learning and Development CIPD Qualification.

The implications of Brexit are, as yet, undefined however whilst it may be safe to assume that the government won’t simply repeal all EU-related employment law, the landscape of HR will undoubtedly change and adapt during this time of return to self-governance and we will all have to determine and action areas as diverse as the impact of Employment Law Changes, changes in workforce and labour market trends as well as how to effectively manage and communicate change. The CIPD Brexit Hub is just one of the dedicated resources and sharing platforms you have access to as a CIPD learner with Cornwall College Business Training.

Find out more about which CIPD qualification is right for your needs.

Blog by Hilary Desousa, Learning and Development Manager, CCB Training

Retail Training Programme for South West Business

HBH Woolacotts is a medium sized family run business that owns and operates 10 electrical retail outlets across the South West and employs in excess of 120 people. Founded in 1976, HBH Woolacotts opened their first 2 branches in Bude and Launceston. Since then the company has grown. Core to the company’s success is the focus on customer service.

Over the last 12 months HBH Woolacotts have undertaken a 6 month retail training programme specifically tailored to the needs of the company.

Cornwall College Business delivered an NVQ, for which the units were carefully selected in order to best support the sales and visual merchandising training.

Most significantly however, we have employed a Training & Development Manager. The aim of this new role is to create, manage and deliver training within the business, the long term aim being that all training will be managed in house so that it can be delivered in line with the company ethos and high standards. 

Training with CCB: 

A retail based NVQ. The units for the NVQ were carefully selected to closely match the other elements of the programme so that the training was reinforced by the qualification. The training programme was received well at all levels of the company.  Throughout the 6 months, everyone engaged actively with the content of the course and embraced the new ideas with open arms.

“The past six months have been fantastic. All those involved in the training have the experience and it definitely proved to be worthwhile.”

Chris Hemmerle, Director, HBH Woolacotts

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IT Apprenticeships in Cornwall

n-Coders provide bespoke software development and server support, they work on a wide range of projects from business applications to electronics for toy products. They aim to be the first choice supplier for software and server support for businesses in Cornwall.

What were the businesses issues/challenges to undertake training? n-Coders wanted to inject new skills into the business to increase their capacity to develop bespoke applications and provide better customer service support.

The training undertook:

n-Coders took on Adam, an IT Apprenticeship with The Cornwall College Group where he trains towards gaining Cisco and Windows certification. He is learning a lot from the courses and he has certainly become an expert in the areas of networking, server support and internet security.

What impacts and benefits has the training had on the company?Having Adam has enabled them take on a much wider range of projects and provide much better server support to their customers. Adam has also been working on some bespoke software tools that allow them all to work more efficiently both in managing software projects and server support.

“The £1,500 Apprenticeship Grant for Employers was really helpful towards Adams training. His new skills have enabled us to take on a much wider range of projects and provide much better server support to our customers. I have been actively working with The Cornwall College Group to be able to take on more apprentices and have high hopes now I know what to expect.”

 

Mark Jennings, Managing Director at N-Coders

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ILM Leadership Team Skills Award for HellermannTyton

HellermannTyton are one of the leading suppliers of products for fastening, fixing, identifying and protecting cables and their connecting components. They are also developing pioneering systems in the field of data and network technology.

HellermannTyton is present within 34 companies across all five continents worldwide, one of their production sites operate in Plymouth, UK.

What were the business issues or challenges that were addressed by engaging in training?

As the result of a recent restructure, Hellermann Tyton had a mix of newly appointed Cell Leaders from external backgrounds and those who have been promoted or appointed from within. The aim was to provide an opportunity for the new Cell Leaders to develop their skills and gain a nationally-recognised qualification. The new Cell Leaders were required to focus on improving processes to improve efficiency and ensure that products are out on time.

The training they undertook:

Working with Cornwall College Business, a bespoke training programme was developed for a group of Hellermann’s Cell Leaders. The ILM Leadership Team Skills Award was tailored allowing Hellermann to select the relevant units to meet their business needs. The training also incorporated IT training.

What impact and benefits has the training had on the company?

The company operates on a 24hour shift system. To minimise any time spent away from the ‘shop floor’ the training was delivered on site and during their existing ‘down time’.

The training has developed new skills and supported the Cell Leaders to think outside the box (in the sense of seeing the wider organisational picture), plan effectively, understand the need to improve processes and efficiency within their own work area and make best use of the people in their teams.

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Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma Case Study

Muddy Boots Rural Marketing provides flexible marketing services on specific projects or as an additional part of your team, including strategy development and implementation through to in-house support.

