ISSUE 29, NOVEMBER 2017

Dear Members

This edition of The Earwig tries to brighten up thedarker frosty November days and set a celebratoryfeel not least because the 30th November marksSt Andrewʼs Day. We reflect on the Cowes SmallShips race - our third consecutive event - whichwas a real success once more and there are somegreat photos in this edition and on our facebookpage which can be visited by clicking here.

In this edition we also reveal our latest WBTC Learnerof the Quarter and mark 30 years service to WBTC by Tammera Easterling our Operations Director.

Weʼve seen a strong take up of our additional workshops by members recently. These are addedvalue activities that members can send any of theirstaff on. I strongly encourage early bookings to avoiddisappointment, particularly on the first aid and health& safety one-day qualifications.

These events are there to help our members and remember that you can send ANY of your staff onthem.

Matt GarveyManaging Director

EMPLOYER SATISFACTIONRESULTS 2016/17

Provider

West Berkshire Training Consortium

Key Training Ltd

Basingstoke Youth Action Trust Ltd

Aspire Achieve Advance Ltd

QUBE Qualifications and Development Ltd

Basingstoke College of Technology

Bracknell & Wokingham College

Activate Learning

Chiltern Training Ltd

CIBT

QA Ltd

Newbury College

Employer Satisfaction Score

94.6

91.3

89.2

86.1

84.9

84.4

84.2

81.3

78.6

75.8

73.2

65.7

Earlier in the year, results from the Learner Satisfaction Survey, known asFE Choices were published. These have now been followed by Employer Satisfaction results and the figures provide a clear indication of what localcompanies think of colleges and training providers.

The survey questioned 60,000 employers across England about the training received from their chosen college or provider. Responses were required from atleast 70% of the employers associated with each college or provider in order for theresults to be classed as valid. With the sample size being so large, these resultsprovide a robust and reliable analysis of the business community’s views on colleges and training providers.

A national average of 86.7% of employers said that they would recommend their college or provider to others. This represented a modest improvement on 2015-16.There is some variance among different types of training organisation. Private training providers’ national average was 88.1% while the national average for FEColleges was lower at 84.6%. Among other things employers were questionedabout the quality of advice & guidance, the professionalism of staff and the communication between employer and provider. They were invited to give scoresout of 10 for each question with 10/10 being excellent.

The publication of Employer Satisfaction results complete a set of statistics that companies can use to assess a college or training provider. The five benchmarksof quality are:• National Apprentice Achievement Rates (average is 67%)• Learner Satisfaction Survey Results (median is 88%)• Employer Satisfaction Survey Results (median is 86.7%)• Apprentice progression rates (not recorded nationally)• Ofsted Grade of Outstanding - Good - Requires Improvement or Inadequate

At WBTC we are delighted to be the leading local provider whenit comes to Employer Satisfaction. We work incredibly hard atbeing responsive to our employers’ needs, developing innovativeadded value services and most of all returning their investmentthrough high quality training.

For employers new to the world of apprenticeships and keen toget involved, they can use these satisfaction results and othermeasures to identify and partner with the best providers. For ourexisting members, our 94.6% rating is reassurance that you’vepicked a great partner for your apprenticeship programme.

The full tables can be viewed here.

The Employer Satisfaction Survey: Participating employers werein receipt of Education and Skills Funding Agency funded learningor training

COWES SMALL SHIPS RACE 2017

GEORGE NORTH - WBTC LEARNER OF THE QUARTERCongratulations to George North who works as an apprentice at The Grey Matter Group and is our latest Learner of the Quarter.

George was nominated by his Training Consultant Andrea Wood who said;

“I am nominating George for the immense transformation in his skills, abilities andconfidence. George started at the Grey Matter Group in December 2016 and whenI first saw George he was very shy and quiet. However, month by month during myvisits I noticed that George continued to grow in confidence and was developingmore and more in his role, learning lots of new skills and increasing his productknowledge. George is due to complete his Apprenticeship soon and he has becomea very valued membered of the team, working in the customer contact department.On a daily basis he takes calls from customers and supports them with all theirqueries. There are plans at the Grey Matter Group to ensure that George can continue his professional development.”

