Making good people great
Leadership & Personal Development, Strategic Management, Lean Six Sigma & Quality Tools
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Making good people great
Leadership & Personal Development, Strategic Management, Lean Six Sigma & Quality Tools
Interested in getting your business spending time outside in green spaces and giving back at the same time? The Wildlife Trust offer workplace wellbeing days. They can provide a half or full day of activities to promote better mental wellbeing.
The Capella Workplace Wellbeing Day was at Brandon Nature Reserve, Coventry last week, where we experienced some of the activities on offer. These included a wellbeing walk on the reserve, using photography for wellbeing, mindfulness, and grounding techniques.
The team also learnt how to support the Wildlife Trust through an ecological survey and species identification techniques on the meadow, including transects, bioblitz and sweep nets.
The final activity of the day was to make wildflower seed bombs to take home and scatter.
To help reconnect people with nature, the Trust use the Nationally recognised 5 Ways to Wellbeing:
You can find out more about the 5 Ways to Wellbeing in this short video on You Tube:
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is the leading local independent conservation organisation. Their mission is to bring people closer to nature and create a land rich in wildlife.
Supported by their passionate members and dedicated volunteers they are working to bring about nature’s recovery across Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull through practical action, education and influencing behaviour change.
The Capella Workplace Wellbeing Day was enjoyed so much, the team suggested we should make every team meeting, a chance to spend time in green spaces and reconnect with nature.
So why not encourage your own team to get closer to nature and take the time to reconnect? To Give Back is one of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing and we can all do our bit to help the environment and our local communities. It also helps us demonstrate Capella’s core values of Pride, Integrity, and Passion that drive all that we do.
Capella win Gold Award for outstanding innovation at the Learning Excellence Awards 2023. The 2023 awards ceremony was held on Thursday March 30, 2023 in the Imperial Suite of the National Conference Centre, Bickenhill. 
Our Award entry showed how the application of Power BI can be utilised to enhance learning outcomes and business sustainability.
Kate Smith, Capella’s Managing Director, said:
“This has transformed our management reporting, giving accurate and timely data to understand status and make decisions with confidence.
The impact of this is evident in a number of key measures including OTJ, breaks and withdrawals, which in turn have a positive impact on profitability and sustainability, as well as our ability to win future business which relies on us having good Achievement Rate data. To receive external recognition, adds icing to the cake and is something that we can all be really proud of. Special recognition and thanks go to Mark Wood and Amrik Gill for their excellent work.”
The overall aim of the project was to find an efficient and robust way of extracting data from multiple spreadsheets and the learner onboarding system, to produce management reports and enable deeper analysis for improvement activities.
The objectives were to ensure data was accurate and timely, could be extracted efficiently, and enable decisions to be made with confidence.
Through consultation with stakeholders, we identified that a dashboard would be helpful and that we also needed to be able to easily drill down, so that Capella and their Advisory Board could identify and implement a range of actions to drive improvements in key metrics.
Mark Wood, Data Analyst, created a dashboard, using Power BI, with metrics that aligned with the Department for Education (DfE) Accountability Framework.
“Through the use of Power BI we’ve significantly improved the quality and accessibility of our management data. This has enabled us to spend more time implementing improvements. For example, the team created an early-warning dashboard so that we can see instantly when learners are going off-track and plan interventions to recover. Clients also love the dashboards, which are shared during programme reviews and they now rate communication as a key strength.”
Kate Smith
Managing Director
Capella also plan to extend this innovative approach to data management into other areas, including equality studies, which will benefit hugely from this creative application of technology and support continuous improvements in our services, for the benefit of our learners, their employers, and our stakeholders.
Find out more about the Learning Excellence Awards here and see Capella’s other awards and recognition here
A recent Capella CQI Blog in 2023, by Managing Director Kate Smith, has really helped to showcase the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship. 
The CQI and Capella were part of the development group that first created this standard, which aligns with the CQI’s competency framework and includes content on governance, assurance and improvement. The development group also won the award for “Outstanding Contribution to Quality Management Systems” in 2020.
Who is the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship for?
Suitable for employers from all sectors, the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship is designed for people at the beginning of their career, as well as those who find themselves in quality roles without any formal training.
Capella are on the Register of Approved Training Providers to deliver the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship. We’ve seen a wide range of sectors utilising this apprenticeship as a development opportunity, including construction, financial and customer services, manufacturing, and defence.
