May 2021 - Page 2 of 2 - Capital City College Group
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Capital City College Group Contact Centre Wins Customer Service Award

Capital City College Group’s contact centre team has received an award for its “exceptional” customer service. The Omnichannel Experience Award 2020 was presented by Puzzel, the company that provides the customer service platform used by the Group.

The contact centre responds to around 8,000 enquiries a month, which increases significantly during the enrolment period between July and September.

Lenka Annan, Contact Centre Manager, said: “2020 has been an extraordinary year when the whole world has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite face-to-face restrictions, the contact centre has continued to use Puzzel to provide efficient remote frontline services to our students.

“During this time, we also enhanced the service with new features that have enabled the team to create and share comprehensive resources to provide an even more personal service when responding to enquiries.”

Puzzel is a cloud-based customer service system that enables contact centre staff to manage and respond to phone calls, online chat, SMS and social media enquiries.

CCCG was chosen by Puzzel to receive the award from 1,000 of the company’s customers across Europe after implementing the system in 2017.

Lenka added: “I would like to thank Puzzel for this award, and proudly hold it up as a mark of our continuous drive to provide a great service to everyone who contacts us.

“I would also like to express my thanks to my team of Learner Advisers for their dedication when handling enquiries, whatever the circumstances.”

CCCG’s implementation of Puzzel was recognised by an auditor during the Group’s reaccreditation for the matrix Standard in 2019, a quality mark for organisations providing information, advice and guidance.

Puzzel praised the Group for providing a “dependable, efficient customer service” and demonstrating best practice across all channels.

Jonathan Allan, Chief Marketing Officer at Puzzel, said “Capital City College Group are true leaders when it comes to providing exceptional omnichannel customer service.

“This past year they have demonstrated a deep understanding of their customers’ needs and have engaged a wide range of tools and channels to support students as they navigate this incredibly difficult time.

“Their flexibility and dependability have been absolutely first class and Puzzel is delighted to have been part of their journey.”

Construction students’ health and safety skills boosted with energy company ENGIE

Construction students have undertaken additional health and safety training with energy company ENGIE after being unable to attend work placements because of the pandemic.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, there were 40 work-related deaths in the construction industry in 2019-20 and each year there are 61,000 injuries.

ENGIE provided free online modules to further develop skills and knowledge of plumbing and electrical students at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL).

COVID restrictions across the UK meant many companies were not able to provide the work experience to students that normally forms a valuable part of their studies.

The training covered health and safety, fire safety, manual handling, asbestos awareness, legionella, risk assessments, working at height, stress awareness and young people at work.

Plumbing student Niah Abrams, 17, from Enfield, said: “I wasn’t too disappointed when we were told that we wouldn’t be able to do a placement because of the pandemic, because I had got some experience outside of college shadowing a plumber.

“For some of those on the course who might not have had that opportunity it was better than not being able to do anything at all. It was good that the college was able to make this happen and help us in this way.

“It taught us more about what happens in the real world, including a whole section on asbestos and legionnaire’s disease. It has given me more knowledge and extra insight if I come across anything like this, so I will know what to do.

“I also learnt that young people are more at risk at work because they because they have more strength and energy, and they might wear themselves out and not take a break to try and impress their employer.”

ENGIE also created a virtual video tour for students of a construction site in Green Lanes, Haringey, where it is working in partnership Clarion Housing Group to build 133 new homes along with an NHS facility and energy centre to power the development.

Karen Field, Social Value Manager for ENGIE, said: “Due to COVID-19 restrictions work placements were unfortunately not possible, so ENGIE made a site tour film with the help of our site team and offered virtual construction-based courses, which the students could do as part of their course.

“These have proved to be really successful with the students and enabled them to increase their knowledge on a variety of subjects linked to the courses they are taking.”

CONEL chose a selection of modules created by ENGIE for new employees of the company that were related to the students’ studies, with each module assessed through a test.

Latoya Patrick-Johns, Employer Engagement and Placement Coordinator for Construction, said: “Work placements give students the opportunity to gain real-life work skills that increases their knowledge and helps them to make informed career choices.

“These modules were designed by ENGIE for its new employees as part of their induction with the company, and were a great alternative to placements during the pandemic..

