Training

This
week’s training news

Brewery
students graduate in kitchen skills

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The first student kitchen staff and chefs at Scottish & Newcastle Retail
have graduated from its guild training programme. Linked to City and Guilds, it
offers the students the chance to gain three recognised qualifications: NVQ in
kitchen skills, NVQ Level 2 in food preparation and NVQ Level 3 in kitchen
supervisory skills. The courses combine on-the-job and off-site training
delivered by S&N Retail’s food training team. S&N is planning to expand
the programme across the retail pub sector of the company in May.  www.scottish-newcastle.com/

Survey
highlights gap in NHS training

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A report published by the Audit Commission reveals large discrepancies in
provision of training in the NHS across the UK. The review of education and
trainee nurses, midwives and other healthcare staff found that some NHS trusts
spend five times as much as others on training per staff member than others.
One-third of staff had not agreed training needs with their managers in the
past 12 months, the survey revealed  www.audit-commission.gov.uk

T&G’s
13 steps to better coaching in haulage

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The T&G union, in conjunction with employers, has outlined a 13-point plan
to improve training standards in the road haulage industry. Among the key
points, the plan calls for the DfEE and the employment services to change the
rules of the New Deal to allow the unemployed to have free training for the
haulage industry providing an employer takes them on. The TGWU said that
tripartite action was required from the Government, employers and trade unions
to combat skills shortages in the road haulage industry. www.tgwu.org.uk/

Apprentices
make the grade at Standard Life

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Standard Life employees who joined the firm as school-leavers in 1997-98 have
qualified for their modern apprenticeship programme. The training initiative,
which is part-funded by the Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian, assessed
the 25 employees on administration, information technology, core skills and
customer service. On completion of the course, the students will be employed in
the customer services division of Standard Life.  www.standardlife.co.uk/