New training provider will save Moray businesses time and money

BUSINESSES in Moray can now have all their training needs catered for on their doorstep thanks to the launch of a new firm. The Training Folk is a consultancy set up by an all-female team with the aim of being the one-stop shop for a client’s training needs. Run by Hazel Fraser and Laura McFadden, the business partners are aiming to bring more training resources to Moray with a mind to reduce costs, save time and get what people actually need. Hazel, who has a background in construction explained: “What Laura and I have discovered is that the training offering in this region is limited. There are providers who specialise in certain subjects and they do a great job, but what The Training Folk aims to do is offer everything. We aim to offer a host of training opportunities from health and safety, construction-related training, courses in basic accountancy, first aid and we will even cover topics such as mental health awareness, marketing and social media. “We want to be a training hub that will be able to cater for everything from a person working on their own who just needs an extra hand with how to do their risk assessments, to a large company with lots of employees who all have different training requirements. The idea is that any business can come to us and we can help them navigate towards what they need and how best to get it.” Hazel who lives in Rafford near Forres added: “Knowing what a business requires and then how to get that training is a minefield and can often take hours to source. It can be really confusing and all we want to do is take away that worry.” Laura who is a chartered accountant and qualified trainer added: “At the moment through our research and our own experiences of living and working in Moray, we have found that businesses often have to send employees out of the area to get the required training. This is not only financially costly but also takes employees out of the workplace for sometimes up to two or three days at a time using up valuable man hours. What we hope to do is deliver the training either at their own premises or at a location within Moray making is much more accessible. If we identify businesses that have the same training needs, we can pool the resources and potentially offer cost savings. It’s a win, win.” Laura who lives in Elgin added: “It will be a completely bespoke service and whatever the client needs in whatever sector, we will research the best way to access the training, saving the businesses valuable time. We can also act as an administrator for the customer and ensure that they keep up to date with their training, providing reminders when refresher courses are due.”