Training & Recruitment News

New funding released 1st August 2010

Following the beginning of the new funding year (beginning 1st August 2010) Rewards are pleased to announce that we have funding available for eligible individuals on our Train to Gain, Apprenticeship and Adult Apprenticeship programmes.

Qualifications available include: Road Passenger Vehicle Driving NVQ, ITQ (Information Technology) Certificate, Customer Service Certificate, Team Leading Certificate, Business Administration Apprenticeship and Advanced Apprenticeships, Customer Service Apprenticeship and Advanced Apprenticeships, Health and Social Care NVQ.  Also, available in September we can secure funding for Team Leading Apprenticeships and Management Apprenticeships.

For further information, or to request a member of Rewards to visit your workplace to discuss the opportunities available, please contact Paul Williams or Tracey Robertson on 01444 413745.

Please note - Train to Gain and Adult Apprenticeships are not currently available in Scotland. To discuss alternative Apprenticeship opportunities and funding in Scotland please contact Rewards Scotland on 0131 557 6500.

Crawley’s high achieving taxi firm

Crawley-based ALPHA CARS have become amongst the latest companies to invest in their staff and provide the "Road Passenger Vehicle Driving" NVQ to their drivers. REWARDS TRAINING assessors have worked closely with the taxi firm and are delighted to celebrate the success of the first 26 drivers to achieve their qualifications.

Alpha Cars Manager, Rauf Khan, said:

" Our mission is to maintain a reputation that makes us the supplier of choice to local companies and the general public. Established in 1990, we currently have over 100 CRB-checked and licensed drivers and service the entire Gatwick/Crawley area. We believe in offering added value to our customers and the NVQ delivered by Rewards enhances the high-standards that our drivers offer and ensures that this standard is company-wide. Following our success already, our core fleet of drivers have been enrolled onto the qualification".

Rewards Training Assessors, Debbie Rowland & Andy Musson, said:

"The drivers at Alpha Cars have done really well and we look forward to continuing to work with the company and have also started training an office team member on a Customer Service NVQ. In addition to covering the core functions of transport operations, the RPVD NVQ also covers communication, health & safety and customer service; therefore enhancing the service offered to local companies and residents. We were able to offer government-funding assistance to Alpha Cars for training costs and hope that other companies will follow Alpha Cars' lead and support this valuable qualification".

For further information on training (in England) contact Rewards on 01444 413745.

This press release is due to be published in the Business Matters supplement of The Crawley Observer on Thursday 26th August 2010.

Full Apprenticeship funding now available for 19 to 24 year olds!

Rewards is happy to advise our clients that in addition to our usual full-funding* for eligible 16-18 year olds, we are currently in a position to offer full* Apprenticeship funding to employees aged 19 to 24 (England only).

*To be eligible for full-funding individuals will need to satisfy the Skills Funding Agency's funding criteria; namely to have been resident in the UK/EEA for the past 3 years and to be below degree-level qualified.

Rewards can offer Apprenticeships in the below qualifications:

*  Business Administration

*  Customer Service

*  Team Leading

*  Management

*  ITQ (Information Technology)

*  Warehouse & Storage Operations

*  Health & Social Care

*  Support Services in Health Care

*  Allied Health Care

*  Hospitality

Rewards has built an excellent reputation within the training sector; boasting exceptional customer service, strong relationships with local organisations and high success levels for our learners. 

To request training for your team or to find out more please contact Paul Williams or Tracey Robertson on 01444 413745 or email them on paul.williams@rewards-trc.co.uk  /  tracey.robertson@rewards-trc.co.uk

Rewards celebrates Adult Learners' Week (17th to 21st May) and Silver Surfers Day (21st May)

Interested individuals will be offered the opportunity to sample the range of free courses available on MyGuide, within the welcoming surroundings of their local Rewards learning centre.  Our professional trainers are on-hand to assist individuals using the courses and to also offer advice about the extensive range of both commercial and funded courses available at Rewards for those who wish to learn more.

This promotion will be offered at the Rewards learning centres in Haywards Heath, Crawley & Brighton.  

Adult Learners' Week is now in its 19th year and is described as "the UK's largest and longest running learning campaign.  Held each May, it encourages thousands of adults, whatever their age and background, to give learning a go".  It is celebrated in over 50 countries across the world and each year inspires thousands of adults to try something new, whether they are learning for fun or for professional qualifications.  The achievements of every-day people, groups, families and organisations are then recognised with the Adult Learners' Week Awards, with nominations open to all. 

Rewards TRC Scotland welcome Scotland's 20,000th Modern Apprentice

A Highland-based community arts worker is Skills Development Scotland's 20,000^th Modern Apprentice.

Kirsty-Anne Macfarlane will receive a commemorative plaque from the organisation's chair Willy Roe at a Feis arts and music event for primary school children in Ullapool today.  (Please click here to see photo).

The 19-year-old musician is employed by Dingwall-based arts organisation Feis Rois and started her Creative Industries apprenticeship earlier this month.

