Graduate Recruitment Training Boost for Cotswold Conference Centre

An increase in demand for graduate recruitment-based training courses has been experienced at Cotswold Conference Centre (CCC) this autumn suggesting an upturn in this niche training market. New client Assystem UK, have taken on a record number of graduates this year and G4S Care and Justice have launched a new graduate intake programme in 2010 with the first event being held at CCC.

Ashley Clulow, Head of Human Resources at Assystem UK, praised CCC for its rural location and said visiting Directors were very impressed with the facility. Assystem UK, as a multi-site business, opted for CCC because of its location in the ‘spine of the country’ and made full use of the centre’s outdoor facilities in organising team building challenges across the lake. Mr Clulow said: “A five-star hotel would not have been applicable for our graduate training course – the learning environment would be completely wrong. The environment, given the constraints of a hotel, would not have been conducive to a training programme which at times was quite boisterous. Our team building projects would have resulted in delegates returning to bedrooms leaving trails of muddy footprints across hotel receptions whereas we could retreat back to our houses on the campus, spruce up and relax in communal areas in the evenings. CCC presented a perfect professional and business focused environment.”

Likewise, Liz Veasey of G4S said: “since this was our first graduate scheme it was important that we got their development right from the start. The unique setting of the Cotswolds Conference Centre meant that we were able to combine classroom learning with outdoor and evening events such as kayaking, treasure hunts, bowling and BBQs. Nick and the team were brilliant at arranging everything for us and it certainly got our graduates off to a flying start.”

Nick Akerman, head of sales, concurs that dedicated conference and training venues such as CCC have many advantages over hotels for training courses for graduates as they better mirror the working environment and set the new recruits off on the right foot regarding the importance of appropriate environments for learning outcomes rather than lavish surroundings and long lunches.. He said: “it’s important, especially for young graduates new to the world of work, to get the right first impression about the employers culture These days, hotels need to be all things to all men and therefore can’t guarantee a dedicated business environment throughout the stay.”

The Cotswold Conference Centre has just secured a ‘Silver’ in the Business Tourism Awards at the annual Heart of England Regional Tourism Awards and work has begun on a £3.5m new build project which will see 32 more rooms coming on stream by the end of 2011.

Despite the economic downturn, CCC has seen an increase in revenues and the facility continues to go from strength to strength under the leadership of recently appointed managing director Mark Philip-Sorensen.

Mark chose to take on the running of the Farncombe Estate which specialises in 24/7 training and learning for the corporate and leisure markets when his father, Jorgen Philip-Sorensen died earlier this year. Mark said of the decision: “we have superb facilities here and a great team of people. The environment we have in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is also complemented by the ‘can-do’ culture of our long serving staff.”

Graduate Recruitment Training Boost for Cotswold Conference Centre