MITIE offers free mental-health courses to employees and clients

Citation

(2011), "MITIE offers free mental-health courses to employees and clients", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 43 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2011.03743daa.007

MITIE offers free mental-health courses to employees and clients

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 43, Issue 4

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is partnering the strategic-outsourcing company MITIE to offer free mental-health first-aid courses to its staff and clients.

The courses provide comfort and promote recovery for sufferers as well as helping to raise awareness of mental-health issues in the community.

With more than 57,000 employees, MITIE is one of the largest private-sector employers in the UK. If it were to neglect mental-health issues, the financial and non-financial costs to the business could be significant.

MITIE’s MHFA instructor, Jane James, commented: “With one in three adults experiencing mental-health issues, it makes sense to recognise these issues and focus on how we can help to support staff in dealing with them. Since running the program we have had staff at all levels disclosing issues that they have had to deal with. With the support of MHFA training we have been able to support them and avoid a negative impact on the business.”

MHFA business manager Bernice Cole commented: “We are delighted and proud to be working with MITIE to enable it to ensure that the well-being of its staff is taken seriously, helping to fulfil its corporate social responsibility. We hope that its example will be followed by others, ensuring that mental-health literacy is raised and the stigma around it dispelled through the continued training and education of staff. We expect that this will, in turn, benefit the company in terms of higher staff satisfaction and increased productivity.”

A recent report by the Centre for Mental Health estimated that mental-health problems cost the UK economy tens of billions of pounds each year.

Meanwhile, MITIE has held its first graduation ceremony in Scotland to honour 13 people who completed their apprenticeships in Glasgow.

The scheme works to help unemployed people of all ages and backgrounds into the world of work through placements both at MITIE and with its clients. With support from mentors, the apprentices get the opportunity to work in a number of roles, from mail-room operation to landscaping.

Since the start of the scheme in London in 2005, 197 people have taken part, with 134 apprentices completing the program and 98 being offered permanent jobs at MITIE or with other employers.

Apprentices Nicola Walker and Shaun McGirr were awarded £500 for their dedication and excellence throughout the scheme in Glasgow. Nicola Walker commented: “The scheme showed me that, with hard work, determination and the right support, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.”

Shaun McGirr added: “There are a lot of training courses available but none provide the level of support that this one does. It gave me the tools to build my confidence and inspired me to step up to the mark to surpass expectations.”

Kirsty Ramsay, mentor to Nicola Walker and Operations Director at HCS, said: “I was genuinely blown away by the high standards demanded by the apprentice scheme, the rigorous process it follows and the calibre of the apprentices it produces. HCS is proud to be part of this trail-blazing scheme in Scotland and would encourage more businesses to be involved.”

Jim Carson, mentor to Shaun McGirr throughout the scheme, commented: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to be part of the scheme during its launch in Scotland. It has proved to be extremely beneficial to individuals who need encouragement to further their abilities and give them confidence and self-esteem.”

Jane James commented: “Not only is there a social and moral case for working together to make a difference to people’s lives, there is a solid business case. The apprenticeship scheme is about people helping people, and we encourage all individuals and organizations to get involved.”