In This Issue

Drive to Succeed
Stop Press - Partners in Success
ESF Funded Projects
Congratulations
Staff News
QED Conference Centre
Presentations
First Aid Training - with a twist
Procurement NVQs to Change
Notice Period
NEW - Qualutions
Training Calendar
Breakfast Seminar
Competition

Drive to Succeed

Drive is a registered charity that has been established for more than twenty years. It was originally formed to provide transport services for people with disabilities.

Qualtech has been their partner of choice for all their training and development needs. Candidates within Drive have received dedicated, tailored support from Janine Byrne, their Training and Development Advisor, to help them gain their qualifications.

Kelly and Karen Kibble receive their certificates from our guest speaker, Debbie Bainbridge of Welsh Water

Karen Kibble, Drive's HR Assistant, explained further:

“We have two staff – myself and Kelly Kibble, our Office Administrator – who have completed Level 3 NVQs in Administration. Two more of our colleagues – Lisa Richards (Training and Development Assistant) and Julie Jenkins (Clerical Receptionist) – are currently working towards NVQs and Modern Apprenticeships in Administration with Qualtech.”

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Stop Press - Partners in Sucess

As reported in the last issue of Qualtales, we have been working in partnership with EADS to jointly develop a Project Risk Management course that is based on best practice.

The course has proved to be very successful and extremely popular – it has even delivered to EADS' partner sites in France and Germany.

As the first course of its kind in Wales, Qualtech and EADS submitted a joint application to the National Training Awards . The National Training Awards are the UK's number one accolade for businesses, organisations and individuals who have achieved lasting excellence and success through training and learning.

Our joint project has now successfully passed the initial verification stage and will be going forward for judging in the Welsh national round. We very much look forward to the results of this round which will be announced in August.

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ESF Funded Projects

We are pleased to announce the renewal of our successful partnership with the University of Glamorgan Business School to continue delivering part-funded higher level NVQs in Business & Administration and Management for the next three years.

In addition, Qualtech has also been asked to deliver Learning & Development NVQ at levels 3 and 4 supported by the funding. These qualifications are intended for individuals who deliver learning and development programmes and those who support learners – so they are well-suited for a variety of management and mentoring roles (e.g. HR staff with responsibility for training).

Bursaries of up to £500 are available to eligible candidates at levels 3 and 4. Candidates studying NVQ Management at Level 5 may be eligible to receive £350 of funding.

Support to Suit your Needs

Following Qualtech’s successful delivery of the WDA’s General Business Advisory Service (GBAS) programme, we are delighted to announce that we have been selected to deliver its successor, the Welsh Assembly Government’s General Support for Business (GSB) service.

GSB is intended to provide general, flexible advice and support to businesses in Wales with the potential for growth. Through a mixture of individual company diagnostics and one-to-one consultancy, the GSB programme aims to meet the needs of up-and-running local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Our experienced team will offer assistance and advice on a wide range of business activities including: applications for financial support; business and strategic planning; management skills; marketing; quality standards; human resources; and managing change.

Eligible SMEs in South East Wales can receive 100% funded* business advice from our team of expert consultants.

Workforce Development Consultancy

Qualtech is pleased to offer a new, fully-funded* service to help eligible SME businesses or existing GSB clients develop their long-term training plans – Workforce Development (WFD) consultancy.

Supported by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Department for Education, Lifelong-Learning and Skills (DELLS), our experienced consultants will discuss your company’s training needs with you and help you prepare a Business Learning Plan – a long-term strategy to help you meet any new legislative, contractual or business demands facing your business.

If you would like more information on any of the above programmes, please contact our Sales & Marketing team on 01443 841405 or email marketing@qualtech.co.uk.

* These services are part-funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government.

