Training Innovation in Ullapool
Ullapool Community Trust aims to address a staffing crisis in the local hospitality sector with support from The EDF Renewables Corriemoillie Wind Farm Education and Training Fund.
The EDF Renewables Corriemoillie Wind Farm Education and Training Fund is a sub-fund of EDF Renewables Corriemoillie Wind Farm Community Fund and supports individuals and organisations with the costs of education and training plus other initiatives that help to create job opportunities in the fund area.
Ullapool Community Trust is a not-for-profit anchor organisation, which delivers projects and supports groups in the Ullapool area. In 2022 UCT received an award of £3,000 for an innovative pilot project to deliver accredited hospitality skills training to local residents and create a bank of hospitality staff for the area.
The aim of the project was to help address a staffing crisis for the local hospitality sector by creating a pool of trained workers already qualified in areas such as food hygiene, customer services, health and safety and first aid.
The scheme allows residents to earn income despite constraints they may have such as caring duties, other jobs that do not have regular hours or needing to keep flexible schedules. By using local residents, the issue of accommodation is also solved. For employers, it means there is a willing group of local people happy to step in at short notice.
For Pool employees, it’s proving to bring several benefits: helping people to feel part of the community, combatting isolation, keeping active, offering varied experiences, earning extra income, gaining confidence to (re)enter the world of work, and learning many transferable skills.
The project idea was developed by UCT’s Employment and Training Working Group through survey and consultation with businesses and residents. The Corriemoillie panel was keen to support it with the caveat that businesses involved signed up to a code of conduct ensuring minimum standards and support would be in place.
The pilot trial ran throughout 2023.
Ullapool Community Trust’s Project Coordinator said:
“To have the support of the EDF Corriemoillie Fund was invaluable because it meant that we knew we could offer training to those people who wanted to work but needed essential qualifications. Overall, it would also mean that whether or not the pilot trial was deemed a success and worth continuing, this funding would ensure that we would be adding to the pool of trained people to the benefit of the whole community. We were very lucky in that all the businesses who joined the pilot trial were very supportive of all staff members, offering on-site training and encouragement. Nevertheless, participants were glad to be able to brush up or take introductory courses in food hygiene, health and safety at work, fire safety awareness, first aid and mental health first aid. This last course has been on the wish list of many local employers, particularly in the hospitality sector, where stress levels can at times run high.”
The staff bank scheme is basically a virtual noticeboard - a WhatsApp group. UCT gets no income and neither does it have any employer obligations. All contracts, terms and pay are directly between employees and the business concerned. However, UCT does ensure that everyone joining reads the ground rules on permissions, privacy and courtesy and two codes of conduct: one for employers and one for employees.
While Pool staff can help to fill in gaps and take the pressure off when needed, it is important to note that the scheme is not a substitute for employers recruiting and retaining long-term staff with good pay, conditions, and professional development.
So far, people have worked for a few hours to a whole evening and whole days if they wanted to. They usually respond within a few hours to notices placed by employers, which have ranged from wanting regular cover during upcoming busy periods to short-term notice of one-off shifts to help permanent/longer-term staff, or to providing additional cover for special events. Training has been delivered locally, based on needs and has helped to upskill residents including school leavers.
The pilot has received positive feedback from employers and employees and is delivering real benefit to the local community. There is potential for the scheme to expand and cover other areas of work, though that might require more functionality than the current WhatsApp group. The scheme is continuing and will develop as interest and resources allow.