National Express Narrative

More than a journey.

With us spending a third of our lives at work, the organisations that we work for are not only an employer but a fundamental part of our lives and that of our family’s. With colleagues becoming lifelong friends and the experiences that we have shaping us as people.

As an employer you can have a profound positive impact on so many peoples lives.

With National Express Group being a leading international public transport operator, in North America, Continental Europe, the UK and North Africa. They have the platform and potential to not only serve their customers, but educate and give futures to many others.

By developing a world leading education system with national express at the hub, not only of its people and local community but as a trailblazer for other large employers, the ripple effect occurs, and the impact on so many lives can be profound.

National Express can not only give the people within their organisation opportunities to achieve a standard of life they desire, but thousands of others associated with it.

It's more than just a journey.

Purpose.

The purpose of this proposal is to establish a blueprint of how this leading education system will be possible by working in partnership with the SCCU Group.

The Dream.

To establish an industry leading education system that feeds a culture of learning and development across all levels of National Express and its communities.

The Blueprint.

The following objectives within this proposal outline how this will be achieved. With the establishment of an end-to-end, white-labelled learning and development managed service which will encompass all elements of education and training across the organisation and wider community.

The Tools.

The fully managed suite of services will support National Express learning and development strategy.

Services include:

  • A complete learning and development managed service
  • Apprenticeship Levy and digital account management
  • Recruitment and learner engagement
  • End point assessment organisations management
  • Management of the delivery workforce
  • Management of the quality of provision
  • Your people needs analysis
  • Consultation, advice and guidance

Should training needs fall outside the current offering we will source and manage this provision.

We will support the organisation in the recruitment of new apprentices.

These vacancies will be advertised across multiple job boards and platforms ensuring the best candidates for your positions. This is undertaken by our recruitment team and our applicant tracking system where we will screen, shortlist and present applicants to you. This can be fully integrated into the organisation’s current recruitment processes, as much or as little as required.

As an Ofsted regulated organisation the quality of our provision is paramount to the service we deliver. To ensure this we will:

  • Provide a dedicated account manager responsible for quality assurance and contract performance.
  • Pre launch line manager orientation sessions as part of the implementation phase.
  • Provide a dedicated learning and development coordinator for queries.
  • Ensure continuous high quality of service, monitored through the regular reporting on agreed performance measures and KPIs.
  • Attend regular review, operational and planning meetings as required.
  • Provide a wide range of Management Information reports as agreed for a range of stakeholders.
  • Provide mentor coaching for relevant staff.

We will ensure all GDPR and DfE funding rules are met inline with current legislation.

Furthermore, any other policies and procedures and non-disclosure agreements inline with National Express.

All learning will take place in the workplace through a blended learning model with no day release.

Each learner will be assigned their own dedicated tutor. The cohort may also be taught as a group to allow for peer to peer support as well as independent learning.

All learning will be tailored around the needs of the learner; these needs are identified through various software and analysis tools to develop an individual learning plan that is right for them.

The Materials.

These are the services that will be used to build a compelling education system that will support your people and the wider community whilst growing a future workforce for the organisation and its community.

Pre Apprenticeship Academy

The pre-apprenticeship academy will offer opportunities to the local community to become apprentices and/or job ready. This provides people with the training and qualifications needed to secure potential vacancies within the organisation, local businesses or with organisation partners.

This is a fully funded programme for those aged 16-23 that lasts from 6 weeks to 6 months with a 2 week work placement built in. This placement not only allows the learner to gain valuable experience, but also allows the employer to make a judgement as to if that person would be good for their organisation.

These can be run multiple times across the year for specific sectors, for example, business, transport, logistics, digital. This ensures that learners have the required minimum standard to be successful in an apprenticeship or job role.

Age Group: 16-23
Cost: Fully Funded
Duration: 6 weeks – 6 months
Programme: Traineeships

Apprenticeship Academy

The National Express apprenticeship academy will allow year on year development of new hungry your people to the workforce. This gives you the ability to grow and shape your own talent in the organisation’s ethos in areas that support the organisation’s long term strategy.

The academy will allow for an annual influx of talent but also that ability to have a rolling recruitment process as and when required.

The academy will allow a platform to build a workforce of the future across all departments.

Age Group: 16+
Cost: Fully funded
Duration: 12 months-36 months
Programme: Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship Course List

Work Based Learning

A organisation wide approach to utilising the apprenticeship levy by up-skilling current employed members of your people on to work based learning programmes (Apprenticeships)

Many members of your people may already be in a role but have never had the formal training to support it. Furthermore, they may be moving up the ranks or into new areas where formal training will be invaluable to them in succeeding in their role.

With currently over 40 different programmes available through SCCU, this is a great opportunity to upskill your people with apprenticeships starting at Level 2 and going all the way up to Level 7.

A organisation wide approach will be taken with regards to the mapping and needs analysis of appropriate training to ensure the utilisation of apprenticeship funds for the best return.

Age Group: 16+
Cost: Fully Funded
Duration: 12 months-36 months
Programme: Work-Based Learning (Apprenticeships)

Apprenticeship Course List

Professional Development Courses

There is a large suite of training available which can be accessed through the SCCU Groups Learning Portal, allowing your people to continuously keep up on their professional development as well as meet regulatory requirements annually and when required.

The CPD courses will be constantly updated and added to throughout the year. Courses can be added to suite at National Express request.

Should your people require training that falls outside of the funded programmes, these will be available commercially.

Furthermore, as part of the partnership offering, we will offer a number of courses free of charge to be accessed each year value to be agreed based on contracted funded provision.

Age Group: 16+
Cost: Commercial
Duration: Variable
Programme: Commercial

View Current Courses

Curriculum Development

Training and Apprenticeships can be tailored to meet the needs of the organisation to future-proof the workforce in line with the growth of National Express. Developing bespoke, National Express branded programmes that meet the organisations priorities, offering contextualised learning that incorporates the organisation’s vision, values, processes and practices.

The bespoke training will be developed in partnership with the organisation to meet the specific needs of each department and the roles your people are partaking in to ensure a fit for purpose curriculum of training. This can be part of an apprenticeship provision, as well as your people’s professional development programmes that underpin strategic objectives.

Furthermore, SCCU would be keen to work with National Express in developing bespoke accredited and non-accredited qualifications for internal and external use. This could also be in the form of an Apprenticeship trailblazers which can form a benchmark for other organisations within the industry.

Development of New Apprenticeship Standards

Where a need is identified for the development of a new apprenticeship standard, we will seek approval from the institute of apprenticeships and begin to develop this in partnership.

These standards need to hold an industry demand to be approved and we will work together with the organisation to build the case. Following this the development, approval and launch of the new standards can take place.

We look forward to discussing this with you further.

Thank you, SCCU Group

For more information contact Jo Reid:

Email: [email protected]
Call: 07946 098292