When I first came to the UK in July 2005, I planned to stay here for 6 months, gaining some more English language skills before embarking on a university degree in Germany.  Things changed and I decided to stay …

With the first 6 months gone, I moved departments at the hotel I was employed for and became a receptionist. That was when the opportunity arose to embark on an Apprenticeship programme with Straight A Training. With Jayne being my Assessor at the time, I completed a Front Office Apprenticeship at Level 2 within the next 6 months.  By that time I had decided that I wanted to study hotel and hospitality management in even more depth. I was worried that I wouldn’t manage studying in the UK, that my language skills wouldn’t be good enough. I was so wrong!

Looking back, applying to university was the best thing I could have done at the time.  I recall my first day at university as if it was yesterday and remember the worries I had around my time management skills, the support I would need and of course the job I still had to continue.

It all worked out well. I joined Straight A Training as an Assessor in February 2007, 6 months into my studies, and had all the support and understanding anyone could expect throughout the past 4 years of my education. 

I have only recently completed my Masters in Hospitality Management by writing a thesis on cultural differences and how these affect leadership.

Before I finish I would like you to remember that:

1) Apprenticeships are a great start to your career and an even better start to further and higher education!

2) The team at Straight A Training has been amazing at supporting me throughout my studies and I am proud to be working with them!

Good Luck with your studies!

P.S. Have a look at the Apprenticeships Straight A offers. They offer a great experience!

According to the managing director of Addecco, Steven Kirkpatrick, there will be thousands of job opportunities available in order to cope with the customer service demands of the Olympics. A number of these which will become permanent and sustainable. He highlighted that the positions will range from catering to media, hospitality, tourism, sport, leisure, and customer services. Further forecasting completed by People 1st has also supported this statement by predicting that the hospitality sector will grow by a further 10% by 2017.

So, how will the skills gap be filled? At present, 19% of vacancies within hospitality are proving hard to fill due to a shortage of skilled applicants. One of the most prevelent ideas to address the gap is through the use of apprenticeships. In a recent address to the House of Commons, People 1st chairman, David Fairhurst stated;

“Apprenticeships are the lifeblood of our dynamic, innovative and fast-growing sector, and People 1st working closely with sector employers is committed to raising the number of apprenticeships further to tackle the sector’s skills needs and gaps,”

Both the support and opportunity to get the benefit from apprenticeships is here, and now more than ever is the time to get ahead of the curve. If you would like more information on how apprenticeships could work for either you personally or as an organisation, please contact Straight A on info@straighta.co.uk.

Our Charity; Straight Aims is looking at supporting members of our team to spend time teaching and developing students in various countries around the world who have less opportunity to learn than students here. This year Lucy Edwards, one of our Team Leaders will be spending 2 weeks in a school in Ethiopia, where she will volunteer to work with students between the ages of 6 – 12 years old.

Each year we will look at supporting various institutions throughout the world to enable a better learning experience for students and also a fantastic life skills opportunity for our team at Straight A.

So, the bike ride seemed a brilliant way to raise money and to encourage team building within Straight A.

Nine of us signed up for the challenge, not really knowing or understanding what we had let ourselves in for. This was totally apparent when we all turned up bright and early in Great Missenden Bucks, looking like a bunch of badly dressed gardeners!!! All of the other cyclists were evidently serious riders who sported Lycra like it was the latest fashion item!

Undeterred (but slightly intimidated) by these professional riders, we donned our helmets, got measured for our bikes and discreetly wearing our padded pants under our jogging trousers, set off on the course.

As this was a team effort we had decided to ride together as far as possible. This strategy went to pot after the first 10 minutes of the course where Mat Nutt (Director) decided to turn the experience into a race… Needless to say though, the first hill got the best of all of us; we all had to get off our bikes and trudge up what seemed like Mount Everest, puffing, panting and turning scarlet in the face!

The course at Great Missenden was classed as a grade 2 out of 5 for difficulty. All of us found the course a challenge; however we all thoroughly enjoyed the team building experience, the beautiful scenery and the fact that we did this for a charitable cause.

We all managed the course in less than 5 hours and managed to raise a fantastic £660! Talks regarding the next challenge are already taking place… Two ideas so far are The Three Peaks challenge and sky diving WATCH THIS SPACE!

The qualification was great for me as I love  my customers even when they are difficult; I love to help them, solve their problems, suggest things to make them feel happy and satisfied which is important, that’s what I’m here for!!

The course has been very interesting and useful especially with Louisa always helping me and encouraging me, giving me the opportunity to improve within my skills.

Now I am progressing through a Customer Service level 3 Apprenticeship. I am sure that the new course, even if a bit more difficult is going be a new opportunity for me to improve in my job role.

