Members of staff from the charity Winning Scotland learned together with benefits to the individual and the organisation, thanks to support from the Open University’s Flexible Workforce Development Fund programme in Scotland.
Through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF), the young people’s charity Winning Scotland has been able to take an all-staff approach to meeting the skills development needs of its organisation, in partnership with the Open University (OU) in Scotland.
Small and medium-sized enterprises, with less than 250 employees, have access to up to £5,000 of free training with the OU in Scotland, operated by the Scottish Funding Council on behalf of the FWDF. Zahra Hedges, Chief Executive of Winning Scotland highlights: “It was a great opportunity to focus on learning, upskilling and reskilling without spending a huge amount of time sourcing a suitable provider for individuals.
“Additionally, we would have found it difficult to fund every member of the team training at the same time. Without the FWDF, it’s unlikely that we would have been able to take up this opportunity.”
Working with a range of partners to build confidence and resilience in all of Scotland's young people, Winning Scotland develops innovative resources and projects to improve outcomes for children.
Discussing the decision for all Winning Scotland staff to undertake skills training, Zahra explains: “During May 2022, we discussed the opportunities offered by the OU as a team, and everyone was attracted by one or more of the courses on offer. We are all familiar with the OU and the standard of educational courses it provides.
The OU in Scotland worked alongside Winning Scotland to develop a training development plan aligned with their organisation’s needs, including the charity’s immediate upskilling requirements and its future plans.
The courses engaged by Winning Scotland spanned the impact of digital change at a strategic level for senior managers, marketing, and several courses on project management.
All working on a hybrid basis, she highlights that: “The flexible online courses allowed everyone to follow their courses when home working, during times and days of their choosing.
Kevin Gilchrist, 'On Our Marks' Project Manager at Winning Scotland, was initially apprehensive about undertaking the course after being away from further education for over 20 years. However, he shares: “I’ve found the course layout course easy to follow, the content has been very relevant, and it’s helped me gain an understanding of my new role as a project manager.”
Zahra concludes: “This is a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful learning that relates to individual learning needs, team development, and the future skills and development needs of your organisation.
“Online courses are flexible in adapting to different work patterns and demands, and because everyone can engage in learning at the same time, it’s a great chance to focus team discussions on the future of your organisation and its needs.”
Applications for the OU in Scotland’s FWDF programme are open until 31 July 2023. Find out more at https://uni.open.ac.uk/inVKPI or email FWDF@open.ac.uk.
Main image: Zahra Hedges, Chief Executive of Winning Scotland; credit: Neil Hana
