NWLLA Blog

Farm Family
Options Programme
Tranche 3 – Skills Training

Call for Applications

The Countryside Agri-Rural Partnership invites applications from farming families for a third tranche of the Skills Training element of the Farm Family Options programme.

Skills Training is open for farmers with DARD Category 1 Business ID number, their spouses/partners, and children aged 17 years (at date of application) and over. The training my be directly related to the farm business, or may enable members of the family to access an income from out-side the current farm business. Please note the grant available may vary depending on the type of course, specific grant rates apply in certain cases.

Financila assistance of up to £1,000 per farm family member is available to support on farm and off farm work-reated skills training. An associated training allowance of up £250 per family member is also available.

Only the following types of training courses will be supported under Tranche 3:

• Courses offered through local FE Colleges and other recognised Training providers which operate on an academic year intake basis commencing in September/ October 2010 (Qualifications & Credit Framework Levels 1, 2 and 3 only or relevant recognised Industry Standard subject to approval)

The following courses are not eligible under Tranche 3:

Plant & Driving related courses/training
Short courses that are available at regular intervals throughout the calendar year
Hobby Type Courses
Courses above QCF Level 3
Refresher / Renewal Courses
CAFRE Courses

The Closing Date for receipt of applications is Wednesday 22nd September at 12 noon.

Further information and application pack s are available by contacting the Farm Family Options Team on 0845 026 7534, or by email: options@countrysiderural.co.uk, or available to download from the Countryside Agri-Rural Partnership website: www.countrysiderural.co.uk

August sees an influx of results from GCSE to A-Level, but how easy is it to secure that important place in university? The answer is: not very easy at all! As A-Level results continue to improve every year the number of university places are becoming less, with more that 170,000 students in 2010 trying to gain entry into only 18,000 courses.

Entering the clearing process may seem the solution, but with this method, how can you be sure that the course in which you enrol is for you? New students who are successful in gaining university places this year will spend on average the next 44 years on their chosen career journey.

That is why; if you are not successful the first time, take time to re-think your career. Traditionally the GAP year was seen as an excuse to travel and volunteer. The GAP year can now be considered as an apprenticeship to gain experience in your chosen career, adding more weight to a university application in the future.

So why should you volunteer?

There are many reasons why you should volunteer. Through volunteering you can:

Try out new types of work

Make a difference to people’s lives in your community

Get experience that looks good on your CV

Learn new skills that could lead to a new job

Get training and qualifications – some volunteer organisations offer
this

Network – make contacts that could lead to offers of paid work

Get references to use in job applications

Meet new people

Get satisfaction from doing something useful!

For more information on volunteering visit www.gapyear.com

In partnership with the Crescent in Portstewart, the following will be taking place:

1.  On Saturday the 28th August 2010, from 12pm to 3pm, a water-skier will be jetting off around the coast of Portstewart, come along to the Crescent and enjoy!

2.  On Sunday the 29th August 2010, from 9,30pm to 10pm, 50 Chinese lanterns will be releashed into the air from the Crescent!

In 2008 Northern Ireland welcomed more than 2 million out of state visitors, generating more revenue than ever before. It is clear we are becoming a highly desirable global destination.

As a result, tourism has become an essential contributor to the Northern Ireland economy. Even with the onset of more trying economic times for us all, the tourism industry has focused on delivering value for money, quality and unique visitor experiences.

With the emphasis now being placed on customer service, Northwest Lifelong Learning has aligned with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to offer Welcome to Excellence NI as part of our European Social Fund – Skills4Service Project.

What is Welcome to Excellence?

Welcome to Excellence customer service programmes have been designed especially for people working in, or preparing to work in, service industries – including front line employees, managers, business proprietors, volunteers and students.

The Welcome to Excellence programme has 3 distinct areas:

Welcome Host

This participative, one day course provides staff with the communication tools and insights into customer expectations to enable them to provide service excellence and contribute to increased business performance. The training is aligned to the NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service. The benefits include:

Understanding the tourism industry and your customers
Delivering service excellence
Communicating successfully
Dealing with difficult situations
Boosting business.

