Organisations that have performed poorly in the recent UK Customer Service Index would benefit from government funded customer service apprenticeships according to Alliance Learning.
In the recent UKCSI, customers rated utilities companies, telecoms companies and local government agencies bottom for customer service. While the National Employers Skills Survey (2005) found that employers across the UK identified customer service skills as second only to technical and practical skills as the most difficult to obtain.
In response to this need for better skills, training provider Alliance Learning have launched a Customer Service Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship provides free training for 16-24 year olds involved in customer service related roles including sales and retailing. The apprenticeship is accredited by EDI & OCR and leads to an NVQ level 2 qualification in customer service.
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Lynda Collison of Alliance Learning explains how the apprenticeship works: ‘The apprenticeship aims to develop the essential skills employees need in order to provide good customer service, which is an important element for any organisation. The customer service apprenticeships are government funded and training & assessment can be carried out on site with minimal disruption to the business and at no cost to the organisation.’
Alliance Learning is also able to offer free customer service NVQ level 2 training for employees aged 25+, through the Government’s Train to Gain initiative (subject to eligibility and availability).
