Article © Business Matters, Eastbourne Herald, Friday, May 7, 2010

An award-winning Sussex training company is expanding its workforce to cope with a huge surge in demand for courses.

baldwin training centre, based in Eastbourne, currently has a 23-strong team who provide quality training, but new trainers are now needed to ensure the company can meet the demand of more businesses throughout the south east.

The company, which was set up in 2003 by husband and wife team Andrew and Lynette Baldwin, has gone from strength to strength.

The new expansion programme follows swiftly on the heels of the news that the company has been awarded Beacon status which recognises the top providers in the further education skills sector.

It was also one of the first independent work-based providers to receive the Training Quality Standard and was awarded two "outstanding" categories in its first Ofsted inspection.

Last year a total of 400 learners were trained by the company, achieving a pass rate of more than 97% for level 2 learners.

In addition, baldwin training carried out a Literacy Awareness Week after being chosen by the Learning & Skills Improvement Service to be part of its ground-breaking scheme - Effective Practice Projects.

Rose pictured here is one of the latest learners to have benefited. She is employed as a support worker/carer in a local Nursing home, and knows that if she is to remain and progress in this job which she loves she must achieve an NVQ in Health and Social Care.

When the btc Employer Engagement Manager (Sandy Collins) first met her at the end of 2009 she was worried that this was not a possibility due to Dyslexia difficulties which have been a barrier to her achieving qualifications for over 40 years. When interviewed after winning a spellchecker during literacy awareness week at btc she said:

"When I was younger I hated school. If there was an errand to run I was the first to put up my hand. When Sandy asked me to write something I felt sick and wanted to go home, but Sandy understood how I felt and reassured me. I decided to have a go because I want to be able to complete records and take notes at hand over without looking like an Idiot. Doing the course has helped me considerably I am loving it, and want to get on and achieve. At first I met every week with my tutor on a one to one as I didn’t have the confidence to join a group. This boosted my confidence no end and now for the first time I can get my b’s and d’s the right way round without even thinking about it."

"In my job I am now able to write notes in a little book I carry around in my pocket. My tutor has also given me a little Key facts book which helps me and my colleagues with words we often have to write in care notes."

"Last week I joined a group session and was gobsmacked when my tutor told me she was arranging an assessor for me as I was ready after only a few weeks to start my NVQ."