British independent surface coatings manufacturer, HMG Paints of Manchester, was among a select group of 150 employers signing a ‘skills pledge’ to continue training its staff, at a Central London event attended by incoming Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and the Secretary of State for Education & Skills, Alan Johnson. The pledge represents a commitment to support all employees to develop literacy and numeracy skills and work towards full Level 2 qualifications, equivalent to five good GCSE’s.

Stephen Falder, HMG Marketing Director and board member, represented the family-owned firm, which employs around 165 staff, at the official launch of the Skills Pledge on Thursday 14 th June, hosted by Skills Envoy, Sir Digby Jones. Also attending the event were Secretary of State for Works & Pensions, John Hutton, the Director General of the CBI, Richard Lambert, TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, and Sir Michael Rake, newly-appointed Chair of the UK Commission for Employment & Skills. More than 150 organisations, including all Central Government Departments, the Police and leading employers Ford, McDonalds, Nissan and Sainsbury’s, made voluntary commitments alongside HMG, covering some 1.7 million employees.

“Skills are self-evidently the major difference between success and failure in our own Paint & Coatings industry, so we are keenly aware that it is not simply the machinery and chemistry of our products that allow us to excel, but the skills and enthusiasm of our workforce,” says Stephen Falder, who was presented with a Skills Pledge certificate signed by Gordon Brown.

Welcoming the first tranche of employers to sign up to this initiative, Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, said: “Skills are vitally important for individuals, their future employability and for the success of business throughout the UK. That is why I am so pleased to see so many companies making the Skills Pledge and helping us to meet the challenges set out in Lord Leitch’s.”

Published in December 2006, Lord Leitch’s independent review of skills warned that the UK must ‘raise its game’ at all levels, if it is to sustain and improve its position in the global economy. His analysis required that 95% of adults should achieve basic skills of functional literacy and numeracy by 2020, with more than 90% qualified to at least Level 2.

The Skills Pledge is at the heart of a new partnership between Government and employers, to encourage and support their employees in achieving these goals, in return for which the Government will provide access to skills brokers and suitable training.

Based in Collyhurst and marketing its paints and surface coatings across the world, HMG has a successful 77 year record in business and a strong reputation for training and retaining its staff, the average tenure for whom is 14 years.

“We are delighted to pledge our commitment to developing the skills of those who work for us,” says HMG’s Managing Director, John Falder. “We see this as an opportunity to raise our skill levels still further and welcome the Government’s promise to provide us with the appropriate resources.”

Further enquiries to HMG Paints, Riverside Works, Collyhurst Road, Manchester M40 7RU, telephone 0161 205 7631, email sales@hmgpaint.com

Independent UK paintmaker, HMG Paints has donated high performance commercial transport (CT) coatings for refurbishing a community outreach vehicle, owned by not-for-profit urban regeneration organisation, Community Support Plus of Cheetham Hill, Manchester. HMG also arranged for the specialist refinishing work to be carried out by one of its CT trade customers, award winning bodyshop Commercial Contract Engineers of Rochdale, which also contributed its services free of charge.

In a collaborative venture involving CS Plus, general trade union GMB and the Manchester College of Arts & Technology (MANCAT), the newly converted and refurbished vehicle will be used for a variety of outreach projects, including IT training and as a base for a driving skills course, which will engage hundreds of people in North Manchester. Students on MANCAT’s Automotive Studies programme have been responsible for stripping out and refitting the interior, as well as rubbing down, undercoating and preparing the body for refinishing.

CS Plus assists with capacity building amongst local voluntary groups and social businesses, particularly minority ethnic communities, senior citizens, young people and children’s organisations, its management team drawing upon 60 years’ combined experience in the voluntary and private sectors. As part of its training and advisory roles, CS Plus regularly works within the North Manchester area on various community outreach projects and recently acquired a Renault Master Box Van, equipped with side awnings, for converting into a mobile office-cum-training centre. The vehicle itself has quite a colourful history, having previously been an official Renault Megane Rally support vehicle and after that a hospitality unit on the James Bond set at Elstree studios.

“The vehicle’s overall condition was good and the engine is in good nick, but the paintwork was looking fairly tired,” says CS Plus Project Director, Gurnam Singh. “Although we are a non-profit organisation and don’t have substantial funds for this sort of exercise, we do like to project a smart, professional image, which encourages people to interact with us.”

Jack Bolton of MANCAT’s Automotive Studies department, had an existing contact with HMG and approached the Collyhurst-based firm for help. HMG is actively involved in its own community projects, involving schools, colleges and local organisations, and was happy to donate 30 litres of primer and 2-pack topcoat. Its CT Products Manager, Steve Louis, also called upon his contacts and enlisted the help of Commercial Contract Engineers for the final spray painting.

MANCAT, which uses the CS Plus Waterloo Centre facilities for delivering community based learning, volunteered to refit and prepare the vehicle, while GMB, which assists with workforce development at the site, also pledged its support. The original kitchen has been stripped out by the apprentices and replaced with worktops for a PC training area, with leather-upholstered benches and a refreshment area provided for informal meetings and discussions. The awnings can also be rolled out for displays and events, such as driving skills tests for young people.

Further enquiries to HMG Paints, Riverside Works, Collyhurst Road, Manchester M40 7RU, telephone 0161 205 7631, email sales@hmgpaint.com