A regional publisher’s production hub responsible for subbing many of its titles across the country has won a coveted business accolade.
Newsquest’s group editorial services unit, based in Newport, has been awarded the Investors in People Bronze Standard.
The hub, which now employs 140 people, brings together newspaper planning, page design, and copy-editing, producing more than 250 Newsquest products.
The transfer of production roles to the hub over the course of last year previously resulted in a number of job losses at Newsquest centres across the country.
Since then, a graduate training programme run in conjunction with Cardiff University School of Journalism has resulted in more than 30 new staff gaining National Council for the Training of Journalism qualifications while a similar number of team members have undertaken management training.
Commenting on the award, Newsquest chief executive Henry Faure Walker, left, said: “I am delighted that the achievements of the Group Editorial Services team have been recognised. ”
Investors in People is the UK’s leading accreditation for business improvement through people management, and provides resources for businesses to innovate, improve and grow.
Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “Achieving the Investors in People Bronze standard is something that any organisation should be truly proud of. It is the sign of a company that is truly committed to good people management practice and we’d like to congratulate Newsquest Media Group GES on its achievement.”
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Given the job losses that preceded this move, isn’t an Investors In People award a little distasteful?
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I agree with Slate Grey. Awarding this sort of meaningless gubbins in an industry where people – particularly their own employees – seem to be the least of the regional publishers’ worries, smacks of disingenuousness. This will stink to legions of discarded workers.
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Probably the only investor award Newsquest will ever get…
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Pass the sick-bag, Alice!
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Absolutely revolting. If this awards scheme ever had any credibility before it has definitely lost it now. Newsquest couldn’t invest its way out of a paper bag.
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Rewarded for destroying an industry, this is like Alice in Wonderland.
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Hahahahahahaha…etc, etc
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This just goes to show how worthless these awards really are.
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I’m speechless!
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This is a sick joke, but I guess it’s only a matter of time before the suits at SSI are polishing their award too.
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Haha!
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Are you sure it’s not a Divesters in People award?
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i·ro·ny (ī′rə-nē, ī′ər-)
The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning.
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Nice one, Newsquest.
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That huge crash was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor
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HTFP gets its April Fool story in early…?
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I had the misfortune to work for a company once while qualifying for IIP. It’s an exercise in creating administration and red tape. And when you get it the MD always wants a presentation pic in the local press who give it a bigger miss than the jumbo sponsorship cheque!
As for Newsquest getting it … well, that about sums up what a worthless piece of tosh it is.
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I look forward to seeing a UGC picture of the award ceremony!
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I expect Newsquest will be rewarding the employees at Newport who did the work for this a pay rise now. *checks sky for pig*
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Make shed loads of people redundant across the country, open up a hub in Wales because the wages are cheaper, then get an award for investing in people. This is on top of a grant they got from the Welsh government in the first place, for setting up this hub….you couldn’t make this rubbish up.
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Tell that to the scores of regional subs and photographers up and down the country who have been made redundant over the last few years. The only people NQ invest in are its fat-cat boardroom suits and shareholders…
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Well done Newsquest as you announce all photographers at The Argus in Brighton are to lose their jobs.
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…and they’ve just made the entire Production Department at Romanes Media Greenock redundant too, along with the Art Desk at Clydebank, Scotland, too, with the 19 jobs going to Wales / India. Nice one.
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Expect no lay offs here then…. Ah wait, just I’ve just seen today’s HTFP main story
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