...WBTCʼs third adventure aimed at providingunique and professional development opportunities for younger apprentices.

Well done to the apprentices who trained and competed onTS Maybe earlier in October. They spent a week training withthe shipsʼ crew working towards their RYA Competent CrewCertificate before competing in the race on Saturday 7th October. The team came second in blustery conditions whichsuited TS Maybe perfectly.

The team were made up of:

• Karen Murphy, Training Consultant at WBTC

• Ollie Lang, (Achieved Apprentice) at Bayer

• Stacey Wilkinson, Apprentice at Morgan Sindall

• Joel Smith, Apprentice at Bayer

• Chloe Anderson, Apprentice at Bayer

• Reece Mannings, Apprentice at Benchmark Furniture

• Markus Slade, Apprentice at Benchmark Furniture

• Tom Fishlock, Apprentice at Benchmark Furniture

• Alex Simplson, Apprentice at Benchmark Furniture

This was WBTC’s third adventure aimed at providing unique professional development opportunities for younger apprentices.Each of the trainees were completely out of their comfort zone butnevertheless picked up new skills and had a great experience onrace day.

Skipper Grace said;“With the ups and downs of the week and lessons not to be forgotten I feel on a whole apart from the nit-picking and moaningby some of the apprentices it was a momentous week, they reallydid pull it out of the bag on race day and came together like noother I have seen. The pure challenging work, teamwork, determination that was shown in getting Maybe around the racecourse to come second overall is a fantastic achievement and onethat will stay with them for a life time.”

SEARCH YOUR NAME ONLINE• First, clear your browsing history. Then put your name

into several different search engines, and see what comes up. Try nicknames, initials and different variations of your name.

• Type in other things about you - your school or college, clubs you are or were a member of, places you’ve lived, the company you work for and previous employers.

• Look for images, photos and videos as well as key words.

• Search sites you visit often, such as online directories, online grocery stores, public record sites, shopping sites and ancestry services.

• Don’t forget to search social media sites and blogs - both personal and professional. Explore what other people have said about you, photos they’ve tagged you in or comments they’ve made. Look at your friends’ personal pages as well as your own.

• If you have a business site, look at the reviews given and comments made.

ASSESS YOUR DIGITAL REPUTATIONConsider what all the online information you’ve found says aboutyou. You may not like everything you see. Ask yourself:

• Is it accurate? Is it positive? Does it reflect the image I want to give? Is there something left out?

• Would I be happy for anyone else to see it - my spouse, my employer, a health insurer, or a customer?

• Does something need to be edited or removed altogether?

• Are my personal and professional profiles combined? If so, should I create separate profiles for my work and personal lives?

• How public or private are my profiles?

• Even if you make your accounts private, people can still see your profile pictures, so make sure they represent you in a professional light. That doesn’t mean you have to be in a suit and tie, but just think about the kind of image you want to portray.

According to new research published recently, 60% of hiringmanagers and recruiters now vet candidatesʼ social media profiles when assessing their suitability for a position. That isup 8% from the year before, and continues the trend of socialmedia becoming an increasingly important part of the job application process.

However, it’s not just about the period when you are job-hunting.When you are in a job you need to consider the image you project to colleagues and clients. A Fundamental British Value is mutual respect, and keeping a professional profile reinforces this. It couldalso protect your individual liberty if you are managing and monitoring your digital footprint. If you haven’t got a handle on your online presence, here are some tips to make sure you are on the right track.

THINK PRIVACY• Keep personal information private. Ask permission before

posting personal details and photos of other people. Keep passwords, user names and account numbers to yourself.

• Use privacy tools to set appropriate levels of access for friends, family and the general public, particularly on social media. Remember, site owners may update privacy settings.

• Before you download an app, check what information it will gather about you and why, and who it will share this data with.

• Discuss with family and friends what you are happy for them to share, and what should stay private. Respect their wishes too. Don’t overshare. Help kids to understand the consequences of sharing too much information. Remind them,and yourself, that nothing is ever totally 100% private if it’s online.

• Be careful not to share too much about your working life, or you might accidentally give away confidential information. And don’t be negative about your boss, your colleagues or your workplace online, it could backfire.

FIX WHAT YOU CANRetrace your digital steps and take action fast to restore your onlinereputation. The sooner it’s gone, the less damage it will do.

