Advice regarding a training company

[jtrtrading]

Hi everyone,

I'm working with a relatively new training company offering Forklift Truck training to individuals and companies.

Was wondering if anyone had any good advice or tips about how we could win new business/contracts?

We've been doing the usual stuff; social media, seo and have applied for funding.

Thanks!

Jamie

 

[IanG]

My local provider does a lot of work via the job centre.

Some official schemes were people have been sent there and some that individuals have wanted to upskill, they've got the details of the course from him and approached the JC for funding as a private individual.

Either way, that relationship could be a good one.

 

[jtrtrading]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for that, we've got a few contacts with the job centre but unfortunately we need to have funding to offer the courses (keeping our fingers crossed that we secure some funding any day now!)

 

[IanG]

Is that their conditions or the fact that you just need money in order to start up?

I know when I worked for a large IT training provider, we got paid up front if the invoice dates and course dates were sufficiently well engineered. Sometimes they're in a rush to spend money so no harm taking advantage of that.

 

[jtrtrading]

No we already run courses for private companies, really want to get working with unemployed and young people though. They've always just said that they're happy to work with us but that we need to have funding.

 

[IanG]

And did you get as far as establishing what that means?

Are you wanting to run accredited quals?

We were running courses on a cost-recovery basis, ie. the student (or sponsor) paid 100% of the fee, and the income from that covered the cost to run. JC were happy to fund. No official accreditation but somebody somewhere must have been happy that the course content and our own evidence of completion counted towards the candidates' employability.

Accredited quals are more difficult to set up.

Something like this -

http://www.cityandguilds.com/course...884-forklift-truck-counter-balance-operations

You need to be recognised by the SFA in order to actually get the money.

http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/providers/Qualifications/Funding+Approval/

 

[jtrtrading]

I think they wanted to send us a group of learners and we qualify through them through our own funding.

Yes we offer nationally recognised, accredited courses through RTITB and EdExcel. We've applied to be recognised by the SFA, finding out any day now if we've been successful. Would really like to grow the business without having to rely on the Skills Funding Agency in the future.

 

[IanG]

Probably still be a fee to pay somewhere as the SFA won't give you the entire amount. I forget the percentages now, been a while, but I know we were looking to recoup or absorb between 20% and 50% of the actual headline rate.

With that in mind, SFA will become less useful to you anyway. Their contribution was reducing when I was still in the game, if that continues it'll get so small that the additional workload to be involved with them negates any the income. Not sure on the current situation.

Best of luck with the app anyway.