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Congratulations

'Well done' to the following people who have all completed their European Computer Driving Licences:

Norman Cox
Neil Daniel
Sian Evans
Sharon Gilbert, Lloyds TSB
Helen Jones, Western Mail and South Wales Echo
Hayley Kibby, Lloyds TSB
Andrea Morgan, Lloyds TSB
Judith Sandry, Lloyds TSB
Amanda Thomas

Our congratulations also go to the following candidates who have completed their Foundation Modern Apprenticeships and Advanced Modern Apprenticeship frameworks:

Deanna Coles, Tillery Valley Foods
Sian E Davey, Link Finance
Lisa Flanagan, Williams Medical Supplies Ltd
Carlene Haworth, Wealthmasters
Steven Powis, Sully Sports & Leisure
Geraldine Walkley, Link Finance
Veronica Wonnacott, Link Finance

We would also like to pass on our best wishes to the following companies who have made a commitment to achieve Investors In People (IIP) recognition:

Coleg Morgannwg
Cymryd Rhan, Mid Wales

And finally many congratulations to the following companies who have achieved Investors in People recognition:

Campus Catering within Swansea University
Arts Factory, Ferndale
ACT Reprographics, Cardiff

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Staff News

New faces – and some familiar ones

We'd like to extend a warm welcome to our new colleagues Gareth McCarthy (Training and Development Advisor) and Christina Winstanley (Research/Personal Assistant to Jackie Lewis) who both joined Qualtech in April.

We're also delighted to welcome Clare Jarrett and Louise Mitchell back from maternity leave.

And on the subject of maternity, we had to say goodbye to Lucie Wheeler in June. Lucie originally joined us to cover for maternity leave and, just as we went to press, has become a mum herself. Congratulations to Lucie and her husband and a very warm welcome to Luca Anthony.

Sadly, we also had to say a fond farewell to Emily Allison (Sales and Marketing Manager), who left for pastures new after nine years with Qualtech. We wish her every success in her new job.

Two members of Qualtech staff will be competing in the Tesco Race for Life at Tredegar Park, Newport on 16 July. Alison Phillips and Jan Ingram will be hoping to complete the 5-kilometre course in good time whilst raising funds for Cancer Research.

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QED Conference Centre 

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Presentations

On 31 March over eighty guests attended an Award Ceremony to celebrate their achievements following their successful participation in training programmes or consultancy projects with Qualtech.

Our guest speakers for this event were Christopher Ward , Chief Executive of Wales Management Council, and Debbie Bainbridge , HR Manager for Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

Mr Ward spoke about the importance of raising skills levels amongst managers in Wales whilst Ms Bainbridge recounted her company's positive experience of using Qualtech's consultancy services and also discussed Dwr Cymru Welsh Water's ongoing commitment to the training and development for their staff at all levels.

Among those whose success was celebrated were several of the companies who have gained corporate awards, including Genesis Day Nursery (pictured right), who received their Investors In People Recognition certificate.

And here's proof that we can often benefit from our partnerships in practical and unexpected ways… Qualtech's own Bob Knapp receives some impromptu fashion advice from the Goodyear Dunlop team, who were presented with their NVQ Certificates in Distribution & Warehousing Operations and Management (left). Vince Board, who has also supported the team, is shown on the left of the photo.

Photos from the Award Ceremony are available on our web site: http://www.qualtech.co.uk/info/presentation/31-03-06/index.php

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First Aid Training - with a twist

All businesses have to think about First Aid training at some point – but does the prospect fill you with dread? Sadly the experience of learning a skill as valuable as this is often diminished by the dull training methods used.

Not any more – can you imagine a First Aid training course using realistic injuries and jelly body parts? That's exactly what Qualtech can now offer you. We hope that our innovative, interactive and memorable approach will give these HSE-accredited courses a distinctive twist.

But what about the jelly body parts? Andy Lamb, one of Qualtech's associate trainers, was happy to explain: “We have some life-sized jelly moulds of some organs – for example, a heart. Most people wouldn't actually know how big a heart is – so this shows them, and when the training's finished, they can eat the jelly…”

Not satisfied with this, Andy is also planning to add what he calls ‘realism and gore' to the training days:

“It would be really useful to add some staged scenarios for the candidates to ‘stumble' upon and react to during a coffee break, or lunch. An unconscious casualty with burns and scalds, even perhaps compound fractures (with the bones protruding) and stage-blood in a concealed pump… “

“That way, when they're eventually faced with a real situation, that first experience will still be vivid to them and make it easier for them to cope effectively.”

