Functional Skills, Professional Training

We recently had the pleasure of delivering a tailored training programme for team members at MACH Recruitment. The feedback received has been very positive, with delegates describing the course as well-planned, highly relevant, and rich in practical insights they can apply in both their professional and personal lives.

Delegates found the content engaging, relatable, and empowering, particularly appreciating sessions on conflict management, SMART goal setting, emotional management, and effective communication. Many highlighted how the training gave them renewed confidence in their managerial roles and methods they could take forward immediately.

The trainer was described as enthusiastic, informative, and inspiring, successfully maintaining attention and creating a positive, energetic learning environment. Delegates also praised the delivery style—bite-sized, visual, and impactful, which made it easier to retain information and apply it in real-life scenarios.

We are thrilled with the level of engagement and commitment shown by the MACH Recruitment team and look forward to supporting their ongoing development in future sessions.

What does it take to be a successful public speaker?

Expressing ideas and her unique personality comes naturally to her.

Maria is a native Greek speaker who started studying Spanish with us nearly three years ago.

By day Maria works as an Urban Designer and in the evening comes to Brasshouse Centre to indulge her love of languages.

What immediately impresses you about Maria is that although she has a demanding job she always puts the maximum effort into her language learning. In every lesson she challenges herself to achieve excellence. Her tutor says:

“Maria’s written work is always perfect. Whenever I read it I never have to correct anything. I even have to write on it ‘zero corrections’ so she knows I’ve read it! Her writing is always so expressive and contains many little details that allow you to feel her personality. Maria isn’t just translating from one language to another, she expresses her thoughts and paints pictures in Spanish. She really has immersed herself in the language and culture.”

Maria is also very sociable and cares about others in her group. After all this time learning together, they have become a great group of friends in the classroom. We look forward to welcoming back Maria to continue her studies and watching her Spanish powers continue to blossom.

Motivated by the desire to live his best life

Shane has a catchphrase “Don’t just sit there in the corner. Go out and do something about it!”

That is exactly what Shane has done, and he is now reaping the rewards.

As a child, Shane was diagnosed with learning difficulties and disabilities and attended a Special Needs school. Sadly, he had a difficult time there, and he left with no qualifications.

Not happy just sitting at home, he decided he needed to get a job. However, when he was able to find work, it was never the right fit for him. Determined to not give up, Shane went into Selly Oak Centre and enrolled onto a Maths course. This year, he is studying to improve both his English and maths.

Understandably, Shane was initially quiet in the classroom. However, starting to feel safe and more relaxed in this new learning environment, he came out of his shell. His natural desire to help other people meant it wasn’t long before he was helping any classmates who were struggling. His tutor says:

“Shane is a joy to have in the classroom. His contributions to class activities are always positive and he genuinely wants to help others.”

Shane wants to work either within the animal care industry or a support worker with an educational role. With his determination and caring attitude, we have no doubt he will achieve his goals.

The Challenge

To achieve its vision of ‘first contact delight’ for each and every customer, The Carphone Warehouse needed to find a way to get employees across its customer management contact centres to live its new values...

Master these four principles of consultative partnering and you will transform your approach to important sales opportunities.

Excited with the new direction of his life.

Geoff had to leave his job as a care worker when he needed to have a hip replacement.

In March 2021, he decided to get out and start looking for a new career. With a lifelong love of numbers, he chose an Accounts course at Brasshouse.

Geoff instantly felt part of the learning community and realised that his physical problems weren’t a barrier to his succeeding. He credits this support with what drove him to want to succeed so much.

While studying on this course, Geoff noticed that the offices to the Commonwealth Games were in the Library too and decided he wanted to get involved. He was delighted to be accepted as a volunteer at his beloved Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

Enjoying his studies, Geoff took his learning to the next level and enrolled onto the challenging level 3 qualification. Partway through this course, he got the call to have his operation. After twelve weeks of intense rehabilitation he was determined to return and complete what he had started. Not succeeding straightaway, Geoff showed his resilience and determination by repeating the exam which he then passed.

Geoff is currently looking for an accountancy role. While he does this, he is volunteering with the accounts team to keep his skills sharp and ready to go when the job opportunity he so richly deserves turns up.

Inspirational Leadership gets results. It’s about recognising that your most precious possession is the people who work for you, and having the skill to draw out the very best in their performance.

The Challenge

When Specsavers Optical Group decided to focus on selling to businesses as well as individuals, it faced a number of challenges if its Corporate Healthcare department was to gain the respect of the business community...