Our history
In 2003, Sara McManus and Alan Hill were jointly running an outreach project teaching English to factory workers. When the funding was abruptly cut we decided to redirect all of the energy we had for teaching and formed our own training company – Hill McManus Ltd. We realised that we needed to build a training company that would bring together all of the elements we held most dear – training, education and personal development. After nine months of calling and networking we won a funded contract and began to deliver Skills for Life in our community.
Our vision is to empower every person we meet,
“No matter what may be going on in your life, find what unique contribution you have to offer the world and find a way to give it”
Although our first project started small as it grew we began to reach a larger number of people and to date our training programmes have been able to impact the lives of over 3000 individuals. The Hill McManus team are always developing and improving how we can serve our clients and our community better.
We are constantly evolving what we offer to meet the changing needs of the job market. We offer full-cost as well as funded training, to be able to reach the widest number of people possible. Some of our current types of courses include:
• Employability Skills
• Skills for Life (Literacy, Numeracy and ICT)
• Information Advice and Guidance
• NVQs
• VRQs
• Apprenticeships
• Door Supervision
• First Aid
• Manual Handling
• Risk Assessment
• Physical Intervention
• Team Leading
• CSCS training
We work with the employed, the unemployed, the hard to reach, and those facing redundancy or recently made redundant. We deliver these courses either in community venues, on site at a workplace or at our own training facilities.
The Hill McManus team believe we are born to be free – free to create and choose how we think and act – and are accountable for what we do with our freedom.
“Everyone has the right to take control of their lives and firmly believe that training and personal development is the key to mastering control”
Since 2003 the Hill McManus team have steadily increased the amount and range of courses on offer so that we are able to reach the widest number of people without compromising quality.
“Our secret is that we combine vocationally useful training with powerful coaching”
We empower people to take control of their lives and to discover that true success is not only for the materially well off, or only for other people. It is available to me, to you, to everyone. Whoever you are, wherever you live, you can be who you want to be and enjoy limitless resources.
The Hill McManus team’s biggest secret is its combined training and coaching system. We work in partnership with Andrew Sercombe of Powerchange to embed coaching within vocational training.
The following excerpt is reproduced with permission from the Powerchange website:
“You are Amazing. Your body is amazing. You have 100 BILLION nerve cells that are constantly being renewed. In your lifetime your heart will beat 3,000 million times and pump 48 million gallons of blood. Your thigh bones are stronger than concrete. In the next 24 hours you will breathe 23,040 times. And all that from a body that is 80% water!
Your mind is amazing. The more you know about how people think, the more you discover there is to know. Your brain is the most complicated and intriguing unit in the universe – and you carry it around with you everywhere you go! You use only a fraction of your vast mind reserves in your lifetime.
Yet you live every day with the consequences of its feverish behind-the-scenes activity. How you think, work, choose, live with past choices, and view the future, are all decided here in the hidden depths of your amazing mind. Yet you are so much more than just a body and a mind. You are a human person. You have memories and aspirations, fears, challenges, passions and opinions, the ability to connect with others through language (or a look, or a touch), and the desire to be fully yourself. Who you have been, who you are now, and how you will be tomorrow, matters.
Let’s make the most of it”
If you are interested in finding out more about Powerchange coaching and mentoring or you feel connected to what you have just read, please get in touch.
The Hill McManus team have been working in partnership since 2003 and believe it is vital to sustainability and good practice. First and foremost it is a chance for all parties to learn and grow. The Hill McManus team would love to hear from anyone interested in working in partnership with them and are open to all ideas and suggestions. If there is some resonance in you with what we are doing for others and you like what you find on this site, get in touch by visiting our contact page.
Our track record of ESF/LSC funded projects:
- 2009 — ‘Response to Redundancy’
- 2009 — ‘Train to Gain’
- 2009 — ‘SEED — (Business Enterprise)’
- 2009 — ‘Leadership & Management’
- 2008-2009 — ‘Basic Skills at Work’
- 2007-2008 — ‘On Your Marks’
- 2007-2008 — ‘Level 1 NVQ Apprenticeships’
- 2007-2008 — ‘Improving Skills for Life in the workplace’
- 2007-2008 — ‘Embedding Skills for Life’
- 2006-2007 — ‘Expand’
- 2005-2006 — ‘Addressing Skills for Life in Sussex’
Working Together
We are looking to create strong working partnerships with lead contract holders, training providers and individual trainers and tutors and welcome the opportunity to discuss options further with any interested parties. If you are interested in working with us please visit our contact page and get in touch.
Network of Success
At the start of 2010 the Hill McManus team began to serve their prime contract holders in a different way. Rather than only providing our in-house services, we began to provide the services of other specialist trainers and training providers too.
We developed the NETWORK OF SUCCESS© partnership made up of over 50 specialist training providers, who work to provide outstanding training and development on behalf of colleges and prime contract holders across the South East Region.
The service enables prime contract holders to offer any course imaginable, confident that the Hill McManus team will source and manage a specialist trainer to provide any desired programme. The Hill McManus team are currently recruiting specialist, high quality providers to join the Network. If you believe you deliver outstanding training we want to hear from you!
“Through their extensive network of associates they can offer the largest range of specialist and advanced training in the South of England”
We offer a unique product: a complete, one-stop service for your business, WBL and commercial departments. We carefully manage our relationships with over 50 existing associates and maintain a 93% success rate.
Current clients include:
- Chichester College
- City College B&H
- Sussex Coast College
- Sussex Downs College
- Skills for Life Development Centre
The Hill McManus NETWORK OF SUCCESS© team will:
- Liaise, book, manage and pay all associate tutors and providers
- Performance manage all associates
- Quality manage the delivery of all associates
- Operate a no-delivery-no-fee system
- Operate short notice periods for cancellations
- Source a provider for any course you want to offer
If you think the Network can help you in any way or you would like to discuss further please visit our contact page and get in touch.
Our central training suite is:
18 Wellington Square
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 1PB
Please contact us on:
(01424) 855422