• Delete old, inactive accounts.

• Ask Google to remove unwanted information from search results.

• Hide or delete embarrassing, controversial or offensive posts. References to drugs, discriminatory comments, dishonesty about your qualifications, or derogatory remarks about former employers or work mates - they can all harm you and/or them.

• If you can’t remove content posted by others, ask the person who posted it totake it down or correct it. If you can’t contact or get a response from that person, ask the site administrator for help in getting the unwanted content removed.

• If you feel it’s necessary, use a professional service to clean up your image. Just search ‘online reputation’ and you’ll find a long list of options.

For further advice and guidance contact martyn@wbtc-uk.com

IS IT TIME TO PROFESSIONALISEYOUR ‘DIGITAL PROFILE’?

SAFEGUARDING & PREVENT DUTY

Newbury based WBTC Member - The Grey Matter Group - are offering local care providers Skills for Careʼs Lead to SucceedManagement Development Programme. Managing DirectorSarah Knapp said “We are extremely proud to be the only Skillsfor Care ʻCentre of Excellenceʼ rated endorsed provider in theUK licensed to deliver this programme.”

We can offer the programme for up to 10 people for £2,250 (normally £3,000) which works out at £45 per person per day whichis incredible value. The course is suitable for aspiring or new managers and can be scheduled over a week, a month or over several months to suit your organisation’s needs. We can also tailorsome of the content to ensure it addresses any challenges your organisation experiences.

For more information, please email Sarah.Knapp@TGMGroup.net.

HEALTH & SAFETY INFORMATIONFIRST AID AT WORKAn accident or injury at work is every managerʼs nightmare. The Health &Safety Executive have very clear guidelines on what should be in place forFirst Aid at Work. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requireemployers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and per-sonnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are in-jured or taken ill at work. These regulations apply to all workplaces includingthose with less than five employees and also to the self-employed.

What is ‘adequate and appropriate’ will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. This includes whether trained first-aiders are needed, what should be included in a first-aid box and if a first-aid room is required. Employers should carryout an assessment of first-aid needs to determine what to provide.

To help our employers WBTC run regular courses. The Emergency First Aid of WorkCertificate in offered to WBTC Members free of charge. It is ideal as a first course or as a refresher for existing nominated first aid staff. It is a fully approved level 2certificated programme.

For more information visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/legislation.htm#duties

Tammera Easterling our Operations Director celebrated 30 years atWBTC in September. Past members of staff and longstanding employers all gathered to wish Tammera well and reflect on herenormous contribution to the Charity.

When Tammera started with WBTC in 1987 we ran the Youth Trainingscheme (YTS) paying £30 per week for trainees. The internet was a distant prospect and the charity worked from a small office in NewburyTown Hall. 30 years and more than 15000 apprentices later, Tammerahas seen enormous changes in the world of apprenticeships and helpedshape WBTC into a strong, local and ethical training provider.

Tammera is pictured with WBTC Trustees (left to right) Colin Heslop(Chairman), Chris Moore and Iain Cox.

CONGRATULATIONS ON 30 YEARS SERVICE WITH WBTC

ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE CARE SECTOR?LEAD TO SUCCEED - SOCIAL CARE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

WBTC MODEL OF DELIVERYThe Supply Chain Operative Warehousing Operative Standard has nomandatory qualifications. However, WBTC has worked to build a programmethat does lead to formal qualifications. We’ve done this to professionalise theprogramme and provide a benchmarking opportunity for employers:

• Highfield Level 2 Certificate in Warehousing and Storage Principles

• NCFE Intermediate Award in Skills and Behaviours in the Working Environment

• Level 1 or 2 Functional Skills in maths (if required)

• Level 1 or 2 Functional Skills In English (if required)

As part of the End Point Assessment process (see below), apprentices will beentered for their forklift truck training leading to credentials for operation in awork setting.

This month we look at a strategically important sector - Logistics. WBTC, being based in Newbury, sits on the M4 corridor whichis a strategically vital hub for logistics, warehousing and transport. Thames Valley Berkshire LEP cite logistics as a priority sectorbecause it employs so many people. However, as a sector logistics engages less than half the number of apprentices comparedto other sectors such as care, engineering and business administration.

