Apprenticeships: November 2015

Monday, 30 November 2015

A Short Story

APPOINTMENT WITH ALICE

( A tale of disorganisation by Philip Charles)

Bill and Ben are playing the computer video soccer game FIFA 2015.

Bill shouts “goal! Match over I win again.”

“One more game.” Suggests Ben.

“No can do” replies Bill, look at the time its 1am, I’m suppose to meet Alice in the library tomorrow at 11am.”

“Is Alice your girlfriend?”

“No she’s my partner; the tutor put us together to do an environmental project.”

“How did you ever get roped into that?” questions Ben. “Fred and I are doing a football project.”

Bill eventually leaves Ben’s house and gets home at about 2:30am.

11:30am Bill is awakened by his mobile, he looks at it and sees he has 7 messages from Alice. He quickly phones Alice, apologises, makes up some excuse about a family crisis and reschedules to meet Alice in the library on Wednesday at 11am.

Tuesday evening, Bill gets a phone call from Ben.

“Hey Bill the soccer game FIFA 2016 is out. They’re going to start selling it at the big superstore from midnight. Are you coming along?”

“Sure” says Bill, “I’ll be there.”

The two young men get to the store at midnight, only to find a lengthy queue outside the store. They were finally able to purchase the soccer video game at about 1:30am. Ben left the store said goodbye to Bill and got home at about 2:30am.

11:30am Wednesday morning. Bill is awakened by his mobile; he looks at it and sees he has 7 messages from Alice. He quickly phones Alice, apologises, makes up some excuse about flooding in his home and promises on his mother’s grave to meet Alice in the library on Friday at 2pm.

Friday morning, Bill gets a phone call from Ben.

“Hey Bill the blokes from the next block have challenged us to a footie match. It’ll take place in the park, this Friday. We’re looking for players, will you join our team?”

“Yes”, says Bill “that sounds like fun.” “Oh no I can’t, I promise to meet Alice in the library, Friday 2pm.”

“Don’t stress” says Ben. “The match kicks off at 10am; we’ll finish long before 2pm. You’ll have plenty of time to meet up with Alice.”

Bill agrees with Ben and goes along to play football in the park with him. During the match, Bill hurts his ankle, and cannot continue playing so he is substituted. He decides to stay and watch the end of the match to find out who wins. He starts feeling cold so he picks up a jacket he sees on the park bench and wears it. The match ends in a draw. Bill waves goodbye to Ben and catches a bus heading towards the library.

As Bill gets off the bus and starts to walk towards the library, he is stopped by a policeman.

“Hey young man, somebody robbed a convenience store this morning and a man with a jacket like yours was seen running away from the shop. You better come with me to the station to answer a few questions.”

Bill is utterly dumbstruck, “no way it was me officer, I was playing football in the park this morning.”

“Have you got any evidence to that effect?”

“Yes,” says Bill “my friend Ben can vouch for me, I’ll just give him a call.”

He rings Ben but Ben’s phone isn’t switched on.

The policeman says “okay, we’ll have to go and find Ben to check out your story.”

Bill replies in the negative, “I can’t, I have to meet Alice in the library.”

“Is Alice your girlfriend?”

“No she’s my partner; we’re doing an environmental project together.”

To Bill’s dismay, the policeman turns down his plea. “I’m afraid Alice will have to wait, this robbery is more important.”

Reluctantly Bill returns to the park with the policeman, where they meet Ben, who’s just about to leave the park.

“I tried calling you,” says Bill accusingly

“Did you? my battery must have died. Anyway what are you doing back here, aren’t you suppose to be meeting Alice?”

“I am” says Bill annoyingly,” but this policeman wants to cross me off his list of suspects.”

After pretending not to know if Bill was with him this morning, Ben assures the policeman that Bill was indeed playing footie with him that morning.

Bill asks Ben for a fiver to catch a taxi to go to the library to meet Alice.

“it’s your fault I’m in the park in the first place” he accuses Ben.

