We have continued to show our commitment to colleague development through a wide‑ranging digital and professional training programme, supporting colleagues to build confidence, develop skills and prepare for the future of work.
Working in partnership with Access Training, we have supported 95 colleagues to complete funded training across key digital and technical areas, including Microsoft 365, Excel, Power BI, cloud technology and emerging artificial intelligence tools.
The programme has delivered clear benefits, with colleagues commenting to say how useful the training sessions were.
David Sayers, Admin Assistant at Gentoo, said: “Over the past year, I’ve completed two courses with Access Training – Power BI and Excel Advanced Level 3 and I really enjoyed both. The training has helped me feel more confident and capable in my role and I’m now able to take on additional responsibilities to support the business.
“The courses also helped me identify areas where I’d like to continue developing, which I plan to do through further training or online learning. Having the training delivered locally in Sunderland made it easy to attend and everyone was very welcoming.”
Samantha England, Director of People, said: “Our approach to learning is about much more than one‑off courses. We invest in funded training so as many colleagues as possible can access development opportunities, and we continue that investment where deeper expertise and specialist skills are needed.
By working in partnership like this, we’re supporting colleagues to feel confident in the roles they do every day, helping us build a strong, skilled workforce and making Gentoo a great place to work. Ultimately, that means we’re better equipped to deliver high‑quality services for our customers now and in the future.”
Susie Miller, Commercial Director at Access training, commented “At Access Training, we are really proud to be working in partnership with Gentoo on this programme and their wider skills and development strategy. The scale, ambition and commitment they’re showing to colleague development, particularly across digital and emerging technologies, is exactly what’s needed to future-proof skills within the North East.
"What stands out is how this isn’t just about one-off courses, but about building confidence, capability and progression opportunities for colleagues at every level. That is where you start to see real impact across the whole organisation.
"We’re looking forward to building on this even further over the coming months, including working together and continuing the conversation around digital skills, AI and workforce development across the region."
Building on the success of the funded programme, we have continued to invest further in its people through commercial training, supporting an additional 62 colleagues to progress into deeper, role‑specific development. This includes large‑scale service management training, with 57 colleagues completing ITIL certification, as well as advanced technical and digital skills courses.
We are also laying the foundations for future‑ready skills, with early engagement in artificial intelligence and automation training. Colleagues have already taken part in introductory Copilot and AI sessions, helping to build awareness and confidence as these technologies increasingly shape how work is done.
Access Training has been supporting employers in the North East for over 40 years. You can find out more information about access training and what they do by visiting: https://www.accesstraining.org/