The Scottish Government pledged to deliver 18,500 Modern Apprenticeships as part of last year's Budget. 20,000 people in Scotland have received skills and training through Skills Development Scotland's Modern Apprenticeship programme in the past year.

Skills Minister Keith Brown said:

"I congratulate Kirsty-Anne and her employers along will all 20,000 modern apprentices who have started their training over the past year.

"Following on from this year's success, we have set ambitious targets for the next 12 months, which will see training used more than ever before to help accelerate economic growth. We will offer a flexible range of opportunities, including 15,000 apprenticeships and 5000 flexible training places that will meet employer demand and improve individual careers."

Skills Development Scotland chair Willy Roe said:  

"This is a special day for Kirsty-Anne and her employers. It shows in very real terms how Modern Apprenticeship and ScotAction programmes have been able to deliver training and skills for Scotland's people in a very challenging economic environment.

"It reflects the achievement of a number of people - and the hard work of apprentices, employers, training providers and staff at Skills Development Scotland - to increase employment opportunities for individuals across a wide range of sectors.

"This is the first time ever that Scotland has provided 20,000 new start Modern Apprenticeship places in any one year, and is more than double what it was two years ago. This is a fantastic tribute to Scotland's employers."

Training provider Rewards TRC Scotland's general manager Liam McGeevor said: "Rewards TRC see this as an important step in the continuing promotion of our cultural industries and we are extremely proud to be part of it. We look forward to taking Kirsty-Anne through the award and to assisting her in achieving her first step in Community Arts."

£500 incentive to train your junior employees on a fully funded Apprenticeship

Rewards recently announced that we were working in conjunction with the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) to provide a grant to employers to encourage the recruitment of 16 and 17 year old Apprentices.  Following the rapid success of this scheme the NAS have reached their maximum allocation of grant applications.  The short-lived nature of this scheme was rather disappointing and we, at Rewards, have decided to offer our own financial incentive for a similar scheme.

The Rewards incentive

Rewards will commit to providing employers with a £500 incentive to employers for each employee, aged 16 to 18 (inclusive), who achieves a funded Apprenticeship programme with Rewards, if signed before 31st July 2010.  Employees of this age will be entitled to full government-funding for their training (unless they have not been resident in the UK/EEA for 3 years or if they are already degree-level qualified) so there will be no financial contribution required from either employer or employee.  The incentive will be paid to the employer once the employee has successfully completed the Apprenticeship programme.  Employers should cite this News Flash when enquiring in order for a £500 incentive to be reserved for you (not available to existing Apprentices).

We would strongly encourage that employers to pass on some of this financial incentive to their employee as a reward for their achievements.  If this is agreed at the start of the training, we believe that the employee will be highly motivated to progress through the qualification and will feel valued for their efforts and self-development.  Rewards regularly host Awards ceremonies to celebrate the achievements of employees who successfully achieve their qualifications.  Your employee will be invited to attend and celebrate receiving their qualifications certificate(s) amongst friends, family and colleagues.

Good for business

Apprenticeships are proven to develop the skills, motivation and efficiency of new and existing employees.  This nationally recognised vocational qualification is designed to raise the competency and performance of employees within their job roles.  The assessment process allows the employee to demonstrate their ability to perform well in their job role and meet the requirements of their employers.  It is widely believed that engagement in training programmes ignites ambition in employees and may lead to promotion within the company, thus helping to retain a skilled workforce and reduce staff turnover and recruitment costs. 

Rewards can support employees on the following level 2 Apprenticeship programmes:

* Customer Service

* Business & Administration

* IT Users

* Warehousing & Storage

* Food Processing

* Front Office

* Multi-Skilled hospitality Services

* Food & Drink Service

* Housekeeping

* Team Leading

* Contact Centre Operations

Apprenticeships are work-based qualifications.  Once on programme your employee will be allocated a personal Rewards Assessor who will support them throughout their training by visiting them in the workplace at mutually agreed dates.  The Assessor will help to gather a portfolio of evidence which is assessed against national standards.

This incentive applies to employees who are already employed within your company.  If you, as the employer, are interested in recruiting fresh talent of any age then Rewards can provide assistance through our newly launched Recruitment Service.  Invest in the future of your junior employees and allow your company to reap the rewards of training with Rewards!   

Rewards has 20 years experience working within the training sector and operates from 5 UK offices.  Please note - this incentive offer is available at our three South East England offices.  Due to different funding regulations used in Scotland, our Scottish offices are not participating in this offer at this time.  In the South East we provide training to, and have ongoing relationships with, numerous employers such as the NHS and West Sussex County Council.

Government funding for eligible individuals aged 18+ is also available via Rewards Training (whilst training places last) ... please ask for details!

Update - Success of £2,500 employer grant

On the 15^th January The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) announced that they would work in partnership with providers to offer a £2,500 incentive grant to employers who recruited new Apprentices aged 16-17.

