Help Make 2008 the Year for Skills
Help Make 2008 the Year for Skills
As Skills Secretary, John Denham MP, urges people to make 2008 The Year of Training, why not get involved in teaching something you really enjoy and help others to learn a new skill?
Wiltshire College Salisbury is appealing for experts in vocational subjects to step forward and pass on their knowledge to future generations and is on the hunt for part-time lecturers and NVQ Assessors in a variety of subjects. The subject areas include; Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing, Accounting, Plumbing, Carpentry and Joinery, Electrical Installation, ICT, Business Management and Brickwork.
There is an Open Day being held at the College on the 31 January where people who are interested in taking up these much needed positions can find out more. Organised by Protocol National, an organisation that places lecturers in a huge range of assignments in over 230 Further Education colleges across the country, it is d esigned to demonstrate the huge range of opportunities that exist in Further Education and show how easy it is to start work.
Regional Manager at Protocol National, Ann Biggins, said, “This year is really going to be significant in terms of training. This is reflected in the fact that there are so many popular courses out there. We now need to meet the demand for these courses by finding highly skilled people who are willing to pass on their knowledge to others.”
“ We want people who have hands-on experience within an industry so that students can benefit from their real-life situations. It will also be really beneficial for the colleges as they will be able to feel confident in the knowledge that the people working for them are properly qualified and highly skilled.”
An example of a successful part-time lecturer is Martin Lewis who teaches Bricklaying. Martin started out as an apprentice bricklayer in 1979, but unfortunately the economic benefits at that time were not that good and Martin chose to move into the Army where he worked for 22 years. Once he left the army he decided to move back into bricklaying and started working for a local company. He started teaching at the college in September last year and hasn’t looked back since.
Martin said: “I heard that there was a need for lecturers to teach bricklaying at the college and if I’m honest I wasn’t too keen to get involved. I thought it would take up too much time and leave me even more tired than I already am after a long week at work!
“I was somehow persuaded though and I was pleasantly surprised, and haven’t regretted my decision at all – in fact it’s one of the best things I ever did. I get a real satisfaction from seeing someone come in who maybe hasn’t got a clue about bricklaying and then seeing them leave with a proficient knowledge of the subject – and knowing that’s down to me.”
Martin now teaches adults on a ten-week basic bricklaying course. Most of the people he teaches are learning so they can undertake basic DIY projects at home, such as building raised flower beds, a patio or a garage.
There is a session one night a week and it lasts for two hours. When Martin isn’t teaching he’s a full time self-employed builder. He is planning on undertaking a professional teaching qualification in March this year so he can spend more time in the classroom.
Martin adds: “I don’t have any professional qualifications at the minute. I just find that I can transfer the skills I use during the day to my lesson plans for the evening. At the end of the day I am teaching a practical skill, so to learn from someone who uses those skills every day surely has to be the best way.”
To find out more about these opportunities drop in to The Student Centre on Southampton Road, Salisbury, SP1 2LW, between 2.30pm and 7.30pm on 31 January or contact Theresa Lewis , Protocol National Staffing Co-ordinator based at the college on 0115 938 8322or email tlewis@protocol-national.co.uk.
To find out more about the opportunities that exist with Protocol National, visit the website at www.protocol-national.co.uk.
For further information please contact
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