To combat this, WBTC has worked to produce a new stretching and challenging programme. Supply Chain Warehousing Operative Intermediate Apprenticeship is a new Apprenticeship Standard. It is aimed at a wide range of front line roles in the sector.

END POINTASSESSMENT

FOCUS ON NEW STANDARDS - LOGISTICS

SUPPLY CHAIN WAREHOUSING OPERATIVE APPRENTICESHIP STANDARDThis is a new Standard targeted at the many warehousing, stores and logistics people working in this important sector. It replaces the old framework with a more interesting, varied and stretching standard that mixes workshop and practical training.

FUNDINGThe price cap for this Supply Chain Warehousing Operative Apprenticeship Standard is £3000 and WBTC’s price is £3000 plus a small awarding body fee.

Non-Levy customers will pay our tariff of £20 per week until the apprentice completes their programme.

DID YOU KNOW1 in 12 working people in the UK are

employed in the logistics sector?

PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT (50%)This should cover the learning outcomes listed as ‘skills’ carrying out everyday tasks. An Independent Assessor willuse a checklist to confirm competency.

END POINT ASSESSMENTAs with other standards this programmes has an End Point Assessment which is attempted once all learning aims have been completed. The EPA for this standardincludes:

SHORT ANSWER QUESTION TEST (50%)This is in two parts, one covering the learning outcomes listed as knowledge and onecovering the learning outcomes listed as behaviours.

Both will include at least 2 scenario based questions replicating a real situation in a warehousing environment.

Most of the training workshops below are free of charge to WBTC members which means apprentices, work place mentors or anyother staff can attend. To book please use the email address against each event. Spaces go fast so please let us know ASAP ifyou wish to make a reservation.

Workshops, courses and activities

We operate a £35 no-show fee for anyone who doesn’t attend without notice on any free of charge course. This will be invoiced care of the employer. WBTC have enhanced the confirmation process as follows

• We’ll confirm your attendance by email and send a meeting request that you can import to your outlook or webmail calendar.

• We’ll confirm your space with your employer and call you 2-3 days prior to the event.

West Berkshire Training ConsortiumConsortium House

7 Cheap Street, NewburyBerkshire. RG14 5DD

Tel: 01635 35975www.wbtc-uk.com

facebook.com/WBTCNewbury

twitter.com/WBTCNewbury

Matt Garvey Linkedin

Remember, if you are an employer that has

an apprentice, is on one of our qualifications

or hosts a work experience student then

you are a member. This will entitle you to

subsidised or FREE access to our one-day

workshops and enrichment activities.

Momentum is really building among

our members and workshops are

now filling up fast!

DECEMBER 2017

FEBRUARY 2018

JANUARY 2018

LEVEL 2 CERTIFICATE IN EMERGENCY FIRST AID AT WORK This qualification accredits the candidate to be a nominated first aider in theworkplace. It investigates a whole range of first aid activities including:

• Treating minor wounds

• Administering CPR

• Identifying victims of shock

• The recovery position

EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONThis workshop looks at professionally written correspondence and the way it impacts upon company image and reputation. A poorly worded email or letter can make the sender and their employer look amateur or even careless.

During this session you will explore composing professional business letters and emails. The session will also investigate using appropriate forms of communication and good practice in the application of written English in business.

Venue: WBTC Dates: Friday 1st December 09:30 - 16:30

Friday 16th February 2018 09:30 - 16:30Contact: matt@wbtc-uk.comCost: FREE for WBTC members. £149 for non members

Venue: WBTC Date: Friday 19th January 09:30 - 16:00Contact: matt@wbtc-uk.comCost: Free for WBTC members

£100 for non members

COACHING AND MENTORINGThis session is ideal for anyone who is helping another colleague at work. It could be in your role as a manager or as a peer-to-peer mentor.

This session explores different learning styles and how mentors need to adapt themselves to match their mentee or trainee. It will also look at different types of mentor/coaching models, how to provide constructive feedback and address performance improvements.

Venue: WBTC Date: Monday 12th February

09:30 - 16:00Contact: matt@wbtc-uk.comCost: FREE for WBTC members

£100 for non members