Latest News from GetOnCourse.net

Management Skills shortages a concern for business

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:57:30 GMT

The Institute of Chartered Accountants and Grant Thornton’s UK Business Confidence monitor for Quarter 1 of 2013 makes interesting reading. The report suggests that there is a rise in business confidence and that the UK economy should avoid a triple dip recession.

Michael Izza, the CEO of the Institute says “As I travel around the country, I speak to young people who want to start their careers and make their way in the world. I speak to many businesses that are doing well. They are profitable and increasing their market share. We need to focus on these people and give them the support and encouragement to grow their businesses and take on new employees. This in turn will drive investment and secure a stronger economic recovery”.

Whilst the situation gives cause for optimism any recovery will be fragile and will depend on the private sector creating further employment opportunities.

A rise in employment is obviously welcome, however it is unlikely that wage increases will keep up with consumer price inflation. As well as continued stagnation in real wage increases the report also points to a growing shortage of management skills.

One in ten businesses are concerned that they may not be able to source enough skilled labour to aid the recovery and in particularly management skills. Companies feel that during the next 12 months skill shortages will become more pronounced and will present difficult challenges in meeting their business objectives.

John Herman CEO of Intec Business Colleges who delivers worked based skills training and management qualifications throughout the country comments that “one way forward for businesses is to take advantage of the Government incentives and to offer Apprenticeship opportunities”.

He continues “in order to address skills shortages in a cost effective way, businesses should introduce Apprenticeship programmes in company for their existing workforce and to help in recruiting new staff. There are currently generous incentives for employers to take on Apprentices and there are Apprenticeship frameworks available in more industry sectors than ever before”.

Intec has been established for over 30 years and has worked in partnership with its employer network to provide skills solutions and work based apprenticeship qualifications over that time.

Employers reap the rewards

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:09:40 GMT

Employers who are encouraging and supporting their staff to undertake work related vocational qualifications are reaping the rewards. Recent research states that 86% or companies agree that having staff with vocational qualifications leads to better business performance.

John Herman, Intec’s CEO says ;- “Apprenticeships are the flagship vocational qualifications in the country, especially for young people and it is noteworthy that businesses understand their value”

Employers who are keen to experience of the benefits of supporting their staff to gain vocational qualifications can access Government funding. Intec can help employers to receive £1,500 for each Apprentices they take on aged between 16-24 years old. These grants have been extended and are now available to companies employing up to 1,000 people and they can access funding for up to 10 Apprentices.
Apprenticeships are now available in a variety of industry sectors particularly in the UK’s service sector.

Apprenticeship Programme continues to grow

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:06:13 GMT

New statistics published in October show a continued increase in the number of people taking up Apprenticeships. The provisional data shows that for the full 2011/12 academic year (August 2011 to July 2012) 502,500 people started an Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship starts rose from 457,200 in 2010/11, at all levels, with particular strong growth at advanced and higher levels.

“These figures show that Apprenticeship programmes are very popular amongst young people and employers. This is a great success story which suggests that more people than ever are engaged in and value vocational training in the workplace.

This level of activity is building a solid base of training in the workplace which can only benefit the UK economy as a whole”

John Herman – Chief Executive Officer (Intec Business Colleges)

Apprentices - Get a Head Start

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:57:01 GMT

As this year’s “A” level results dominate the media and young people experience excitement, satisfaction and disappointment, there are also hard choices to be made about going to university. Research from Oxford University suggests that students will be very selective and will be reluctant to accept offers from universities not on their short list.

Students beginning courses this autumn will be the first to pay higher tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year.

Although three quarters of sixth formers believe that graduates will eventually earn more than non-graduates there is concern over the level of debt which results from a student loan.

There are early indications that the high tuition fees are putting off students who are anxious about the debts they will carry into their working life.

City & Guilds, the vocational qualifications awarding body, have reported a dramatic increase in applications for high level apprenticeships.

There are more Apprenticeship opportunities available in England than ever and young people can earn a good salary from day one rather than start accumulating debt.

