6 reasons why you should hire an apprentice

1.Increased productivity

Hiring an apprentice is a cost effective way to increase your workforce. Studies have shown that over 80% of businesses that employed apprentices found their productivity had increased as a result. The average apprentice increases productivity by £214 a week, while the minimum wage is just £3.90 an hour for those under 19 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year.

2. You set the syllabus. 

The contents of an apprenticeship are set by the employer, who decide which skills their ideal employee needs, before working with a training provider to create a curriculum that will develop the apprentice.

3. An apprenticeship is a way to upskill current employees.

A large proportion (59%) of post-levy apprenticeship starters are aged 19 and above. It’s likely that most of these individuals were put on an apprenticeship by their current employers. Putting a current employee onto an apprenticeship can be beneficial for both you and the employee, they get a qualification and you get a higher skilled and more knowledgeable employee.

4. They’re tailored to you.

Apprenticeships can be tailored to specific job roles, meaning that the apprentice will fit the needs of your business. The added advantage is that you will effectively train a new employee to think and act in the interests of your business from day one.

5. Apprentices can free up other employee’s time. 

There are low-level tasks that need to be done in every businesses department that take time away from the crucial issues that you need your most senior staff tackling. However, these low-level tasks present a perfect learning opportunity for an apprentice.

6. Increase Employee commitment

Apprenticeship data show that businesses that have Apprentices have higher staff retention rates and staff commitment levels. Apprentices regularly go on to become loyal and long standing members of staff.

If you would like more information about hiring an apprentice or up-skilling current members of staff click here.

What an Apprenticeship in Business Admin is like

A Business Administration Apprenticeship could be a great place to start if you are looking to start a new career or already working in general administrator looking to advance in your career. We offer Business Administration in levels 2,3 and 4. Just like all our apprentices you would be visited once a month by an assessor. During these meeting your assessor would provide support throughout your apprenticeship as well as carry out any assessments needed.

Durations:

• Level 2 – 12 months
• Level 3 – 12 months
• Level 4 – 18 months

Kim’s experience:

Our MIS Controller here at steadfast completed her Level 2 Business Administration and her Level 4 Business administration. Here is her experience of her apprenticeships:

Why did you choose to do a business admin apprenticeship?

“I just wanted something more long term, more structured and more of a career rather than just working in a job that lead me nowhere like my previous job”.

What was the assignments like?

“There was a big difference between 2 and 4 but I managed both without any struggle, Level 2 was easier to adapt to your actual job role and therefore the assignments were quite simple to complete”. Level 4 required a lot more research and more in dept knowledge.

How did you find doing an apprenticeship with steadfast overall?

“I Learnt a lot throughout both of my apprenticeships, I enjoyed it and I feel they gave me a lot more confidence. The apprenticeships helped me progress in my job role.”.

Perfecting Your CV

Perfecting your CV can be difficult, especially since you don’t know who will be reading it. Hopefully these simple tips will help you to perfect your CV and get that job.

First of all, there is no right or wrong way to write a CV but there are some things you should definitely cover. These are: personal contact information, education and qualifications, work experience, relevant skills to the job you’re applying for, your interests, achievements or hobbies and some references.

A CV should always be laid out neatly and in sections, on white A4 and no more than 2 sides of A4. Make sure you read the job description a couple of times and really know what the employer is looking for, tailoring your CV to the role is very important.

Another good tip is to not leave any gaps, leaving gaps for example in employment history, can give employers suspicions or assume it was for a negative reason, if you make sure to

explain everything in a positive light the employer will be satisfied with the fact there is answer for any break or information not given.

It’s also a good idea to check and check again. Make sure there are no spelling mistakes, dates which conflict with one another and the email address and phone number are correct.

Finally, and most importantly, Tell the truth! If you were to lie on a CV and then receive an interview invitation, you are going to have to come clean or bend the truth even more which will not result in the employer hiring you.

What it’s like working in hospitality

Working in the hospitality sector isn’t just waitressing during your school holidays or washing the dishes in a local pub. Hospitality is a massive sector with so many branches off into completely different types of jobs. You could be anything from a hotel concierge to a kitchen manager and they’re all great jobs because of reasons like these:

• You make peoples day; the hospitality sector is all about people and making them happy.
• It gives you room to grow; even if you start right at the bottom there is always room to grow and eventually become a manager or senior staff.
• Its creative; Some roles may require you to face challenges and use your creative side.
• It’s not 9-5; this means it’s great for people who need flexibility, perhaps students who need to work around their schooling.
• A huge benefit of working in the hospitality industry is that you can expect no two days to ever be completely the same whilst working in almost any role.
• If you have the travel bug, then a role in hospitality could be exactly what you are looking for. Many roles involve travelling around the globe including working on cruise ships or being an air hostess.