“I want the money back,” Ben tells Bill, as he hurries off to get a taxi.

After what seems like ages, Bill manages to hail a taxi.

“Take me to the Central Library, as quickly as possible.” Bill instructs the driver.

The driver says, “why the rush?”

“I have to meet Alice there”

“Is Alice your girlfriend?”

“No she’s my partner; we’re doing an environmental project together.”

Bill arrives in the library and looks all over the place but there is no sign of Alice.

The librarian sees Bill in a confused state and calls him over.

“You look lost young man, can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Alice,” says Bill.

“Is Alice your girlfriend?”

“No she’s my partner; we’re doing an environmental project together.”

“Oh” says the librarian, “you must be Bill, a young lady left this note for you.”

Bill was downhearted as he read the note. It was a note of dismissal as plain as could be. It simply stated that Alice had been let down by him too many times, and now she was going ahead with the environmental project by herself and wouldn’t include him in the credit.

The librarian knowing already what was in the note, offered to give Ben some advice.

“If you don’t mind me saying so, you need to get yourself more organised. We have a seminar in the library on Monday; it’s about ‘Time Management’. You should attend, you might benefit from it.” As Ben was leaving the library, the librarian handed him a leaflet about the ‘Time Management’ seminar,

“remember it’s at 2pm in the library don’t be late!”

The End

I would like to say a big thank you to Philip for writing this for me. Great way to show how as a young person you can let others get in the way their hopes and dreams. I think it really highlights the importance of making sure you put the things you want into prospective.

Cedainne Hart

Centre for Leadership and Management Development

18-36 Wellington Street

Woolwich

SE18 6PF

02083177380

Website www.clmd.org.uk

Facebook.com/CLMDUK

Instagram: Clmdrecruit

Twitter:CLMD123

Monday, 23 November 2015

The Good Interview

Many people love the idea of getting a job but hate the idea of that initial one-to-one interview. Some people can feel very shy or nervous, for others it can make them quite cranky and irritable. Not everyone has a problem with interviews; some people find them exciting and a better way of getting to know how the business works by asking questions they may not know.

Tips for controlling your nerves

Sometimes when you are nervous you can forget to do things as simple as to listen. This can make an employer think of you as unfriendly or inattentive. Some ideas for combating nerves include:

Being aware of the interview's structure, and the fact that it often begins with easier questions such as 'What previous working experience do you have?;
Exercising a few hours before your interview, if possible, will allow you to burn off negative energy and feel more relaxed;
Pausing before answering a difficult question to give yourself thinking time, or asking for clarification if, at first, you're unsure what the question means;
Putting everything into perspective, reminding yourself that the worst thing that can happen is you not getting the job;
Taking a toilet break before the interview;
Taking deep breaths and not speaking too quickly, this will help you feel less anxious and easier to understand ;
Taking notes with you, writing down cues to highlight examples that you want to draw upon, this will also show good organisational skills;
Thinking about positive and happy experiences before the interview starts, and visualising yourself in complete control during the interview, this will also help you to remain pleasant and well mannered.

How to make a good impression

Making a good impression can sometimes be hard. To make sure an employer does not get a negative first impression of you generally, you should:

Answer questions clearly and concisely;
Ask relevant, thought-provoking questions at appropriate moments, as this can show that you're genuinely interested in the role and really listening to the interviewer;
Avoid talking about any personal problems;
Be as enthusiastic as possible (Not too much);
Be well-mannered with any staff that you meet before the interview, how you respond to other employees will also affect you getting the job;
Display positive body language, speaking clearly, smiling frequently and retaining eye-contact;
Don't badmouth any previous employers, this could give the employer a bad impression of you;
Give a firm handshake to your interviewer(s) before and after, this shows respect and confidence;
Highlight your best attributes, experiences and achievements, based around the skills that you've identified as important to the organisation, and evidencing them with practical examples;
Inform your interviewer(s) that you're available to answer any follow-up questions;
Let your personality shine;
Relax and sit naturally, but without slouching in your chair or leaning on the desk;
Show your hands, as this is a sign of honesty;
Wear smart business clothes with comfortable, polished shoes.

