Blue Arrow-led Courses Support Upskilling for Warehouse Expansion

Radial came to us as they wanted to expand their business by opening another warehouse in the local area. The expansion would require recruiting managers, team leaders, and warehouse staff. To fill the new opportunities, Radial were looking to develop existing staff; however, immediate skills gaps proved a problem.

Having worked with Blue Arrow for many years, Radial approached their onsite Account Manager to deliver a warehouse management and leadership training programme.

Our local branch and onsite teams saw a skills funding opportunity through one of its long-term training company partners, SEETEC, with access to funding through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) from the European Social Fund.

Following collaborative discussions with SEETEC and Radial, we accessed and ran a range of courses that upskilled Radial staff across key skill areas including health and safety, problem response, and leadership. The courses provided also developed leadership, communication, managing staff, risk management, and problem-solving skills. These courses aided social mobility and internal development.

Blue Arrow, SEETEC, and Radial collaborated to implement the new learning opportunities through regular meetings. We tailored the course content to incorporate Radial-relevant terminology and emphasised key areas of professional development, including the value of supporting leadership succession in the work environment.

The courses offered an accredited qualification, making it a first in the Manchester warehousing community and encouraging enrolment from staff. The courses took 18-24 hours to complete over a 4-5-week period, with assessors visiting the staff at work to appraise practical competence and knowledge. Computers on-site encouraged on-the-job training, making completing various modules easier for staff.