On 19th July, 2006 there was a double celebration at Honeywell, St Asaph. The company received The Basic Skills Agency’s Employer Pledge Award and members of its workforce received certificates for qualifications gained through the Award.

Basic skills – ‘the ability to read, write, and speak in English and Welsh, and use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society in general’ – are the building blocks for most education and training. Good basic skills are also essential to perform a wide range of activities safely and effectively in the workplace. The Basic Skills Employer Pledge has been developed as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Basic Skills Strategy – ‘Words Talk, Numbers Count’ – to help businesses address any skills gaps within their companies.

By signing up to the Employer Pledge, Honeywell gave its employees an opportunity to maximise their potential and they are making the most of it! Over 10% of the 300+ workforce have already taken part and there is a waiting list for the courses. At the presentation, the first set of certificates was issued:

4 ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
7 Adult Numeracy – Entry Level 3
10 Key Skills – Application of Number Level 1

It was through the NVQ programme that it became apparent that some employees were reluctant to undertake that qualification due to basic skills issues. The commitment to supporting employees with any literacy, numeracy or language needs led to Honeywell signing The Employer Pledge in September 2005. They then produced an Action Plan, putting together learning programmes and also looking at workplace processes. It was at the action planning stage that the partnership between Honeywell and Coleg Llandrillo was firmly embedded. Ivor Bufton, Honeywell Training Co-ordinator, highlighted this partnership and the commitment from Honeywell’s senior management when commenting on what had worked well, “…the support from the company is superb, the support we have had from Coleg Llandrillo is second to none and the tutors are excellent – making our employees feel at ease from the word go.” Ivor shouldn’t underestimate his own contribution either. A basic skills learning programme needs someone to keep it moving forwards and Ivor has been that person. So much so that, at the presentation, David Hughes-Jones, Honeywell Site Leader, commented on his new title - ‘Ivor the Driver’ and it was Ivor who received The Employer Pledge Award, on behalf of the company, from Toni Schiavone, Basic Skills Agency Executive Director Wales.

David Hughes-Jones, Honeywell Site Leader, stated, “ The Basic Skills programme has given employees, many of whom have not considered any form of vocational learning since leaving school, the courage and determination to learn new skills and take on new challenges which not so long ago, they would have believed was beyond them. It has become an important part of our training curriculum.”