The Government is keen to see an increase in Apprenticeship take up and have introduced a subsidy for employers offering places.

From 17th August 2012 employers offering an Apprenticeship opportunity to a young person under the age of 24 will receive a grant of £1,500.

This measure is designed to encourage employers to participate in the Apprenticeship programme and will increase the number of places available.

Apprenticeships are now available in a variety of industries and occupations at levels 3 and 4, which are equivalent to “A” levels and above.

“Currently there are more opportunities than ever for young people, particularly those who decide in an Apprenticeship programme rather than further and higher education. Apprenticeships are the perfect opportunity for young people to start a career, earn a good salary and get a head start in the working world” John Herman, Managing Director of Intec Business Colleges.

John continues “Making the right choice in your career is crucial – Apprenticeships can offer a wealth of opportunity and build your skills, knowledge and opportunity. We are currently working with many companies to recruit Apprentices across the UK”.

Intec is one of the UK’s leading work based training organisations. Intec delivers Apprenticeship Programmes, National Vocational Qualifications, Computer Software Training and an Apprenticeship Recruitment Service to companies and their employees throughout the country. Intec works in partnership with Government funding bodies principally the Skills Funding Agency to provide Companies with staff training and development solutions. Intec’s aim is to help people and organisations to develop their skills to improve their performance and future prospects.

For more information on applying for or placing a vacancy freephone 0808 100 1155 or visit getoncourse.net

Golden Opportunity at Intec

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:57:12 GMT

Staff at Intec Business Colleges Head Office, based in Rugby, Warwickshire were certainly getting into the spirit of the Olympics today with the arrival of an official Olympic Torch.

Warwickshire Air Ambulance Trust kindly visited the centre today to allow staff to witness the opportunity of a lifetime. The torch, which had been recently carried through Rugby during the Torch relay, has kindly been given back to the Charity to allow locals to feel a sense of history with the event.

John Herman, Managing Director commented "This is a wonderful opportunity for the staff here in Rugby on the day of the start of the Olympics, we should take pride in what has been achieved so far and enjoy the exciting sporting events, Good Luck Team GB".

Intec Business Colleges launches £1,500 Grant to Employers

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:35:16 GMT

Intec Business Colleges are able to offer your business a Grant of £1,500.

The wage subsidy grant is available for employers to offer young people, aged 16-24 employment through the Apprenticeship programme.

John Herman, Managing Director comments "This is a great opportunity for Employers to consider employing an Apprentice within their organisation, it is an opportunity to build a skilled workforce for the future. Apprenticeships are proven to boost opportunities of young people and are a sound investment in your organisations future competitiveness"

To find out more information on the new Grants - call freephone 0808 100 1155 today.

Rugby MP visits local Apprenticeship employers with Rugby based training provide

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:22:35 GMT

Local MP Mark Pawsey has joined with representatives from Intec Business Colleges this week to visit local Apprenticeship employers H & K International on the Swift Valley Industrial Estate. During National Apprenticeship Week, Mark was keen to see for himself the advantages of employing and supporting apprentices in the workplace.

Mark said: “I was delighted to be able to visit H & K International this week and to celebrate the skills and talents of apprentices in my Constituency. Recent figures show that 870 apprentices started a programme in the Rugby Constituency during 2010/11. These figures represent a 52% increase from a total of 570 apprentices prior to the 2010 General Election and, most significantly, a rise from just 360 apprentices in 2005. This Government has delivered the biggest boost ever to apprenticeships, with a major increase in those under the age of 19 participating.”

Mark continued: “It was useful to attend with a local training provider who I know has highlighted their commitment to apprenticeships by working in partnership with companies to develop their employee’s skills. I hope that National Apprenticeship Week has helped to highlight the advantages of employing and supporting employers in the workplace, and the wide range of apprenticeships available.”

Mark concluded: “Boosting employer interest should lead to more apprenticeships being created, supporting British Business and providing our citizens with strong vocational skills and excellent career progression.”