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Procurement NVQs to Change

Edexcel, our awarding body for Procurement NVQs, has announced plans to replace these qualifications.

They will shortly be launching Supply Chain Management NVQs at Levels 2 to 5 and registrations for the new qualifications will be accepted from 1 July 2006 onwards.

The new NVQs are designed to be both flexible and more detailed, allowing portfolio content to be made more relevant to individual candidates' work roles. They also go beyond the highest level currently offered for Procurement, allowing candidates greater progression if they so wish.

We must emphasise that this change will not affect candidates who are currently registered for Procurement qualifications, provided the qualifications are achieved by 30 June 2008.

If you would like any further information please contact our Sales & Marketing team on 01443 841405 or email marketing@qualtech.co.uk.

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Notice Period

Resignation rates have increased in the year to January 2006 and it's all because organisations are failing to meet the needs of their staff.

The "2006 National Management Salary Survey", published by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and survey company Remuneration Economics, polled 22,480 individuals in order to discover that just how bad the problem is. This time last year, the resignation rate stood at 3% for managers and labour turnover in general was just 7.6%. Today, however, those figures have increased significantly – to 4.6% and 11.9% respectively.

Interestingly, CMI reckons that British employers can no longer rely on increasing earnings to combat staff apathy. Rather, they have to focus on improving their working environments and start offering more training and development opportunities. With over one-third (37%) of UK organisations admitting they offer little in the way of career development or training and, of these organisations, 29% suggesting structured training is not open to all staff, it's perhaps hardly surprising that resignation rates are booming.

Are your staff happy with the level of training and development on offer to them? Qualtech can help you identify and address any needs within your company – contact our Sales & Marketing team on 01443 841405 or email marketing@qualtech.co.uk

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NEW - Qualutions

Welcome to our new feature, Qualutions , where we try to help you identify your training needs and how we can help you. The questions we are asked are as varied as the candidates themselves, but below are just a few of the most common…

Q: Do employers really value NVQs?

Definitely. The numbers of companies who have used our services to provide NVQ training and assessment has grown consistently over the past few years – a trend which is reflected nationally.

Many employers also view training that has a self-study element as demonstrating an important commitment to self-development and progression in employment on the part of their employee.

Q: What funding is available for training programmes?

A: Depending upon the qualification and level, Qualtech offers training programmes that are 100% funded by the Welsh Assembly Government's Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DELLS).

Candidates eligible to enrol on a training programme supported by DELLS are required to complete a “framework” of qualifications, including an NVQ, Key Skills and, for some routes, a technical certificate.

Q: What if someone only wants to gain a single qualification and not a full framework of qualifications?

Q: How long will it take to complete my NVQ?

A: We have found that this largely depends on the candidate and the quality of the work he/she produces. On average it takes about 12 months to complete a qualification but it can be completed in less time if more frequent visits are arranged. For example, some NVQ units need to be observed over a period of approximately 6 months before they can be awarded.

At the beginning of their programme each person agrees individual target completion dates and your Training & Development Advisor will give you as much support as you need to achieve this target.

Q: If I have funding for this course will it affect future funding for training?

A: Each candidate is given a target date for completing all components of their framework of qualification when they sign up for training with us. Provided you successfully complete the entire framework within the time allowed it should not jeopardise your chances of securing future funding.

Q: What if I change jobs in the middle of my study?

A: NVQs are fully transferable between employers, provided that (a) the qualification is still relevant to your new job role, and (b) your new employer is happy for you to continue studying with us.

Please feel free to drop us a line and we'll ask our panel of experts to give you a Qualtech solution to your query.

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Training Calendar

Click here to go to our Training Calendar.

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Breakfast Seminars

Click here to go to our Breakfast Seminars.

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Competition

The answers to the riddles set in our last issue were: (Q1) the letter “V”, and (Q2) Typewriter.

For the chance to win this issue's star prize – a day's training from our calendar to the value of £100 – see if you can work out what the mystery office item is in the picture below.

Send your entry to marketing@qualtech.co.uk by mid-day on Friday 25 August and the winner, drawn at random from all the correct entries, will be notified by Friday 8 September.

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