What were the business issues or challenges that were addressed by engaging in training?

Matthew took on the responsibility of Marketing Manager for Cornwall Farmers.  It was during his time there that he undertook the training to increase his marketing knowledge before setting up his own business.

The training undertook:

Matthew undertook the Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma (CIM) with the support of funding through the ESF Convergence Project run by Cornwall College Business. 

What impact and benefits has the training had on the delegate and company?

Undertaking the course has given Matthew a more holistic approach to marketing ensuring that his customer is at the centre of business decisions. As well as the traditional marketing planning and communications, the diploma course covered the important part of managing teams and projects. This has helped Matthew in both his professional life and organisations he is involved in socially.

“The knowledge I gained from my CIM studies assisted me in my Marketing Manager role and subsequently in achieving Chartered Marketer status.  With the confidence I gained, I have now set up and run my own marketing agency, Muddy Boots Rural Marketing.”

Matthew Hodge, Director of Muddy Boots Rural Marketing

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CMI Management & Leadership Training for your Business

Rosemullion Veterinary Centre is based in Falmouth, Helston and Penryn. The Falmouth branch is a fully equipped Veterinary Hospital, the Helston branch is a large purpose-built branch surgery and their newest surgery in Penryn is a dedicated small animal surgery.

What were the business issues or challenges that were addressed by engaging in training?

When Stuart first joined the company as practice manager he found it difficult to work with two key members of the management team. All three agreed on the objectives to move the business forward, however communication amongst them was not as good as it was hoped. An element of Stuart’s role was to become involved in a new project, to plan and implement the building of a new purpose built veterinary hospital. Stuart had not been involved in a project of this magnitude before and was therefore, understandably nervous. Part of the reason for Stuart attending the course was to give him more confidence in his ability and so that he could also face the challenges such a project would bring.

The training undertook:

Stuart undertook the Management & Leadership Diploma Level 5 CMI which was part funded through the ESF Convergence Project delivered by Cornwall College Business.

What impact and benefits has the training had on the company?

Stuart has been managing staff in his own way for some time. By formalising his training it has given him confidence that he isn’t “just making it all up as he goes along” there is sound proven business logic behind what he was already doing. Part of the course encouraged Stuart to look at his management style and the personalities around him. This provided Stuart with the insight to change the way the management team interacted with each other and now they are working well together.

“The trainers were supportive and encouraging and the work was at times testing. Whilst there is a certain amount of theory, it was the practical application that benefited my work. For me it most importantly gave me the confidence to make the changes that I needed to make to become a more effective manager.”

Stuart Saunders, Practice Manager - Rosemullion Veterinary Centre

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Bespoke training options for your business - Lost Gardens of Heligan

Heligan, family owned for more than 400 years, is one of the most mysterious estates in England. After decades of neglect, the gardens were bought back to life. The award winning garden restoration is internationally acclaimed; but now extends into well over 300 acres of wider estate, leaving the project far from complete. Heligan staff aims for the estate to remain a living and working example of the best of past practice, offering public access into the heart of what they do.

What were the business issues or challenges that were addressed by engaging in training?

After 16 years of the continuous successful senior management leadership, it was recognised that the business needed to go through a significant change in both style and direction. Heligan’s management recognised that this change was a priority with the need to implement training methods and styles to ensure that the outcome would be the skills and knowledge necessary. The focus for Heligan’s employees was to gain a clear understanding of their business objectives, who had ownership, and whose responsibility it was so that everyone were able to successfully move forward as a team.

The training undertook:

Working with Cornwall College Business, a bespoke training programme was developed for Heligan’s supervisors and managers. Each staff member undertook Leadership and Management training at a level most suitable to them through either a certificate or apprenticeship route.

What impact and benefits has the training had on the company?

The training has supported Heligan’s staff through a time of change. They now all have an understanding of what the business objectives are and what they are all working towards. It has given them the confidence to express their views and provided insight into the various styles of leadership to achieve their goals.

“The Lost Gardens of Heligan after many years of the same directorship has recently undergone significant structural change; to assist in this process we employed CCB to rollout a bespoke training programme. We wanted to re-enforce in all managers and supervisors, the lost arts of delivering a highly focused task driven workforce fit for the 21st century. It was wonderful to witness, the growing sense of confidence in all participants the longer the training went on. They felt better able to cope with the change and hungry for empowerment.”

George Elworthy, Managing Director, The Lost Gardens of Heligan

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