Go Ape Case Study

About Go Ape

Go Ape is the UK’s number one forest adventure - dedicated to living life a little more adventurously, having fun with friends and family and getting in touch with your inner Tarzan. The classic and original Go Ape experience is a 2 – 3 hour Tree Top Adventure involving flying down zip-wires, leaping off a Tarzan Swing and tackling crossings whilst enjoying some of Britain’s most breath taking scenery.

There are 28 Go Ape adventures around the country but no two Tree Top Adventures are the same. Some locations also offer other outdoor activities like Tree Top Junior courses for kids and Forest Segway Experience safaris. The Grizedale Forest Go Ape is home to the very first Zip Trekking Adventure. Go Ape has around 100 permanent members of staff and another 600 staff employed on a seasonal basis.

The Challenge

As Go Ape expands and adds additional activities at many of its sites, it has created the new role of Deputy Manager. The Deputy Manager works closely with the Site Manager to ensure targets are met and sites are run successfully. This may include any aspect of site operation including staff, equipment, facilities, health and safety, customer-care, administration and local marketing. Many of these new positions are being filled by members of staff who have been promoted through the company.

/n/n### The Delivery

The People Manager's Toolkit was chosen as an effective method to support Deputy Managers in reaching their full potential, according to Rob.

The Advanced Level package was selected to provide access to a broad range of relevant resources, with City & Guilds accreditation ensuring learners receive a recognised qualification upon completion.

Simultaneously, Site Managers will complete the courses to familiarise themselves with the resources available to Deputy Managers.

The Results

Ensuring a high level of quality across all sites is a priority, and online learning provides a consistent standard of delivery, according to Rob.

For the same reason, Virtual College’s Customer Care resources were also purchased. Due to the seasonal nature of operations, most training takes place in January and February, outside the busiest period.

Go Ape staff complete practical training face-to-face on-site, while Deputy Managers are given time to complete their online learning at home, as they are not regularly in the office.

With widespread access to PCs and broadband across the UK, this does not present any practical challenges.