TOP 5 INTERVIEW TIPS;

1. Do your research

Fail to plan and you plan to fail. You are certain to be asked specific questions about the company, so make sure you've done your homework on things like their last year's profits and latest product launches. Also take a look at the latest developments in the industry so you can converse with confidence.

2. Practice your answers
Although there is no set format that every job interview will follow, there are some questions that you can almost guarantee will come up. You should prepare answers to some of the most common interview questions about your personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as being able to explain why you would be the best person for the job.

3. Look the part
Appearances shouldn't matter, but the plain fact is that you are often judged before you've even say a word. Make sure your shoes are polished, your clothes fit correctly and that your accessories are subtle.

4. Stay calm
Good preparation is the key to staying in control. Plan your route, allowing extra time for any of those unexpected delays like road works or traffic and get everything you need to take with you ready the night before. Remember to speak clearly, smile and remember that your interviewers are just normal people, and the may be nervous too!

5. Ask questions

You should always have some questions for your interviewer to show your interest in the position. Prepare a minimum of five questions; some of them will give you more information about the job others may give you a better understanding about the business as a whole.

Cedainne Hart

Centre for Leadership and Management Development

18-36 Wellington Street

Woolwich

SE18 6PF

02083177380

Website www.clmd.org.uk

Facebook.com/CLMDUK

Instagram: Clmdrecruit

Twitter:CLMD123

www.clmd.org.uk/apply

Friday, 13 November 2015

Traineeships and Apprenticeships for the employer

Training to suit your organisation Traineeships and Apprenticeships explained.

Often employers are uncomfortable with the idea of taking on young people for apprenticeships and traineeships because they are daunted by what it means to employ a member of staff in this way. In fact, taking on an apprentice or trainee can be a smooth and seamless process, sometimes easier than employing staff through the regular channels. It can be made so much easier when you have a helpful training provider that supports you through the process: this is CLMD based in Woolwich South East London.

CLMD offers programmes for young people to help them gain training alongside employment. As a business, it is important to make the best use of staff as they are your biggest asset and probably your highest expense. Below is an illustration of the businesses can make use of Apprentices and Trainees and why they should do so.

Traineeships

Traineeships prepare young people, aged 16 to 24, for future careers by helping them to become ‘work ready’. We provide training in Math, English, Work skills, relevant sector training as well as facilitating work placement for work experience. The programme is intended to deliver essential work preparation for onward progression. The time spent in work placement with employers can be paid or unpaid.

Apprenticeships

CLMD’s apprenticeships are open to candidates aged 16 to 24. We deliver Business Admin, Customer Services, Child care, Health and social Care Adult. CLMD delivers each apprenticeship framework within a year. The time spent in work is paid, see apprenticeship minimum wages as a guide, (https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates).

We support the employers we work with to ensure that candidates are being trained to support job performance and personal development. Therefore the employers benefit from the on-going staff development of the apprentice. We also encourage our employers to give us feedback so that we can continually improve the delivery of the programme and the support to candidates. Many of the employers we work with are delighted with the progress of the candidates and have offered them permanent positions.

Cedainne Hart

Centre for Leadership and Management Development

18-36 Wellington Street

Woolwich

SE18 6PF

02083177380

Website www.clmd.org.uk

Facebook.com/CLMDUK

Instagram: Clmdrecruit

Twitter:CLMD123

Wednesday, 11 November 2015

How to Access University

How to Access University

A lot of people left school with the hopes of going straight into work. There is nothing wrong with that! Starting a career young and gaining valuable work experience can be a great route, but what happens when you decide that you might want to do a degree for whatever reason? You may want to move further up the career ladder or have a career change! Whatever the reason may be.....
You may or may not know that most university programmes will have some sort of entry criteria. This is usually a level 3 qualification plus Maths and English. Level 3 is the level prior to the level that you degree will start at.

