14 July 2023 News
It has been an exciting six months here at Develop Training. Now we’re over half way through the year, let’s take a look back over the first half of 2023 and review some of our most notable moments:
Facility Enhancements and Innovations:
Develop relocates Swindon training centre
At the end of 2022 our Swindon training centre was relocated to a more accessible venue closer to the M4. This move not only improved convenience for our delegates but also allowed us to upgrade our facilities significantly, providing a modernised and comfortable learning environment as well as allowing us to offer a wider range of courses including gas, multi-utility, water waste networks and confined space training.
Find out more here: https://www.developtraining.co.uk/mayor-opens-develop-trainings-new-swindon-training-centre/
Develop re-opens York training centre following extensive refurbishment
In May, we re-opened our York centre following an impressive £500k refurbishment. The centre has had several updates to include two fixed-learning classrooms, a training centre catering for alternative energies, two HV workshops and an LV workshop. These workshops will offer a number of Develop’s courses, including those relevant to confined spaces, gas distribution, health and safety, healthcare estates and water systems.
Find out more here: https://www.developtraining.co.uk/develop-officially-unveils-its-york-training-centre-and-fully-to-scale-artificial-street-following-significant-investment/
Artificial training street introduced at York centre
As part of the York refurbishment, we also proudly introduced Training Terrace—an true to-scale artificial street that offers delegates an immersive and practical training experience. Training Terrace looks and appears as a regular street would, consisting of houses, apartments, and a café, but each area has been specifically designed for training purposes. This allows trainers to deliver courses in emergency response to gas incidents, as well as excavation safety, cable avoidance, street lighting, drains, sewer jetting and confined spaces entry.
Find out more here: https://www.developtraining.co.uk/lindsay-talks-takes-the-spotlight-at-grand-unveiling-of-training-terrace/
£500k refurbishment begins in Derby
In April we began an extensive refurbishment of our Derby training centre. The project includes a complete renovation of the existing classrooms, office spaces, reception, toilets, and communal areas, as well as some external areas. There will also be a newly refurbished canteen for delegates, as well as a new coffee break out area. The centre is due to re-open to delegates in mid-July.
Keep up to date with the latest information on our company news pages: https://www.developtraining.co.uk/news
Investing in Excellence:
Recruitment drive due to growing demand
Responding to the growing demand for our services, we have heavily invested in recruitment and increased our technical staffing levels. Some recent additions to our delivery team include an ex-firefighter, an ex-bomb disposal expert, and a former electrician. Recruiting trainers with extensive industry backgrounds helps us to ensure that our training is relatable, as they can call upon their personal experiences to provide relevant examples that resonate with delegates.
Interested in a career at Develop? Find out more: https://www.developtraining.co.uk/about-us/work-for-develop/
Mobile confined spaces unit launched
To further enhance our service offerings, we spent many months designing a mobile confined spaces training unit. This project finally came to fruition in April when the unit was delivered to us. This addition allows us to provide practical training in confined spaces, at customer sites all across the UK – it only takes up 4 carparking spaces and is ready to go in just 15 minutes!
This state-of-the-art facility can simulate a range of environments utilising lighting and smoke machines throughout 35m of tunnels and horizontal shafts. Equipped with advanced features such as 4K and night vision cameras, smoke machines, speakers and pipework it simulates a realistic working environment that allows delegates to practice navigating confined spaces in a safe and controlled environment. This advanced facility has already been utilised by clients such as Rolls Royce, Cadent and even the Fire Department.
Find out more about our mobile confined space unit here: https://www.developtraining.co.uk/mobile-confined-space-unit
New range of e-Learning courses to supplement in-person training
In May we were delighted to announce the launch of LEDA, our new e-learning platform. The courses available on the LEDA platform supplement and support our practical training courses, offering professionals the flexibility to enhance their skills and knowledge through interactive online modules. The initial batch of 64 courses focuses on a range of business areas including leadership & management and IOSH as well as a range of general health and safety courses. More categories are set to be added in the coming months through collaboration and feedback from Develops valued customers.
Find out more about LEDA here: https://resources.developtraining.co.uk/digital-elearning-programmes-from-develop-training
Recognition of Excellence:
Develop awarded Investors in People Gold award
In January 2023, Develop Training achieved the prestigious Investors in People Gold award. This recognition signifies our commitment to nurturing a positive and supportive work environment, where our team thrives through continuous professional development. This prestigious award is decided after an extensive assessment and achieved by less than 10% of those who apply for it, making Develop part of an exclusive group of companies invested in their employees future.
Continue reading: https://www.developtraining.co.uk/investors-in-people-gold-award/
Excellent feedback following CABWI visit
Additionally, in May Develop underwent an external quality assessment by the Certification and Awarding Body for Industry (CAWBI). We’re delighted to say that the feedback was excellent, and we have included an excerpt from the assessment below:
Develop demonstrated: “High quality delivery over all qualifications using very experienced industry professionals, top quality IT systems and excellent management of all ongoing delivery programmes.”
Summary:
So, what does the remainder of 2023 hold for Develop?
We remain committed to investing in our facilities and our employees, we are extending our training provision into new areas of growth, and we will continue to deliver high-quality training programmes for the industries we work with.
As ever, our overall aim is to deliver exceptional training experiences and equip professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their roles.
