UK Training Industry Press Releases

Employees from two public and private sector organisations swapped tackling fires and delivering parcels at express speeds to take part in a unique workshop event.

Senior staff from TNT Business Solutions and West Midlands Fire Service got together to share experiences of how each organisation is responding to the prevalent economic challenges of today and tomorrow.

The collaborative workshop event was organised by leadership and management development company Acua at its headquarters in Coventry.

Acua has designed and led learn-while-you work leadership programmes at TNT, which has its UK headquarters in Atherstone, and West Midlands Fire Service and brought them together to discuss their experiences and successes in challenging economic times.

Larraine Boorman, Acua Managing Director, said: "TNT and West Midlands Fire Service are organisations from very different sectors, which had no prior relationship before this event. They both, however, share a desire to nurture and develop the talents of their employees and future managers with the overall aim of providing the best possible service they can to their customers and, in the Fire Service's case, the public.

"Acua has worked closely within teams at both organisations over the past 12 months to structure programmes which tackle topics directly relevant to the roles they face in their day-to-day jobs and we felt there was a lot they could share and learn from one another, which proved to be the case."

Phil Loach, Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer at West Midlands Fire Service, which has its headquarters on Vauxhall Road in Birmingham, said the event  proved to be invaluable and is set to be followed by further workshops.

"There is a lot in the news about the pressures faced by each sector, but it is clear from the workshop that the private and public sector are not a million miles apart and ourselves and a massive private sector company like TNT face lots of common issues," he said.

"It is unlikely the two parties would have met if it was not for Acua, so the company was very much playing its other role of cupid and bringing together organisations which may have symmetry between them.

"It went extremely well and we've already made preliminary arrangements to continue this new relationship with TNT with a view to looking at real organisational issues and seeing if a different mindset can assist in solving other problems the service faces."

Anne Garvey, from TNT Management Development team, said: "It was really interesting to learn more about what West Midlands Fire Service is doing beyond the actual response element of their roles.

"There was some definite nuggets of learning both parties gained from the discussions about how we generate greater efficiencies and there is certainly an appetite for TNT to collaborate with West Midlands Fire Service again in the future."

Acua's development programmes are tailored to suit each individual client and are led by its business coaches at clients' premises as employees work towards gaining higher education skills and qualifications accredited by Acua's parent organisation Coventry University.

PICTURE - left to right Jim Sinnott, Nigel Sowden and Steve Vincent from West Midlands Fire Service, Acua's Ann Diprose, with Charles Burt, Matthew Townsend and Paul Crawford from TNT and Acua's Ian Scholes. 

END

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further information about Acua, please contact: Pete Squires or Adam Dent on 02476 633636 or email psquires@advent-communications.co.uk and adent@advent-communications.co.uk

For further information about TNT please contact: Fraser Thomson, Communications Manager 01827 303030 (ext 2519) (m) 07785 386376 or (e) fraser.thomson@tnt.co.uk