TES invests £200k into new ‘certified’ training programme

Rugeley-based Total Enterprise Solutions, which supports charities and not for profits on their digital transformation journeys, has made a concerted commitment to grow its own staff, whilst also cultivating the talent it already has available.

This approach has seen it introduce ‘TES Certified’, a new initiative that gives every member of its 60-strong workforce in Rugeley a dedicated progression pathway that features a minimum 10 days of internal and external training per year, mentoring from more experienced staff and online learning through a LMS system.

The idea is to encourage individuals to want to stay and build their career with the business, with transparent pay structures, opportunities for promotion and the opportunity to make a positive difference to charities and the third sector.

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of TES, commented: “We’re in the middle of one of the biggest recruitment challenges the IT sector has ever faced and we need to come up with creative solutions that give us the skills we need to grow.

“Sales have increased by £1 million over the last 12 months and we have taken twenty new staff on to cope with the demand, some of those have been apprenticeships and graduates. Where possible we’ve also looked at how we can promote from within and build an aspirational culture that hopefully translates into what we deliver to our customers.”

He added: “The management team decided we needed to differentiate the business as an employer of choice and pledged to invest £200,000 into TES Certified. This launched a few months ago and is proving extremely popular with staff and new recruits.”

TES, which celebrates its 18th anniversary in 2022, has secured a string of new contract wins, including supporting the activities of Age UK in Birmingham and Lancashire, the West Midlands Safari Park, the Spinal Injuries Association and, most recently, the Green Party.

The firm’s strong focus on working with charities has seen it leverage the power and capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 to tailor solutions that help organisations with cyber security, fundraising management, membership management, SORP/SOFA compliance, charity VAT and volunteer management.

By continuing to work with the sector, it has developed new solutions and, in the past 12 months, launched a suite of add-on apps that expand the power of the Microsoft Cloud for not for profits.

They will accelerate the rate at which charities and organisations can embrace and benefit from digital transformation, increasing their return on investment in the shortest time possible.

Paul added: “Apprenticeships are increasingly important to TES’s ‘grow our own’ approach and, so far, five have progressed into full-time employment, with two new young people recently starting with us. In addition, the business has made multiple internal promotions during the last 12 months.

“We don’t stop there either. Thanks to a new partnership with Staffordshire University, we now offer access to degree apprenticeships, which means someone starting with us can gain a degree within three years – all whilst earning an increasing annual salary, gaining vital sector experience and not being saddled with lots of debt.”

He concluded: “Growing our own people is the best way for us to have the skills, talent and appreciation of the TES culture we need. It’s a long-term investment, but one that is already starting to pay off.”

For further information visit totalenterprisesolutions.co.uk or follow @totalesolutions on Twitter.