“Being responsible is at the core of our business”

Award-winning ACT is Wales’ largest and leading training provider, and this year we are celebrating our 30^th Anniversary. Over the past 3 decades, ACT has been delivering Traineeships, Apprenticeships and Higher Apprenticeships to a diverse intake of learners, helping over 6,500 people each year.

ACT’s mission to be to make a positive difference to people’s lives by providing excellent learning programmes, continues to be at the forefront to everything we do, and through our provision, we are working towards our goal of making Wales a better place, both socially and economically.

And that is why we are so proud and thrilled to be named BITC Cymru’s Responsible Large Business of the Year 2018.

Caroline Cooksley, ACT’s Development Director, comments: “We are incredibly honoured to have won the ‘Responsible Large Business of the Year Award’. Responsibility is one of the core principles informing everything we do at ACT. We genuinely want to make a positive impact in society through our excellent learning programmes that strive to help change people’s lives for the better. This guiding principle of having a positive impact and being socially responsible is at the core of everything we do and leads to incredible results not just for ACT, but for everybody.”

As well as delivering our training, we recognise that we have a responsibility to help guide and shape our learners into responsible citizens. We have embedded ESDGC and Respect and British Values across our curriculums to encourage and support our learners to realise their capacity to contribute to the social, environment and economic health of their communities. We are also proud that we raised the bar in this year’s annual ACT network Learner Voice Survey, with 96% of our learners saying we’re great for overall learner satisfaction.

Furthermore, ACT are proud to be recognised for caring as much for our passionate staff as our learners. The happiness and well-being of staff is hugely important to ACT, so much so that one of our main company strategies is that all staff feel valued, supported, empowered and happy in work. Our Corporate Social Responsibility Champion dedicates two days a month to oversee our activities, ensuring they are consistent with our objectives. 

We also actively encourage our staff to be responsible citizens, and under our Corporate Responsibility Strategy we define how staff can get involved in our responsible business activities. For example, we have three charities that we as a business support: Llamau, Bobath and Tenovus Cancer Care – our staff raised just over £18,000 for these charities in 2017 alone.

Staff are also given 4 days a year for volunteering activities – this can be for an individual activity such as a cycle ride challenge or a team effort such as taking part in the BITC’s Action Days. This year a team of ACT staff volunteered their time at Ysgol Plasmawr helping out with painting and gardening.

Andrew Cooksley, ACT’s Chief Executive Officer, comments: “Being responsible is at the core of our business and permeates through everything that we do. Our activities are more than simply doing our bit and fulfilling our social responsibilities or sectioning off a proportion of our profits to charity.

“What we do at ACT is really important. We are all about people. Our people, your people, the people of Wales – everyone who is looking to improve themselves, their lives and their career prospects and everyone who is looking for a little bit of a helping hand in life to get onto the right track.

“We are here to provide a difference to people’s lives and all of us come in to work each day to do just that. From those who work directly with learners to those who undertake key functions that help the company run smoothly, we all work together for the greater good.” 

Matt Appleby, Director at Business in the Community Cymru added: “The Wales Responsible Business Awards are a celebration of incredible dedication by companies across Wales.  We are united in a belief that business can improve lives and create a healthier society – and our winners, who fill us with optimism for the future, are exemplars of responsible business. Congratulations, ACT, on your committed responsible business practice – and for being the best of the best. We look forward to continue working with you over the coming year”.

The ‘Responsible Large Business of the Year 2018’ is yet another fantastic accolade for ACT to add to its growing collection, which also includes being named as one of the UK’s top employers with its 59th placed ranking in the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for 2018 list and a Best Companies 2 Star ‘outstanding’ accreditation for its commitment to workplace engagement. Additionally, ACT have been shortlisted as Investors in People (IIP) Gold Company of the Year 2017, putting us in the top 10 companies in our size category in the UK, and retaining our IIP Gold status since 2012.