
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
38 | RIVERSIDE TRAINING (SPALDING) LTD
announcing the tender result meant
that we were unable to operate day to
day with confidence – let alone plan
for the future.
Eventually, we were told that our
application had been unsuccessful.
This outcome was both unexpected
and potentially disastrous – we were
not sure that we could survive on the
income generated from levy payers
and our other courses alone.
Transformation in the face of
adversity
Facing an uncertain future, we decided
that it was essential to re-evaluate our
model. We had always specialised in
early years and childcare training, but it
became apparent that we had to think
beyond those parameters to secure our
own longevity.
The need to offer and maintain high-
quality training provision was the
underlying ethos on which our business
was founded. We knew we could not
compromise in this area. Our action
plan took a multi-pronged strategy.
Firstly, we approached Laser Learning
with the intention of expanding our
offering with online short courses. This
was a major investment; purchasing
the e-learning platform and courses
upfront was by no means cheap.
We also sourced levy-paying employers
and tendered to be included on their
Approved Apprenticeship Training
Provider List, which now enables us to
tender for individual apprenticeships.
We have also been added to similar
registers by Norfolk and Lincolnshire
County Councils. We also successfully
tendered to be included on the Diocese
of Norwich Education and Academies
Trust’s list, for whom we are already
delivering an apprenticeship.
Expanding our portfolio of qualifications
to include accountancy and digital
marketing apprenticeships was another
step in the right direction. The former is
being delivered by a specialist trainer, and
we are now accredited by The Institute
of Certified Bookkeepers. For the latter,
after identifying pre-existing digital
marketing excellence in the business,
we secured certification through
Futurequals and began offering courses.
Additionally, we have successfully
tendered through Calderdale College,
Halifax, to deliver Skills Support for the
Workforce programmes inLincolnshire.
After recognising the success of our
robust subcontracting arrangement
in place with Chiltern Training as a
supporting provider, we sought a second
partnership. We now work closely with
Enable, a voluntary and community
sector learning and skills consortium
that serves the East Midlands. These
two relationships enable us to deliver
non-levy apprenticeships to SMEs.
Our journey has not been an easy
one, and we are well aware that
it isn’t over yet. There are more
avenues for diversification that we
wish to investigate to ensure further
prosperity and success in an otherwise
difficult sector. Nonetheless, I am
now confident that we have a firm
foundation from which to continue,
and I look to the future with hope.
Facing an
uncertain
future, we
decided that it
was essential
to re-evaluate
our model
“
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We offer courses across
a broad range of areas