Trade body wins in national awards
A training course for boat brokers has won the British Marine Federation Highly Commended status at the 2006 National Training Awards.
UK Skills, which runs the awards on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills, praised the trade association for the introduction of its new training course for the industry’s Brokerage and Boat Retail companies, aimed at creating consistent standards in the sales of new and used boats.
The National Training Awards are the UK’s number one accolade for businesses, organizations and individuals who have achieved lasting excellence and success through training and learning.
The Judges praised the BMF’s “great potential” and their “dedication to excellence through training”.
Sarah Dhanda, Director of Training at the BMF said: “We’re delighted to be awarded Highly Commended Status at the National Training Awards. It’s great that the BMF has been recognised as a role model demonstrating significant benefits from effective learning and skills development. We believe training to be an important service that the BMF offers its members and the industry and this award helps to highlight the importance as well as the BMF’s high standards.”
Following the introduction of the new training course and the ongoing development of a code of practice for the industry’s brokerage and boat retailing companies sales and services in the UK’s leisure marine industry have received a boost.
Calls from brokers and retailers to the BMF have fallen from about 100 a week to 30, and staff report that fewer issues need to be referred to their own management. One on-line retailer has integrated the course into its own induction programme.
The chair of the South East judging panel, Kathryn Cook, congratulated the BMF, along with the other finalists from the South East, and acknowledged the important contribution their training made to the region: “These finalists from the South East have delivered high quality and highly effective training which is making a real difference to the region’s performance. Organisations have used training to successfully introduce new products and business practices, to develop staff management skills and to improve customer service.
Individual finalists have show that their learning journeys have not just benefited themselves but also their communities and organisations.”