The hospitality sector in the UK has received an unprecedented boost as a result of a number of economic factors, leading it to become the country’s fourth biggest employer. In 2014 employment in the UK hospitality industry stood at 2.9 million jobs, representing 8.8 per cent of total UK employment. It’s a huge industry and now is a great time to help yourself get ahead with your future career.

Visit our website for information on the online courses and apprenticeships we offer to help you get further in the hospitality industry.

Get to know me

Name:  Nicholas Speroni
Job title:  Operations Manager

What does your job role entail? A bit of everything really! Working in Operations requires involvement in all aspects of the business because the role is so intrinsically linked to our Assessors & Tutors and what they are doing. distance that I can see how things could be improved.

What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
The variety and the opportunities to get involved in lots of different areas of the business keep things fresh for me, but I suppose what excites me is still the opportunity to make a difference to individual learners either with or through the Assessors & Tutors.

Why is your job important to Steadfast?
Because Steadfast have aspirations to grow and having a link between the front line and senior management is what is going to give Steadfast the greatest chance of growing successfully and sustainably.

What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?
Regardless of how happy or unhappy you are in a job-role, every day you go to work you are working for a good reference to enhance your future.

Name one thing not many people know about you?

I have what many perceive to be a dreadful taste in music!

What’s your favourite quote?

Again, too many to choose from but I’d probably go with “Why do we fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves back up” – Alfred Pennyworth, Butler to Batman

 

Important Dates For 2019

January 

18th – International Religion Day

20th – International day of Acceptance

25th – Young carers awareness day/ Burns night (Scotland)

February 

LGBT History month 

4th – World cancer Day

5th – Chinese new year

14th – Valentines Day

17th – Random acts of kindness day

March

1st – Self harm awareness day

4th – National apprenticeship week starts

5th – Shrove Tuesday

8th – International women’s day

17th – St Patricks Day

30th – Mothers Day

April

1st – April fools Day

2nd – Autism Awareness Day

7th – World Health Day

10th – Sibling Day

14th – Palm Sunday

17th – Parkinson’s Awareness Day

19th – Good Friday

21st – Easter Sunday 

22nd – Easter Monday / Earth Day

23rd – St Georges Day

May

5th – Ramadan Begins

6th – Nurse’s Day

7th – World asthma Day

13th – Mental Health awareness week begins

17th – International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

18th – World AIDS Vaccine day

28th – Amnesty International day

June

1st – PTSD Awareness month starts

4th – Ramadan ends

5th – World Environment day 

14th – Blood Donors day

15th – Elder Abuse Awareness Day

16th – Father’s Day

18th – Autistic Pride Day

20th – World Refugee Day

July

1st – Sarcoma Awareness Month

11th – World population Day 

12th – Malala Day

15th – World youth skills day

17th – World day for international justice

18th – Nelson Mandela Day

August

1st – World Lung cancer day

12th – International Youth day

15th – Cycle to work day  

19th – World Humanitarian Day

September

12th – National Quiet Day

14th – World First Aid Day 

15th – Battle of Britain Day

21st – International Day of Peace

23rd – Bi visibility Day

26th – World contraception Day

October

1st – Black History Month begins

5th – Teacher’s Day 

10th – World Mental health Day

11th – National coming out Day

19th – Wear it Pink Day

26th – Intersex Day

November

5th – Guy Fawkes Night

9th – World Freedom Day

10th – Remembrance Sunday

11th – Remembrance Day

13th – World Kindness Day

14th – World Diabetes Day

30th – Carer’s rights Day

December

1st World Aids Day

10th – Human Rights Day

13th – Christmas Jumper Day

21st – National Robin Day

25th – Christmas Day

26th – Boxing Day

Tasha’s story

Hi everyone! My name is Tasha and I am currently undertaking a Social Media and Digital Marketing Level 3 apprenticeship at Steadfast Training. I’m writing this blog post to share with you how I came to work for Steadfast and if I’d recommend an Apprenticeship.