Welcome Host Plus

Welcome Host Plus provides the opportunity for staff to excel in the provision of a world class standard of service. This one day training course is designed to build on the knowledge and skills already developed from the Welcome Host programme, maximizing the potential of your staff and introducing advanced service skills. The benefits include:

Advanced communication skills
Ability to interact with differing types of customer
Understanding service recovery strategies
Ability to convert enquiries into sales
How to improve teamwork.

Welcome All

Welcome All is a one day course designed to help individuals acquire the knowledge and skills essential for providing facilities and services that meet the specific needs and expectations of people with disabilities and special needs. It also aims to ensure a warm welcome and high standards of service are offered to all customers. The benefits include:

Recognition of the benefits of an accessible service
How to adopt a positive approach
The ability to communicate effectively
How to improve the accessibility of your business
Awareness of current legislation.

From time to time here at Northwest Lifelong Learning we get asked questions about PC problems and how to spot them when they happen. Our in house technicians explain to students, how problems can be spotted when things are not how they seem, telling them it’s a good idea to have the issue looked into before it’s too late.

At the other end of the scale students ask for advice in PC troubleshooting when, in the first instance they tried to solve the problem themselves, questions can range from hardware related issues to problems with drivers or software, which was purchased online for example.

From the 13th July 2010 to 21st July 2010 there will be A+ classes held for those that want to gain knowledge in IT Maintenance. NWLLA will be holding introductory classes for those who would like to move into the IT Maintenance Industry, leading to CompTIA A+ Certification. July is traditionally the period when we close the NWLLA Complex for essential site maintenance. Those who attend will have the ability to shadow our technical team and gain first had experience in a technical role. With only 10 places available contact us early to get your place secured.

What is CompTIA A+

The CompTIA A+ will give you the knowledge and understanding in the current PC and Laptop technologies available, everything from Random Access Memory (RAM) to Operating Systems. The CompTIA A+ is broken down into two core modules and each module will give you knowledge in a range of troubleshooting methods for common hardware and software problems.

Total cost for the A+ qualification is £500.00 instalment plans are available, but you are responsible for your own exam fees which can total £228.00.

For more information and to book your place contact NWLLA @ 02877764429 or you can e-mail us @ info@nwlla.info.

A uniformed guard can be very effective in deterring customers and employees from thinking of theft. For example, a traffic warden who makes regular rounds and investigates car alarms can cause a thief to go elsewhere. A guard checking departing employees at a warehouse has a damping effect on pilferage.

Plain clothes guards, on the other hand, are essential for stopping shoplifters. You have to either catch them or force them out of your shop. The security officer must be very good at reading people and behaviors in order to differentiate between regular customers and (potential) thieves. Experienced shoplifters, at least the ones who are more cautious, can be deterred by the presence of plainclothes security. Many times security people will make their presence obvious in order to scare off the thief. Casually following the person is usually effective. These type of guards tend to be more physical since their job also includes catching, subduing, and arresting the thief once he or she has left the shop.

The decision to hire a uniformed guard or a plain clothes guard should be based on whether it is more important to deter people or to catch them. Keeping people honest is cheaper and much less time consuming than catching them in an act of dishonesty. Deterrance is preferable. If you catch an employee stealing, you will have to hire and train a replacement. If you decide to have them prosecuted, you will spend many hours not making any money.

The uniform makes the guard. If you look sharp, you feel sharp.

In a museum or concert hall, a blazer with shirt and tie gives an appearance of civility and says “I’m here to help you”. Fleeces or shirts with SECURITY written on the back and front are best for crowd control since you want them to be noticed. A police-type uniform for officers patrolling a shopping mall is a must to convey the feeling of security.

In all cases the uniform should be clean and pressed and worn with pride. It represents your job and your responsibilities and goes a long ways towards earning the respect your position deserves. More and more businesses are using uniformed guards who look sharp and attentive. No more slouching, ill-fitting uniforms with the shirttail hanging out, unkempt hair under a crooked hat, and a bored look.

Because of the phenomenal growth of the security industry, the job opportunities are more plentiful than in other industries. It is probably best to seek direct employment rather than working for an agency since you are more likely to work fulltime. Keep your CV updated and do not exaggerate or lie — you must be above reproach if you want to be in a position to monitor other people’s honesty.

Honesty is not just the best policy, it is the only policy.