The apprenticeship combines taught content, tutorials, and 1:1 coaching to support application of learning into the workplace. There are modules on quality planning, assurance, control and continuous improvement. Learners build competence and confidence to improve quality performance and solve problems through use of best-in-class tools.
The first apprentices to enrol as quality practitioners are now coming to the end of their programme and the impact reported by learners and employers has been positive. Two of these learners have won Apprentice of the Month at Capella, so good results are expected from their final assessments.
Neila Rudzite was one of the apprentices who won the award because she produced work of an extremely high standard. Her trainer said “she also challenged, where appropriate, in a constructive and positive way. She has shown personal resilience through role changes, and challenges with her project selection, but has continued to show determination to complete a high quality and impactful project for her organisation, which is testimony to her own drive and personal integrity.”
The Quality Practitioner apprenticeship is designed for people at the beginning of their career, as well as those who find themselves in quality roles without any formal training.
Aurora Horeanu also won Apprentice of the Month. She first joined Brose over six years ago as a Production Operator. After two years she moved into the quality function, eventually applying for the role of Quality Engineer in April 2021. Although she enjoyed working as a Quality Auditor, she said “I wished I could have the opportunity to correct the non-conformities by myself and not only to give advice. So, I decided to apply for a role which would give me the chance to take immediate actions and make improvements. Not only that, but it would also help to achieve my goals, gain the necessary qualification in Quality, and become a successful Quality Engineer”. Her trainer said, “Aurora has been enthusiastic and diligent from the start. She certainly puts into practice the knowledge, skills and behaviours that contribute to her becoming a strong Quality Professional.”
National Apprenticeship Week: Shining the spotlight on quality apprenticeships | CQI | IRCA
Find out more about our Quality and Improvement apprenticeships here
Capella have been rated as an Ofsted Good Provider following our first, full Ofsted inspection in November 2022.
Ofsted Good
The seven-strong Ofsted inspection team spent four days between the 8 – 11 November, deep diving our apprenticeship training provision and interviewing stakeholders before delivering the outcome.
A culmination of our team’s hard work and dedication, the result reflects Capella’s commitment and passion to continuously improve, as well as our desire to offer learners the highest-quality training experience.
We’ve made significant progress since our first Ofsted monitoring visit in 2019 and this is evidenced in the results of our first full Ofsted inspection. Feedback included the quality of our provision:
“Trainers are highly experienced practitioners in their relevant sectors. They use this experience to share real-life examples with apprentices, who use this to deepen their understanding of sector behaviours.”
And the benefits our learners are seeing, as a result of their apprenticeship:
“Apprentices demonstrate consistently positive attitudes and commitment to their
apprenticeship programme. They talk passionately about the new knowledge they
acquire and how they use this knowledge to take forward projects across the
organisations in which they work. As a result, apprentices are excited about their
futures and proud of the positive impact that they have on their organisations.”
We’re pleased with the outcome and delighted with the positive comments. There are a few areas for us to focus on and we’ve already started work on these. Our shared values, of Pride, Integrity and Passion, drive everything we do, and the impact of further improvements will be seen over the coming weeks and months as we embrace the opportunities identified during the inspection.
If you would like to view the full Ofsted report go to Ofsted (link opens a new window)
Apprentice of the Month Award Winners Quarter 4 – 2022
Last year Capella introduced an ‘Apprentice of the Month Award’ where we ask our Capella Trainers to nominate a learner who they feel has gone ‘above and beyond’. This could be a learner who has overcome challenges, worked particularly hard, or someone who has made a real difference to the cohort, or their own business whilst on the programme. For Quarter 4 our Capella Apprentice of the Month Award winners were…
October 2022 – Apprentice of the Month Award Winner was Liam Hough from Next on the L4 Improvement Practitioner apprenticeship. Liam’s tutor Mat Elwood said:
“From the onset of the Programme, it became clear that Liam is a driven, focused individual who strives for excellence. During coaching sessions Liam would always be prepared to search for the answers that would help him unlock the key to his problem, which is a great trait for all Improvement Practitioners. Liam occasionally experienced ‘bumps in the road’, as we all do when problem solving, but he always remained motivated and determined to pursue a detailed and robust understanding of the issues he discovered along the DMAIC journey, through his tenacious and analytical approach Liam has delivered an excellent project. Liam is without doubt a credit to Next and should consider a Level 5 Improvement Specialist programme to continue his journey.”
November 2022 – Apprentice of the Month Award Winner was Anna Polkoszek from Pirelli on the L3 Improvement Technician apprenticeship. Niall Coney (Capella Trainer) told us:
“Anna has recently completed her mid-review which was superb and well presented. Anna has really started practicing the knowledge and skills from the classroom in a way that seems to be really delivering results to the business.
