Training for the Olympics (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Training for the Olympics

3:19pm Thursday 17th February 2011 in Chronicle Business

Sparsholt College has played a leading role in ensuring that mayor, Boris Johnson, will be able to fulfil his promise of a “welcoming and safe environment”

for next year’s London Olympics.

The college led a consortium of seven training providers who have just completed a £2.5m project in which more than 1,500 individuals, employed by in excess of 70 companies, have been helped to acquire new qualifications and new skills. Their NVQs included Logostics, Hospitality, Spectator Safety, Learning Support, Construction, Management and Customer Service and their training involved them working in a variety of locations, including the Olympic Village itself, Heathrow Airport, The Ministry of Justice and the shopping complex, One New Change.

Sparsholt and its training partners shared the spirit of achievement as the programme’s top achievers were honoureded at a ceremony hosted by Central London College Westminster Kingsway.

But, according to Ralph Stratton, director of commercial services at Sparsholt College, the project has had an impact that goes beyond mere training.

“The consortium has demonstrated the effectiveness of bringing experts together to upskill and develop individuals while embedding skills training at the core of the businesses with which we have worked,” he said.