“Our students were able to get this training for free, which will give them the advantage of already having these skills and certificates to enhance their CVs and employability.

“We are very grateful to ENGIE for providing this opportunity to our students.”

Apply now for our Construction courses.

Visionnaires CEO calls for education and charity boards to show better governance of innovation

Visionnaires CEO Pablo Lloyd OBE has urged education and charity leaders to show better governance and innovation as the country moves out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an article for recruitment and leadership consultancy Gatenby Sanderson, Pablo shared his thoughts on how these sectors can continue to evolve after a hugely challenging year.

Pablo launched Visionnaires with Capital City College Group in 2019, a social enterprise to help aspiring entrepreneurs, having served as an executive and non-executive director on commercial and charity boards for 30 years.

In the article, he challenged boards to look at how well they govern innovation by, reviewing strategy, investing in innovation, gaining fresh perspective, collaborating and embracing diversity of experience. You can read the full article here.

Westminster Kingsway College students scoop Camden Youth Awards

Four students from Westminster Kingsway College have been named among the winners of this year’s Camden Youth Awards.

Orla McLaughlin, Marquis Coker, Shorif Miah and Nilton Pimenta received their awards from actor Eliza Butterworth during a virtual ceremony on 27 April.

The awards presented by Camden Council recognise and celebrate amazing work by young people, youth workers and youth services in the borough.

Orla McLaughlin

Orla, 17, received the Young Carer Award, presented to a young person who has managed to juggle caring for someone in their family with work or education.

She said: “I’ve cared for my mum all my life and in the last six months I’ve started caring for my grandma because her health is deteriorating fast. I’ve never been the type to complain about it because I honestly thought it was normal, and I’ll go to the world and back for my mum and my family. This award means a lot because I don’t usually get recognition for it.

“I grew up very fast because of what I do. To all the other people who are doing the same thing as me, I just want to say give yourself a big pat on the back. Even though you might not get as much recognition, what you are doing does make a big difference.”

Marquis Coker

Marquis, 18, was presented with the New Creatives Award, for a young person who has shared their passion for the arts with friends and the wider community.

Accepting the award on his behalf, Will Davies, Learning Support Assistant at WestKing, said: “Marquis was really, really chuffed to be getting the New Creatives Award. He’d like to express his thanks to everybody involved with the award, so thank you very much indeed.”

Shorif Miah

Shorif, 25, received the Young Volunteer Award, for a young person who has spent time working for the benefit of residents in Camden, such as supporting the vulnerable, local groups or fundraising.

Despite having physical and learning disabilities, he has helped run various activities and given advice and encouragement to young people aged 11-19 at Somers Town Youth Club.

Senior Youth Worker Joanne Peet described Shorif as “an amazing young man” who has never let his disability hinder his determination to fulfil his potential and be a role model to his peers.

Nilton Pimenta.

Nilton, 18, received the Camden Spotlight Award, presented to a young person who has provided help and support to a group of people at their place of education or in the community.

He was elected as a Student Governor this academic year and has inspired other WestKing students by sharing his experience as a gay man to promote equality and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues.

Nilton said: “I want to thank everybody for all the support you have offered me in being able to secure this amazing achievement. It is undeniably a pleasure to be able to support all the student groups and lift morale during these really tough times.”

Eve Stickler, Director of Early Intervention and Prevention at Camden Council, who hosted the ceremony, said: “I want to congratulate everyone, not just the winners of the awards, but all the nominees in this extraordinary year.

“Young people have been amazing this year, and I’ve been knocked out by the commitment that they and their youth organisations have made to keep going and make sure they have the best possible time while keeping safe.

“These awards are a wonderful opportunity to say thank you, to recognise what they have all been doing and their achievements.”

Laura Elliott, Head of Learner Services at WestKing, said: “Congratulations to Orla, Marquis and Nilton on being named among the winners of this year’s Camden Youth Awards.

“Their hard work and dedication has been rightly recognised at a time of much uncertainty due to the pandemic. Well done to all of them on their fantastic and well-deserved achievements.”

Marquis and Nilton were also among the winners in this year’s Jack Petchey Achievement Awards.

Queen's Award for Enterprise