Winning Scotland

Members of staff from the charity Winning Scotland learned together with benefits to the individual and the organisation, thanks to The Open University. 

The young people’s charity Winning Scotland was able to take an all-staff approach to meeting the skills development needs of its organisation, in partnership with The Open University (OU) in Scotland. 

Discussing the decision for all Winning Scotland staff to undertake skills training, Chief Executive Zahra Hedges explains: “During May 2022, we discussed the opportunities offered by the OU at a team meeting, and everyone was attracted by one or more of the courses on offer.

“We are all familiar with the OU and the standard of educational courses it provides.   

“This was a unique opportunity for every member of the team to engage in learning at the same time, allowing us to discuss our progress together at team meetings and share our learning...It was a great opportunity to focus on learning, upskilling and reskilling without spending a huge amount of time sourcing a suitable provider for individuals."  

The organisation was fortunate to access Scottish Government funding for the training.

‘Project management skills are critical’ 

Winning Scotland works with a range of partners to build confidence and resilience in all of Scotland's young people, which includes developing innovative resources and projects to improve outcomes for children.  

The OU in Scotland worked alongside Winning Scotland to develop a training development plan aligned with their organisation’s needs, including the charity’s immediate upskilling requirements and its future plans. 

The courses we engaged in spanned the impact of digital change at strategic level for senior managers, marketing, and project management."

Winning Scotland’s Chief Executive explains: “Myself and line managers were engaged in the course decision-making alongside everyone on the team. We discussed the future, and specifically the impact of the future of work for the organisation and work roles.

“The courses we engaged in spanned the impact of digital change at strategic level for senior managers, marketing, and several courses on project management.  

“Project management skills are critical to meet time and cost restraints imposed by the specific terms of reference associated with project funders.” 

All working on a hybrid basis, she highlights that: “The flexible online courses allowed everyone to follow their courses when home working, during times and days of their choosing.  

“Two members of the team undertook project management courses and had outside meetings that involved travel, so the flexible nature of the online courses meant they could stop and start at times that suited their work needs, rather than the other way around.” 

‘Great chance to focus team discussions on the future’ 

Starting in a new role for the charity as Planet Youth Manager, leading on a new pilot project being rolled out across parts of Scotland, Dave Barrie at Winning Scotland undertook an Agile Leadership and Management course.  

Dave comments: “The course worked well, with a mixture of written work, projects and opportunities to learn from other peer learners throughout studying.

“This element was particularly positive, as there was such a range and mixture of learners all coming from a wide range of backgrounds and sectors. Engaging with your peers was an essential element in the course.” 

The course also gave him the opportunity to focus on communication, collaboration and commitment, which have been very useful in his new role, while he highlights another positive was the access to course support from the tutors. 

This is a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful learning that relates to individual learning needs, team development, and the future skills and development needs of your organisation."

Kevin Gilchrist, On Our Marks Project Manager at Winning Scotland, was initially apprehensive about undertaking the course after being away from further education for over 20 years.

However, he shares: “I’ve found the course layout course easy to follow, the content has been very relevant, and it’s helped me gain an understanding of my new role as a project manager.”  

Zahra concludes: “This is a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful learning that relates to individual learning needs, team development, and the future skills and development needs of your organisation.  

“Online courses are flexible in adapting to different work patterns and demands, and because everyone can engage in learning at the same time, it’s a chance to focus team discussions on the future of your organisation and its needs.” 

Photo by Neil Hanna