This week’s training news
Navy apprenticeships
The Royal Navy has launched a new scheme to develop modern apprenticeships
for its engineers. The £5m project will involve NVQ (Level 2 and 3)
qualifications in subjects including air engineering, marine engineering and
weapons engineering. The contract was awarded to NTP through the Learning and
Skills Council and the firm will ensure the Royal Navy meets the stringent
criteria for work-based learning. Currently,
around 200 new recruits join the MA scheme each month, but the Navy hopes this
number will increase. www.royal-navy.mod.uk
Award for engineer
A central heating engineer has received a National Special Achievement award
after completing the Eaga partnership training course, developed to alleviate
skills shortages. Ed Hownam is one of 485 unemployed trainees who joined the
eight-month course and he has now gained a full-time job in Newcastle. The
partnership manages the Government’s Warm Front scheme and promised all
trainees a job if they successfully completed the course. www.eaga.co.uk
Gaining skills for life
Five disabled workers at Remploy have completed a pilot course designed to
demonstrate how basic reading and writing skills can transform people’s lives.
The workers received on-site tuition in the Pathfinder Project scheme which is
part of the Government’s Skills for Life initiative. The staff all recieved a
certificate and the star learner also gained a special commendation. The
10-month course proved so successful that the firm has launched a new learning
centre to meet demand from staff. www.remploy.co.uk
Centre rewarded
The Glenmorangie whisky company has been awarded a National Learning Award
by Learndirect, following the success of its learning centre. The centre in
Broxburn allows staff to learn anything from IT skills to foreign languages. It
also runs a series of relevant whisky industry training courses. The firm is
now creating learning stations in each of its three distilleries. www.lds4b.com
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Telephone training
Nine staff from NHS logistics’ distribution centres around the country are
currently training on a pilot scheme to improve the first point of contact with
telephone customers. The NVQ programme is being carried out by TTC training to
develop the skills of staff who liaise with customers. If the trial of the
scheme proves successful, the training will be rolled out to other NHS
logistics staff. www.ttctraining.co.uk