The Source Skills Academy are happy to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Best use of Technology Award by the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.
We are thrilled to be recognised for our use of technology to create the most effective processes for both our employees and our customers.
The use of technology within The Source has been actively improved over the last two years, with a switch from paper-based systems over to a digital framework. This has involved a whole revamp of our processes, both internally and externally, to facilitate our improved approach to conducting business on a day-to-day basis. Major advancements have been made in areas such as customer engagement, learner applications, on-boarding processes and booking systems to name a few. All with the aim to optimise the experience for our customers and the efficiency of our employees to improve satisfaction across the board.
This was all part of our ongoing commitment to providing effective training, facilities and support for businesses, apprentices and job seekers across Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham.
So far, the response has been outstanding. The employers and learners who utilise our services have expressed positive feedback on the updates, with the results of a recent survey by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) highlighting that 90% would refer The Source to others.
The environmental impact of this switch has also been excellent. As a result of implementing electronic documentation tool, DocuSign, we have drastically reduced the volume of printed documents throughout the organisation, cutting down our overall paper usage by 65%!
There is no doubt that the improvements we have seen are a direct result of our incredible employees, who share a technology-forward vision for the future of The Source and have been willing to embrace these dynamic changes. This is an exciting time for the organisation as we continue to streamline our processes into 2020 and beyond.
The Business Awards 2019 ceremony will take place on the 18th October at Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham, where businesses throughout South Yorkshire will gather to watch the winner announcements on the big stage and celebrate each other’s achievements into the night.
Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, Andrew Denniff has stated,
“This year we have received a record number of applications, with over 140 submissions being received across 13 categories. Once again, the standard of entries was particularly high, and the judges were faced with some very difficult decisions.”
Our shortlisting is a welcomed acknowledgement of our hard work, motivation to keep us pushing forward and ultimately, a great achievement! We can’t wait to join all the other fantastic businesses and apprentices to celebrate at the awards later this month.
The Source Skills Academy Apprentice Nominated for ‘Apprentice of the Year 2019’
We are also extremely delighted to find that this is a double achievement, as one of our talented and driven apprentices, Gracie Smith, has been shortlisted for the Apprentice of the Year Award at the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce Awards 2019. To be nominated for this prize, apprentices must be able to demonstrate their achievements, contribution and the impact they have made within the organisation for which they work.
Gracie, who is a marketing apprentice at Russell Richardson, has proved to be an influential member of the team within just six months of working for the company. Not only has she surpassed the expectations of her colleagues, but she has impressed customers and suppliers too. Gracie’s employers recognised the positive impact she has made to the company when analysing their social media insights, which increased greatly since she took control over the platforms. Also, through her own initiative, Gracie wanted to make the company more involved with charity events and organised this as her own project. From researching charities, contacting them and planning an event, she managed to raise £330 for their chosen charity. Gracie has continued to take on any challenges with an enthusiastic attitude and has proven that having an apprentice can benefit a business in many ways.
For further information about The Source Academy and our current apprenticeship courses please visit www.thesourceacademy.co.uk or contact us on 0114 263 5600
