Pilot Scheme a Hit

SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE’S Management Centre at Heathfield is delivering a pilot scheme of customised management apprenticeships for employees at South West based Gregory Distribution Ltd., which offers customised warehousing and distribution services across the UK and operates from 17 sites as far afield as Scotland and West Cornwall.

After a series of meetings between Gregory and key College Staff, including presentations to potential candidates and their managers, the scheme began in early September. This followed the carefully vetted selection of 15 employees to undertake the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Management, which begins with a Technical Certificate delivered one day a week for 10 weeks at Heathfield Management Centre.

The course was flexibly designed around the company’s required learning outcomes, and a number of Directors and Senior Managers have demonstrated their support by visiting the college over the last few weeks.

The course includes Key Skills and a level three NVQ as well as the Certificate so on successful completion candidates will have several impressive qualifications within the apprenticeship. 

“The first phase of the apprenticeship pilot scheme - aimed at increasing existing managers leadership and all round management skills through learning, assessment, assignments and testing, as well as a portfolio of evidence - has started extremely successfully,” said Alan Hughes, Staff Training and Support Manager at Gregory Distribution, “This is due to the hard work of the College staff in delivering this first phase and the level of encouragement given by them to the candidates. The candidates themselves deserve great credit for their diligent application to the workload and overcoming their fears to produce some great results. This makes the detailed planning that went into this scheme all the more rewarding.”

South Devon College are now looking to develop similar partnerships with the Plymouth branch of medical and hospital equipment company Becton Dickinson UK Ltd and HMP Channings Wood in Newton Abbot.

“The South Devon College Management Centre is delivering increasingly more business management training for larger businesses, organisations and big companies and the bespoke delivery of management apprenticeships for Gregory Distribution has been another success,” said Elaine Paske, Deputy Manager at Heathfield, “Companies really like the idea that they can train a group of their own staff on site and adapt the course to fit their needs.”

For more information on Business and Management courses at South Devon College call 01803 540 600, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.southdevon.ac.uk/welcome-to-business. For more information on Gregory Distribution Ltd. please visit www.gdl.uk.com.