Access programmes are usually the next route for those looking to get back into education. BTecs attract UCAS points and therefore can meet the qualification entry requirements for university. BTecs are well known and established educational programmes which allow students without the traditional 'A' Levels to gain valuable vocational knowledge and skills which have the added benefit of meeting the entry requirements for some university programmes.

CLMD’s Access courses runs throughout the year with flexible start dates. You can complete the programme within 3 month months to one year depending on the number of credits and if you are prepared to apply yourself consistently.

The BIG added bonus with the CLMD BTec programme is that Maths and English are embedded, another essential requirement for candidates seeking to enter university. Our programmes do not just give you a qualification, they prepare you for SUCCESS. We always look at when the next university start date is and gearing our delivery around students completing in a timely manner.

The programme can also be used for those who are not necessarily looking to go to university and just want to have a Level 3 qualification for career progression.

CLMD takes a progressive approach to students development starting with diagnostic testing, continuing with personalised and finalising with CV support, continuing professional development and university progression.

CLMD, BTec facilitating access to university study, is an intensive programme; you must be completely committed to hard work and very good attendance. You are expected to self-study outside of class room attendance in order to manage strict work deadlines and to cope with the study work load.

Is it the course right for you?
You need to carefully consider your long-term career goals and consider what skills you have gained outside of education. Many universities will be asking you for high grades in your work and you need to be sure these are achievable.
You should research university courses very carefully to make sure you have what they are looking for: you will be applying for a university place within a few weeks of starting the Access course! CLMD will offer you support and guidance in helping you make this decision.

How you will be assessed?
Assessment is on-going and developed through a portfolio of course work. A large proportion of your work will be essays, reports or vocationally related assignments but you can also expect exams, presentations and project work as a means of offering you a wide range of skills.

Additional costs:
The Full Tuition fees will apply to candidates aged 24 and over (For eligibility criteria: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learning-loans/further-information). Provided you pass your Access then successfully complete your chosen degree course, this loan will be waived. If not, the loan becomes repayable once you start earning in excess of £21,000 per year. If you are aged 19-23, you may be exempt from paying your tuition fee. Again, more information will be provided once you attend one of our Recruitment Events.

CLMD have open recruitment every Saturday morning at 11:00am.

or you can apply at

www.clmd.org.uk/apply

Cedainne Hart

Centre for Leadership and Management Development

18-36 Wellington Street

Woolwich

SE18 6PF

02083177380

Website www.clmd.org.uk
Facebook.com/CLMDUK

Instagram: Clmdrecruit
Twitter:CLMD123

Monday, 9 November 2015

5 ways to make getting up and going to work easier

5 ways to make getting up and going to work easier...

Everybody at some point in their lives will feel a lack of motivation to get out of bed and go to work. For some people this lack of motivation may have started at a young age with not being able to cope in the official school system. Perhaps they did not finish school and feel as though the world of work is something outside of their reach. The idea of waking up early in the morning may seem great just before you go to sleep but not so good when the alarm sounds at 7.30am. Are you the type of person that misses interviews or even misses out on starting new jobs because of a lack of motivation or fear? Below are some handy tips to help you get out of bed with a pep in your step and start to make the changes in your life needed to build a successful career.

1) Prepare: If you want to be ready and raring to go for work in the mornings, then prepare yourself overnight for the morning ahead. Get your clothes out of the wardrobe and put them within eyesight of your bed so you know as soon as you open your eyes that getting dressed will not be a chore of trawling through the wardrobe or ironing. Make sure your shoes are polished and ready to be worn. If you want 20 more minutes in bed, shower or bath the night before. You should manage not to get too dirty while you sleep. Still make yourself ready for the important task of giving the right impression to your prospective employer by washing your face and brushing your teeth!!