So, I left High school after finishing my GCSE’S and joined a college to do level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Travel and Tourism, I loved travelling and thought this would be a great option to do something I loved whilst having a career, however it just wasn’t for me. When my second year of Travel and Tourism started to come to an end I decided to do something I really had a passion for, so after my two years at college were up I decided to start a year long course at a different college which was a level 2 Diploma in Hair and Media ,Makeup. I loved this course and most importantly it got me my certificate meaning that I could then get my insurance and become a freelance makeup artist working from home. After finishing my college course, I was lucky enough that a job came up close to me and exactly what I thought I wanted, fast forward 8 months and I really wasn’t happy in this job role and needed something new to get stuck into and to find something I really enjoyed.

That’s when I applied for a Social Media and Digital Marketing apprenticeship at Steadfast Training. I came for an interview and they rang a couple of days later telling me I’d been successful.

I started my apprenticeship in April and I am now over half way through, I not only run the company’s social media accounts but also help my manager with everything else to do with marketing! I’m definitely enjoying it and each day is very different. I get on with my apprenticeship course work in my spare time and it is a lot easier and less stressful than expected, if I do need any help my manager and assessor are great for support.

I’d recommend an apprenticeship to anyone thinking of doing one, you don’t have to be a school leaver either so anyone can apply. You get to learn on the job which in my opinion is one of the best ways of learning and you also get paid like a normal job, I really feel that schools should give more information on apprenticeships because if I had known I would’ve applied for one sooner!

 

What its like working in the healthcare industry.

If you’re passionate about helping people, finding a job in the healthcare industry can be one of the most rewarding career choices there is. There’s a variation of jobs to fit everyone’s skills and you don’t necessarily need extensive medical knowledge.

Here’s 5 reasons why working in the healthcare industry would be perfect for you.

• It’s a rapidly growing industry; The NHS is the fifth largest employer in the world, with approximately 1.7 million workers across the UK, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
• You make a positive impact every day; Regardless of your specific role in the industry, everything you do will play some part in helping people. Working in healthcare allows you to nurture your desire to help others, and at the same time, earn a living.
• Great benefits; Benefits of working for the NHS include: one of the UK’s best pension schemes, pay enhancements to reward out of hours work, and an annual personal development review to support your career aspirations.
• It’s a fast-passed environment; In any role within healthcare you will face challenges and meet new people every day. There is never a dull day in healthcare.
• You don’t need years of education; some careers require no experience and give you all the training you’ll need.

If you’re interested in working in healthcare or perhaps a change of career to something you’ll really be passionate about then visit our website to see what apprenticeships we offer to get you started.

Being safe on Halloween!

If you’re planning on heading out trick or treating this year, or perhaps your children are, there’s a few things you should do to stay safe:

• Make sure a responsible adult or guardian goes with you
• Plan your route before you leave the house and make sure someone else knows where you are going
• Carry a torch and wear reflective or light-coloured clothing so you can be seen
• Stay close to home and if possible only visit the houses of people you know
• NEVER enter a stranger’s home
• Stay on pavements and check carefully before crossing a road.
• Throw away any treats or sweets that have been opened or unwrapped
• If you are wearing a mask, make sure that you can see clearly out of it
• Make sure your costume is warm as temperatures can drop to 6’C.

 

 

There can also be dangers for teens and adults. Whilst Halloween parties are a lot of fun, Its still important to stay safe and here’s why

• Someone under a mask might not be who you think they are.
• Say with friends so no one gets lost
• Don’t put your drink down, this is an easy target for people looking to spike drinks.
• Eat well before you go out, especially if you’re planning on drinking alcohol
• Trust your own judgement. Don’t let peer pressure sway you into doing anything you don’t want to do, It’s okay to say no.
• Know where you’re going and how you’re getting there.

Have fun and stay safe this Halloween!

Google’s Safety Centre

On the 4^th of October 2018 Google launched a new help centre dedicated to helping teachers educate students on online safety. The Google Safety Centre has resources and information to help teachers discuss important things such as data security, privacy controls, and online protection with their students. The site will eventually be available in more than 65 languages.

Last year Google surveyed over 200 teachers in the UK to learn about their experience with online safety in the classroom, they found that that teachers believe children should start learning about online safety at age seven, and 99% of the teachers we spoke to felt that online safety should be part of the curriculum, 37% of teachers admit they have witnessed an online safety issue occur while in school.

Here at Steadfast Training ltd we believe online safety is important for everyone, follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for regular online safety tips, or follow our #websafewednesdays tag.