Anna has remained a positive energy in each session, never hesitates to ask questions, and the quality of the work and behaviours Anna is demonstrating is fantastic for a Level 3 delegate.”
And the final winner of Apprentice of the Month for Quarter 4 – 2022 for December was Jodey Phipps at Saint-Gobain on the L5 Improvement Specialist apprenticeship.
Mick Dickenson (Capella Trainer) said:
“Since starting the programme in March Jodey has accepted responsibility for the support of a second site. This could have had a negative impact on her apprenticeship, but it’s been a positive experience and an opportunity to further her work on the submission of several very detailed and comprehensive evidence packages. Examples of this work recently shared at mid review gave a very clear indication of the high level and quality of work Jodey can confidently present. Next to the quality of work is the infectious positive attitude shown throughout the programme thus far. Her line manager has said that Jodey is a huge asset to her employer and as her trainer I would absolutely agree .”
On behalf of the Capella team, we’d just like to say congratulations to all our Apprentice of the Month Award Winners for Quarter 4 – 2022 well done everyone!
Capella are delighted to be shortlisted as Finalists in the Learning Excellence Awards for 2023.
The Learning Excellence Awards, now in their 3rd year, are business awards for the training, learning, and development sector.
The Learning Excellence Awards are UK-based, but also attract overseas entries, The Awards are impartial and independent and look to reward relevant, agile, innovative, excellent, and effective initiatives, programmes, products, and services wherever they may be found. Each year the Awards are open to in-house training, learning and development teams and activities, to external professional practitioners and to suppliers to the sector.
Our award entry shows how the application of Power BI has been utilised to enhance learning outcomes and business sustainability. Special thanks to Mark Wood and those who’ve been involved in this innovative work.
Kate Smith, Capella’s Managing Director, said “Capella are delighted to be shortlisted as Finalists in the Learning Excellence Awards for 2023. External awards bring many benefits including an opportunity to be benchmarked against others, additional evidence to share with employers and learners to build and maintain their confidence in us as a provider and, of course, recognition that we as a team can all be hugely proud of”.
If you want to find out more about the Learning Excellence Awards and see who the other Finalists are go to https://lnkd.in/eCYVe99n
You can also find details of Capella’s other awards and recognition here
Shining the spotlight on quality apprenticeships
For National Apprenticeship Week 2023, Kate Smith, Managing Director at Capella Associates, shines a spotlight on quality apprenticeships, including how the Level 4 Quality Practitioner was developed, and what it’s like to take part.
The CQI were part of the development group that first created this standard, which aligns with their competency framework and includes content on governance, assurance and improvement. The development group also won the award for “Outstanding Contribution to Quality Management Systems” in 2020.
Who is the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship for?
Suitable for employers from all sectors, the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship is designed for people at the beginning of their career, as well as those who find themselves in quality roles without any formal training.
Capella Associates are on the Register of Approved Training Providers to deliver the Quality Practitioner apprenticeship. We’ve seen a wide range of sectors utilising this apprenticeship as a development opportunity, including construction, financial and customer services, manufacturing and defence.
What does this apprenticeship entail?
The apprenticeship combines taught content, tutorials, and 1:1 coaching to support application of learning into the workplace. There are modules on quality planning, assurance, control and continuous improvement. Learners build competence and confidence to improve quality performance and solve problems through use of best-in-class tools.
The first apprentices to enrol as quality practitioners are now coming to the end of their programme and the impact reported by learners and employers has been positive. Two of these learners have won Apprentice of the Month at Capella, so good results are expected from the final assessments which are taking place this week.
Neila Rudzite was one of the apprentices who won the award because she produced work of an extremely high standard. Her trainer said “she also challenged, where appropriate, in a constructive and positive way. She has shown personal resilience through role changes, and challenges with her project selection, but has continued to show determination to complete a high quality and impactful project for her organisation, which is testimony to her own drive and personal integrity.”
Aurora Horeanu also won Apprentice of the Month. She first joined Brose over six years ago as a Production Operator. After two years she moved into the quality function, eventually applying for the role of Quality Engineer in April 2021. Although she enjoyed working as a Quality Auditor, she said “I wished I could have the opportunity to correct the non-conformities by myself and not only to give advice. So, I decided to apply for a role which would give me the chance to take immediate actions and make improvements. Not only that, but it would also help to achieve my goals, gain the necessary qualification in Quality, and become a successful Quality Engineer”. Her trainer said, “Aurora has been enthusiastic and diligent from the start. She certainly puts into practice the knowledge, skills and behaviours that contribute to her becoming a strong Quality Professional.”