2) Treat yourself: Everybody has a reason that they get out of bed for in the morning or in some cases the afternoon, whether that be a toilet break or hunger. What is your favourite breakfast treat? I personally love a coffee in the mornings; it brews while I shower, so I know it will be ready when I am.

Make plans with friends for lunch to break up the day and add variety. Having an active social life with your work colleagues is a great way to incentivise yourself to work. Be careful though not to blur the boundaries. Positive working relationships are good but we must always maintain professionalism.

Using your wages to do things that you really enjoy is a great way to show yourself that you are working to live and not the other way around. You are far more likely to have an active social life with a job than without.

3) Positive affirmations: tell yourself you are great! If you are not going to work because you don’t feel so positive about your abilities, this is a great way to increase your self-confidence. It is also a good tool to use in your everyday life. We are what we believe we are.

4) Easy does it: If you are new to the world of work, things can often seem overwhelming. DO NOT try to do everything at once. Easy does it. Make things easier for yourself. Make a Things To Do List of all the tasks that you have been given. If you are unable to complete the tasks then this will be a good indication that your Things To Do List is too large. Working at a pace that is manageable will make the working day more enjoyable. As you progress and understand the job more, you can then begin to take on more responsibility and a heavier work load.

5) Practice gratitude: Instead of focusing on all the reasons you really don't want to go to work, focus on the good parts: You are alive! You have a job! You aren't really sick, etc.

Gratitude promotes positive thinking that attracts good energy.

Cedainne Hart

Centre for Leadership and Management Development

18-36 Wellington Street

Woolwich

SE18 6PF

02083177380

Website www.clmd.org.uk

Facebook.com/CLMDUK

Instagram: Clmdrecruit

Twitter:CLMD123

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Interview with Dyslexic Administrator and Apprentice

Below is an interview conducted by CLMD with a Dyslexic Administrator and Apprentice. This was done to highlight some of the positives and negatives faced by those with learning difficulties such as dyslexia in administrative roles. CLMD hopes that by Highlighting some of the issues employer awareness can be engaged and dyslexics can not only be given more opportunities in administrative positions but can also get the help they need to make these positions more accessible.

What are the difficulties you face having dyslexia in an admin position?

‘When I am set targets and tasks I find it hard to achieve them due to the dyslexia because I feel it affects my ability and I am not always able to complete tasks on time. I often end up missing deadlines. On the other hand though administration is something that I really enjoy and I am very strong in some of the things I need to do like signing students up because in that role I do not need to write necessarily just check that paperwork has been completed properly’.

How do you overcome these difficulties?

‘I do not feel that it is easy to overcome my issues because a lot of what I find difficult will mean that I have to ask for help. I feel embarrassed to discuss it with my colleagues. It does help when other people check my work but I feel that this can cause a delay. If someone is busy who doesn’t have dyslexia it can take a longer time to get things done. It can make me feel embarrassed when we discuss people helping me in meetings but I do understand the importance of the information we send out being correct especially being an educational institution. My deadlines are always extended if I need extra time. I enjoy my job, am committed to my company and thankful for the opportunity so sometimes I feel bad because I have been unable to do things when they may be needed’.

How do you think you could be helped?

‘I would ideally like my dyslexia not to be brought up in front of some of my colleagues or less often. I think if we could have a system where there are more templates this could help. Some kind of speaking software could help with spelling mistakes. A read and write software for example’.

Are there any jobs you could do without dyslexia being a problem?

Most jobs have an element of administration. I did want to be a florist before.

Anything else?

Having dyslexia is not the end of the word it just makes life more difficult. I am trying to help myself by being more proactive and reading books that help me to strengthen my reading skills. Being more familiar with words and spelling everyday has made my spelling 100 times better since I began working here. Though it is hard my confidence has also increased a lot. Before I came to work I used to spend a lot of time at home.

What advice would you give to someone with dyslexia who wants to go into admin?

I would say to find a company who are very supportive as mine have been with me. I would also say however to think about it because it is very taxing.