Following the apparent success of this scheme the below message was issued to providers on 12^th February from Gavin Smith, Employer Services Director, National Apprenticeship Service.

“Dear Colleague

We have had an excellent response from employers to the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds (AGE 16 and 17).

We are nearing the number of starts allocated to our region and it is a similar position across the country. Once we reach our allocation we will be unable to formally accept further grant applications.

We will however, maintain a ‘reserve list’ as it is possible that some of the opportunities will not be realised either as employers withdraw or if a suitable and eligible young person is not identified within the available time…

…We will constantly review the overall position - and if grant support becomes available we will notify you and formally move the employer opportunity from the reserve to the approved list...”

Although it is a disappointment to Rewards, and the employers that we work with, that this offer was so short-lived we would like to emphasise the fact that at present Rewards (Sussex offices) can offer FULL FUNDING for eligible candidates of ANY AGE to complete any of the following NVQs or Apprenticeships…

·        Business Administration

·        Customer Service

·        Management / Team Leading

·        Warehousing

·        Contact Centre

·        Hospitality (excluding Professional Cookery)

·        ITQ (Information Technology)

·        Taxi & Road Passenger Vehicle Driving

If you would like your business to benefit from either the recruitment of an Apprentice, or provide professional training to existing employees, then please contact Tracey Robertson in our Haywards Heath Head Office on 01444 413745 or email her at tracey.robertson@rewards-trc.co.uk

£2,500 grant available to employers who take on an Apprentice by 31st March 2010

Rewards is happy to announce that we are working in conjunction with the National Apprenticeship Service to provide a £2,500 incentive to employers to encourage the recruitment of 16 and 17 year old Apprentices.  It is usual for Apprentices of this age to also receive full government funding for their training with Rewards.

Apprenticeships are proven to develop the skills, motivation and efficiency of employees.  This nationally recognised vocational qualification is designed to raise the competency and performance of employees within their job roles and the assessment process allows the Apprentice to demonstrate their ability to perform well in their job role and meet the requirements of their employers. 

Rewards can support Apprentices in the following areas of your business:

* Customer Service

* Administration

* Information Technology

* Warehousing

* Hospitality & Catering

* Team Leading

* Contact centre adviser

The £2,500 grant can be received by small and medium sized employers who employ a new 16/17-year-old Apprentice who starts his/her Apprenticeship training by 31st March 2010.  Professional Rewards Assessors will support the Apprentice throughout their training by visiting them in the workplace at mutually agreed dates and helping them to compile a portfolio of evidence. 

The process is simple; if you would like to benefit from the recruitment of fresh talent into a paid position within one of the above areas of your business then contact Rewards!  We can prepare a short-list of potential Apprentices for you to interview and we will coordinate with the National Apprenticeship Service on your behalf to apply for the grant. Once eligibility is approved, the grant will be payable in two instalments; initially £1,500 and then the second £1,000 will be paid when the Apprentice has completed the first 12 weeks of their Apprenticeship.

Government funding for Apprentices aged 18-24 is also available via Rewards Training and currently funding for individuals aged 25+ is also available ... please ask for details!

Service available across Sussex and beyond.  For more information please contact Tracey Robertson at our Head Office in Haywards Heath on 01444 413745 or email her at tracey.robertson@rewards-trc.co.uk   

Awards ceremony held to celebrate local employee's training qualifications

The latest Rewards Awards Ceremony was held in December at our Head Office in Haywards Heath.  The ceremony saw numerous employees from a range of local employers receiving their Apprenticeship and Train to Gain NVQ qualifications and celebrating their achievements.  Achievers included employees from Sabre Telecoms, Switchcare Ltd, Amplicon, APH, Metro Taxis, Scorpio CBM, VW Heritage and Southern Water PLC . They received  their qualification from Marion Ward, CEO at Rewards, in front of an audience of family, friends and colleagues. Click here to see a photo from the ceremony.

Apprenticeship and NVQ schemes are proven to harness fresh talent, plug skills shortages and demonstrates commitment to employee's continuous professional development which can bring the business benefit of lower training and recruitment costs.  Apprenticeships and NVQs are designed around the specific job role that an individual holds and the requirements of the organisation where they work.  The emphasis is on training to match an individual's development needs then demonstrating the individual's capability to embed their new skills within their job role through building a portfolio of completed work tasks .  

Rewards currently have funding available to support employers with employees in the 16 to 24 age range who would benefit from completing an Apprenticeship qualification within the workplace.  We offer a wide range of Apprenticeships including Customer Service, Business Administration and Team Leading.  We will be happy to visit and discuss requirements with employers personally if desired.

We are happy to announce that our Train to Gain (Train to Gain is specifically for individuals aged 25+) success rate for NVQs is currently a very impressive 91.8%, compared to the national average of 72.4%.  This product is available commercially from Rewards at any time of the year - call us for more details! 

Service available from our Brighton, Crawley, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Haywards Heath offices - call us for more details!