Telford College HR studies create exciting opportunities

Graduates from Telford College’s CIPD courses have been speaking about the springboard it has given them to promotion and new career opportunities.

An Egyptian-born businessman who has made a new home in the area says the human resources course he studied at the college has already helped him to achieve promotion.

Wael Saied is originally from Cairo, where he was raised around 20 miles from the famous Pyramids. He settled in the UK in 2009 and has worked in recent years for dairy giant Muller, and automotive company TI Fluid Systems.

He enrolled on a part-time CIPD evening course at Telford College to help him progress his career – and has now been appointed HR manager at TI Automotive, based at Stafford Park.

He said:

“I wanted to develop myself, gain a recognised qualification to back up my experience, and enhance my career opportunities.

“I used to enjoy the Thursday nights on campus – although it was hard work, our tutor Ann Dollaghan was always there to help and support us and tried to make the course interesting and engaging.

“This qualification has already helped me. Without this qualification my promotion to HR manager would never have been possible. I am now considering doing the CIPD level 7.

The CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) is the UK’s professional body for human resources and learning & development.

It is recognised as the ‘gold standard’ for people professionals, offering qualifications, resources, and membership that help shape better work and working lives

Ann Dollaghan said:

“When it comes to HR training, CIPD qualifications stand out as the most respected and widely recognised credentials in the UK and globally.

“Telford College offers a hybrid approach where you have direct access to a qualified lecturer who offers one to one support when needed.

“While other HR certifications and in-house training programmes may cover similar topics, a CIPD qualification carries far more credibility in the eyes of employers.”

Signing up for a people management course at Telford College opened up some ‘unexpected opportunities’ for Rachael Davies.

She enrolled on the CIPD Level 5 Diploma because she wanted to strengthen her HR knowledge and build foundations to progress into a more strategic role.

But it has ended up doing much more than that… not only did the course prove to be a springboard for promotion, but it also led to Rachael becoming co-chair of the CIPD Shropshire branch.

“It’s an opportunity I wouldn’t have known about if it wasn’t for the course,” said Rachael, originally from Manchester but now living in Telford and working for sustainability consultancy TBL Services.

“I was introduced to the CIPD Shropshire branch during an event held at college, which led to me volunteering with them and, in May this year, becoming co-chair of the branch itself.”

She said the Telford College was well-structured, useful, and filled with real-life HR examples to bring the studies to life.

“I especially enjoyed the practical case studies and discussions, which helped me apply what I was learning directly to my work.”

Since completing the course, Rachael has achieved associate membership with the CIPD, and will soon be undertaking an MSc in strategic human resource management to continue building her knowledge.

“Completing the Telford College qualification has already had a huge impact for me,” she said.

“It has improved the way I approach HR strategy, strengthened our people policies and practices, and given me the confidence to contribute at a more senior level.

“It also opened the door for me to step into my current role as the head of people and business support and, longer-term, work towards becoming a HR director.

“I would absolutely recommend the course to anyone wanting to grow their HR career, it’s been a real stepping stone for me.”