Intec Business Colleges were happy to introduce Mark to H & K International employees who are candidates on their programme, and to discuss with him the benefits of apprenticeships and NVQs to both individuals and businesses.

John Herman, Intec Managing Director went on to say “Mark’s visit illustrates his keen interest in staff training and particularly the Apprenticeship programme. I know from his background of running a business himself how much he supports initiatives that help businesses to improve their competitiveness. I am sure H & K International and the Apprentices are pleased that their commitment to the Apprenticeship programme is recognised”

Sue Wheatley (Customer Services Manager at H & K, International) who accommodated the visit, said “Over the years we have offered NVQ’S to various area of the business, including Customer Service, Production and Warehousing. We have weekly in house training sessions on products and procedures, so this, along with the NVQ’s ensures that our staff are knowledgeable and consistent in their approach. We understand that we are only as good as our staff and believe that we should invest in them.”

Mercedes-Benz drives Employee Training

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:05:32 GMT

Mercedes-Benz Insurance provides branded insurance products to both passenger car and commercial vehicles customers and they have set up a training academy to support both new starters and experienced members of their teams to achieve their goals and encourage staff retention.

The training academy works in partnership with Intec Business Colleges to provide NVQ training in Customer Services and Team Leading to its employees. The training academy, which began in the autumn of 2010 is performing well and has been actively embraced by their employees.

The training academy was launched in response to feedback provided in an employee engagement survey. The employees said they felt that once they had completed their initial training, there was not enough ongoing training and development support on offer.

Ivor Wood, Contact Centre manager explained”Following our survey we knew we needed to introduce something that would show our commitment to invest in them. As a brand we are very focused on delivering excellent customer service and the NVQs that we have chosen both reinforce this and demonstrate that we take personal development very seriously.”

“Within the Sales Teams and Customer Services Teams, employees were given the option to take part in the NVQs and we were delighted when all of them wanted to be involved”.

“Intec has made the process run very smoothly for us, they come in and get on with the job we need them to do. They have developed good relationships with our Team Leaders, and the team from Intec has worked well on developing and implementing the training programme together” concluded Ivor.

Intec Supports National Apprenticeship Week

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:08:35 GMT

Yesterday saw the official launch of the fifth National Apprenticeship week. “Apprenticeships are at the centre of the government’s skills policy because we know that they work. Not only do they provide individuals with the skills they need for prosperous and rewarding careers, they also boost businesses’ profits and drive growth in the wider economy.” – Vince Cable, Business Secretary announced.

Mr John Herman, Managing Director of Intec Business Colleges a leading work based training organisation operating throughout the country supports the concept of National Apprenticeship Week. “National Apprenticeship Week is an ideal opportunity to raise the profile to employers of the real benefits of the Apprenticeship programme. Apprenticeships are a great success story for the UK, with employers having seen their potential and are assisting in building the skills of their workforce for future business growth”.

Intec Business Colleges have recently launched their Intec Apprenticeship Recruitment Service providing employers with a comprehensive recruitment package to recruit an Apprentice into their business. “This service is simple, speedy and takes the headache away from the recruitment process and most importantly is free of charge and an ideal opportunity for organisations to benefit from the Apprenticeship programme” concludes Mr Herman.

For more information call Terri Gamble on the Intec Apprenticeship Recruitment Service call Freephone 0808 100 1155.

Intec working alongside Teleperformance

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:25:46 GMT

Teleperformance runs the “Be all you can be” programme aimed at encouraging young people from areas of high unemployment to aim for a life which is physically active, nutritionally healthy and addiction free and understand possible local career paths. This is in collaboration with local services such as community police and education authorities. One of them being Intec Business College!

The company runs an apprenticeship scheme in partnership with Intec Business College aimed at leavers between the ages of 16 and 19. As well as employment, this scheme offers pre-employment training to support school leavers in finding employment. Once employed, it allows them to work towards NVQ qualifications up to level 3.

Read full article here