Further information about the Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship can be found here (opens a new window)
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we wanted to share a L4 Improvement Apprenticeship Case study. So we caught up with Sara Bartlett, who works in People Shared Services at Costa Coffee, who’s currently completing the Level 4 Improvement Practitioner Apprenticeship.
FANTASTIC opportunity for personal development
“I started my apprenticeship in May 2022 and will finish in September 2023. It’s a fantastic opportunity for personal development and will bring new knowledge and skills to Costa”.
Biggest BENEFIT is applying the learning to my role
“In terms of what I hope to get out of the apprenticeship, it will be nice to have the qualification, but the biggest benefit is what I will be able to apply to my day-to-day role”.
Provides an opportunity to NETWORK
“It’s great working alongside people from very different sectors, with very different roles”.
Develops SKILLS for life
“I know that by completing this apprenticeship, I will be able to apply the principles of continuous improvement not only in my career, but also my role as a school governor, which benefits my local community”.
And finally, what would you say to anyone else considering this?
“It’s a brilliant way to learn new skills to apply at work. Undertaking the apprenticeship on the job for me has meant that I am able to use my day-to-day role as evidence in my portfolio, and I can immediately apply new knowledge”.
For further information about the Level 4 Improvement Practitioner visit the Institute for Apprenticeship website by clicking the link here (opens a new page)
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we wanted to share a couple of Improvement Apprenticeship learner case studies.
So we caught up with Amanda Beable, Head of Transformation at Hampshire County Council – Universal Services Directorate, who recently completed the Level 6 Improvement Leader apprenticeship with Capella.
Improving outcomes ENERGISES people
“I first became interested in the world of Improvement in customer service management at a previous company. I’ve seen how energising it can be when everyone is driven to improve outcomes in an aligned and motivating culture, I wanted to gain knowledge and develop the leadership skills that would allow me to develop such a culture within my team at HCC, gaining a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt qualification as part of this apprenticeship has certainly helped this”.
Apprenticeships are well established and organised
“I’m a very curious person and with that comes a natural interest in learning. I also want to make a difference in my work, and so taking a course in which I’d learn about how to improve things for customers and team members seemed a very good fit. An apprenticeship was an obvious route to take due to both the apprenticeship levy and how well established and organised the apprenticeship process is within HCC”.
Driving an improvement culture
“I wanted to gain both a greater understanding behind the theory of improvement leadership as well as knowledge of key tools that I can practically implement to improve the work of my team. I also wanted to understand how to nurture the behaviours in both myself and my team that would drive an improvement culture across everything we do”.
Transferable skills are the building blocks for a successful career
“I think HCC is very good at developing skills for life, with many in-house training opportunities available as well as the ability to undertake an apprenticeship. These are skills that are transferable across roles and sectors and are the building blocks for a successful career.”
Practical and strategic skills for the longer term
“The learning has been helpful both in a practical way (new tools and concepts that can be used within our work) as well as in a strategic way. I am currently bringing together previously quite separate teams within the Transformation service that I lead, as part of a wider restructure. Change management, situational leadership and the Shingo guiding principles models have in particular been exceedingly useful to reflect on to better understand how to lead through this uncertain time, in order to build a successful and motivated team for the longer term”.
And finally, what would you say to other leaders?
“If you’re interested in making work better for your team and improving yourself as a leader, then definitely consider this apprenticeship. It takes a lot of work, which is made easier if you can directly relate your learning to the work you do”.
For further information about the Level 6 Improvement Leader click here (opens a new page)
We’re delighted to announce that Capella have been shortlisted in the LEARNING IMPACT AWARD category for the Learning Awards 2023.
The Learning Impact Award is aimed at Training Providers who can demonstrate that they produced a learning programme, that included an evaluation and measurement strategy, with quantified positive outcomes demonstrated by
The next stage of the Awards is on the 24th of November, when Capella will present their Award entry to the panel of judges. Capella are one of eight finalists which includes Astra Zeneca, Capita and Network Rail.
Capella will then have to wait until next year for the winner to be announced at the Award Ceremony in London on the 16th of February 2023.
Capella believe that receiving external recognition is really important to growing our business. Over the years we’ve received some great recognition for our training and achieved several Awards which are featured on our Awards and Recognition page here
