Training and development Work and play At the beginning of March back in the days when face-toface group meetings were still permitted Louise Parfitt visited UK Parking Control (UKPC) to find out more about its refreshing attitude towards staff development ts not every day I get to go on a slide. Especially one that shoots you out into the middle of an office (note to self: dont wear polyester-mix trousers if you ever do this again). It was fun and not what I had expected to do on a work visit. There is a playful element to UKPCs office. Theres a table tennis table; a huge screen for showing TED talks and sports events; a wellbeing room; and my personal favourite a green outdoors inside space complete with deckchairs. I had to keep a check on Ruperts ideas, says managing director Stuart Harrison. He got the slide, but I drew the line at a ball pit! Rupert Williams is UKPCs founder and CEO. He has taken the business from one-person local firm to nationwide car park operator employing 250 people. Behind the fun atmosphere is pride in the company and a desire to attract and retain talent in a sector that is not often a chosen career path. Many people think parking is just a stop-gap job, so we want them to realise they have a future here, that they can progress and develop, Williams says. Our ethos is to retain good staff, because the whole service we give to clients stems from this. We want to keep that talent within our team. I The power within But surely it takes more than a slide and a deckchair to make parking someones choice of career? Indeed, the company has stepped up and invested in two key areas: buying all its staff BPA individual corporate membership for one year and creating a training academy where people are actively encouraged to develop their skills. The staff told us they wanted more training, so we set up an academy to aid professional development, says Williams. Through the academy, UKPCs staff are empowered to deliver training to their colleagues. If outside expertise is required, it can Our ethos is to retain good staff, because the whole service we give to clients stems from this. We want to keep that talent within our team be arranged easily through partnerships. One such partnership is with Buckinghamshire College Group, where six members of staff are currently studying part-time for a business management qualification. Tom Bishop started in the appeals team in 2013. He moved into customer service and then, funded by the company, he gained qualifications in people management and is now HR manager. He is a firm believer in the power of training. It lets staff know they are valued, he says. The academy clearly says youve got a future here and we will help cement that. Setting up the academy took a year and involved evaluating all policies and job descriptions. Bishop explains that where there are gaps the company needs to fill, staff are encouraged to upskill and apply for these positions. We show them the way: if they are interested, we send them on the journey. If they succeed, we reward them with the job. Supporting staff When Andrew Valentine became a UKPC parking warden in November 2015, it was just to earn money while he was studying to become a teacher. I needed a relatively easy job to 32 britishparking.co.uk PN May20 pp32-33 UKPC.indd 32 23/04/2020 13:10