Cllr Watton queries whether Causeway Coast & Glens Council study scheme "goes down to the ordinary guy on the ground"

PUP Councillor Russell Watton raised the issue during October’s meeting of Council’s Policy and Resources Committee.

Committee members were asked to endorse updates to three of council’s Organisational Development and Human Resources (ODHR) policies and procedures, one of which was the Assistance to Study Policy, which offers training and education opportunities to all council staff.

Director of Corporate Services, Moira Quinn, outlined the updates to the Policy, which was adopted by council in 2017: a simplified application process for employees and managers, an updated financial assistance agreement, updated guidance on eligibility for financial assistance, updated conditions of financial assistance and updated appeal procedures.

PUP Councillor Russell Watton asked if many staff members “partake” in the policy. Ms Quinn said courses typically begin between April and June, and “quite a few” staff members avail of it.

She added: “There could be further education courses, short-term courses, there’s a range of courses and I can bring a report back in terms of the uptake of those.”

Councillor Watton asked: “I just wonder does it go down to the ordinary guy on the ground, the guy emptying the bin, does it go right down?”

Ms Quinn responded: “Yes and it might be helpful if I do bring a report back because we have a lot of HGV drivers and those type of courses coming through, to provide for that cross-functional work within operations and estates.

“We also have a couple of new schemes coming through in terms of apprenticeships [and] we have some staff coming through that apprenticeship-type scheme.

“It’s wide-ranging from operations, estates, depots, and then office-based jobs as well, so it might be helpful for members to see that.”