Case Study: Compliance at the University of Exeter

Dan Raymond

January 26, 2022

5 min read

The Challenge

Keeping staff up to date on vital legislation training during the pandemic, when face to face training was not an option
Creating a training schedule that would fit workers on different shift patterns, at multiple sites in multiple countries

The Objectives

Ensure that staff working in high-risk environments have the correct training to carry out their jobs safely and effectively
Continue the personal development of members of the Technical Services team

The Solution

A range of accredited online training, covering areas of compliance and legislation
This allows for staff to undertake training flexibly and at convenient times

A Background on the University of Exeter

The University of Exeter is a Russell Group public research university with four sites across Devon and Cornwall. Formed in 1955, the University currently has over 23,000 students and over 5,500 academic and administrative staff.

We spoke to Emma McArdle, Project Manager for Quality Assurance and Improvement in Technical Services at the University, to find out how High Speed Training’s courses have helped develop their staff’s skills.

What were the challenges or problems that you faced as an organisation that made you look to online training?

Emma explained that the pandemic had drastically shifted how the teams were operating, and that online training in areas such as PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations), LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) and DSEAR (Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations) was the best way to ensure staff were still compliant and knowledgeable about all the latest health and safety regulations that they needed.

Health and Safety is absolutely paramount to everything we do in Technical Services at the University of Exeter. We have staff who work in highly legislated environments such as laboratories and workshops, and we need to be confident our staff have the skills and expertise they need to work safely within those spaces.

How has the training helped your organisation?

When an organisation purchases multiple courses with High Speed Training, they are able to check the progress of their learners through a management suite. This allows training managers to keep track of how many learners have completed their courses. Emma also explained that the suite helped to prove their compliance and show their dedication to staff development.

The training courses helped our staff to be more knowledgeable about the risks they may face and the requirements they need to work to in their labs or workshop. When they are asked to report on their equipment compliance or to identify risks, they have a much deeper knowledge than they had before.

What were the advantages of taking the training online?

The flexibility, ease of use and the fact that learners can complete training at their own pace, in their own time are all really beneficial. Online training allows us to provide the same high standard of training to every member of our staff no matter where or when they work.

The Technical Services Team at the University of Exeter has over 230 staff, working at six different sites across two different counties. This presents a real logistical challenge when it comes to training, as staff are often working different shift patterns and working on different projects, meaning it can be difficult to find times when groups can learn together.

We’re hoping to have a hybrid approach to training when the situation allows, where some key training courses are provided in person, especially those with a traditionally practical element. However, the plan is that we will stick with online training for theory based courses which provide us with that element of flexibility which you just can’t get from in-person sessions.

How important is training, personal development and employee growth at the University of Exeter?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the process of developing professional skills and knowledge through interactive, participation-based or independent learning. It is an area that organisations are increasingly focusing on, and the University of Exeter is no exception.

CPD is incredibly important to us here. We’re constantly striving to give our staff the tools they need to work to the best of their ability, and training and development is a key part of that. Learning at the University doesn’t end with the students, and we want to enable our staff to be aware of the risks and regulations affecting their place of work and identify where there may be issues or concerns.

Why did you choose High Speed Training?

High Speed Training had a great selection of courses we had already identified that we wanted to provide our staff. These courses aren’t always easy to find, and to have them all in one place was a huge bonus.

The courses were accredited which gave us peace of mind as to their quality, and reasonably priced too, especially considering the bulk-buy discounts.

We certainly would recommend High Speed Training to others, they have proven very useful to our staff and their team have been great whenever we’ve had any questions.

Take a look at our extensive library of courses or call a member of our friendly support team on 0333 006 7000 to see how we can help your organisation grow.