Jessica

So far I am six days into the trip and it is proving to be a wonderful experience. Granted, my first experience on Ethiopian soil was a guard shouting that the entire plane had walked the wrong way and that if we didn’t move quickly that we would all be deported back to where we cam from but hey ho!! After managing to make it out of the airport I met up with Dawit (who runs the school with his wife Steph) and after picking up the rest of the family we headed straight down the dusty road to Nazareth. The remainder of the week was spent meeting Azeb (Dawit’s lovely mother who I am staying with) and going to both the kindergarten and grade schools which are located in central Nazareth. The weekend was spent exploring the local area and on Sunday I ventured onto an Ethiopian mini bus which ended up getting stopped by the police and the driver nearly being arrested. He managed to avoid this however, by saying that the entire bus were friends of the ‘ferengi’ (white person – i.e. me) on board and that they were all taking me on a trip to the hot springs in Sodore! I then had to get out and personally thank the policemen for letting us all continue on our way – which was followed by the entire bus giggling at me for the remainder of the trip!!

The beginning of the week has been very busy getting to know all of the teachers and the classes. Living in Nazareth means getting up very early (basically when the hyenas stop wailing and the cockerels start crowing!) and everyone is normally at school by 8am. Today I spent the morning at Kindergarten where we learnt about the letter p and making finger puppets. I then moved onto the grade classes where in grade one we studied ‘Jack and Jill’ and then rather scarily I had to teach grade four about changing verbs from singular to plural and the different grammar rules associated with this. My experience of the children so far is that they are all wonderful and love coming to school. They love reading and want to practice their English continually, even when eating at break time which can result in a slightly spit blasted face!!

Thanks for reading and please check back soon for more updates and hopefully some pictures!!

Your success at work depends in part on your office organisational abilities, and any job that has some form of paperwork would fall into this category. Organising office paperwork can be intimidating, but getting the job done opens up the opportunity for much greater achievement and a far more pleasant office.

An organised office is really worth it, so find the time to work through it and apply these organisational tips to your own situation. It will be hard work and daunting, at least initially, but the final result will be satisfactory.

Here are thirteen golden rules towards improving your productivity at work:

1. Have a master to-do list for each day at your desk.
2. Only keep essential items on your desktop (computer, phone, fax/printer, card file). Clean out each desk drawer, to free up even more valuable storage space.
3. Filing system should be simple, easy, and manageable. Use storage boxes to store dated files. File papers immediately.
4. Pre-sort the mail: To-File, To-Read, To-Contact (write or call). Organise your email; every project or contact should have its own folder.
5. Use a variety of containers and desktop organisers to organise stationary and papers that come across your desk (If you work with more than one person create an in-box for each).
6. Colour-coding files can make it faster to find information.
7. Do not over stuff folders and filing draws! It will make it difficult to retrieve information when needed.
8. Sub-divide larger files with interior file folders, and use ‘tab hanging file folders’ in the front for easy index.
9. Return calls in batches and leave specific messages and the time you called if the person you’re trying to reach isn’t available.
10. Keep an assortment of all-occasion envelopes and stamps in your desk.
11. At the end of each project or event, organise paperwork and file or store it.
12. Throw away anything unneeded. Empty workspaces of everything but the project you’re working on to cut down distractions.
13. Straighten desk at the end of the day, and especially at the end of the week, so that you can start each morning with a clear desk.

Practise these guidelines on a daily basis to help you make the most of your day and get more quality free time.

When you speak to most head chefs who came through the colleges in the 1990s (and earlier), they tend to all shed a tear of affection for the “old 706’s.” This shared nostalgic love affair seems to provoke a fear of betraying an old establishment rather than investing in the modern apprenticeship scheme. And it is easy to see why.

In many cases the NVQ became nothing more than a simple tick box scenario; assessors pushing learners through without actually gaining any technical skill or knowledge during their qualification. Also, where is the reflection of skills demonstrated between a qualification achieved in a sandwich bar or café compared to those achieved in a top restaurant or hotel?

This has caused great frustration for head chefs, who had always used the 706’s as a benchmark for employing competent chefs. This depravation of the system has disillusioned many into describing the NVQ as being nothing more than a slip of paper; a non-qualification reflecting nothing of the chef’s ability or skill.

However, this is not the feeling by the entire conglomerate of chefs. I spoke with head chef Chris Watts, of the Royal Air Forces Club in London, who is a firm supporter of the apprenticeship scheme.

“I’ve always had apprentice chefs,” Chris tells me, “but as things moved over from the City & Guilds’ 706’s we had to look at another way of doing it. I was sending them off to colleges to begin with, but I felt they weren’t getting enough experience to warrant them taking a day off and so we decided to take the training in house.”

Michelin starred chef, Michael Wignall, agrees with this. In an interview over on The Staff Canteen website, he explains that if he were to do his training all over again, he would not have done the 706’s as he felt it gave chefs a false sense of security. “I think you can get far more out of it if you go somewhere decent and get an apprenticeship.”

Chris Watts still believes that the Professional Cookery qualification should be used as a foundation for a chef’s knowledge, giving them the necessary initial grounding. “What I like about the modern apprenticeship is that when you get a talented student they can progress very quickly, which is good for them. Doing it one day a week at college may not give them that speed they require, causing a lack of motivation and their talent could be held back. By doing it in house, it also encourages them to stay longer which is a positive to both the learner and the employer.”

Many other establishments are looking to the apprenticeship scheme as a way of ensuring that their chefs have the foundation skills required by the sector. The success of the program now lies in the hands of the employer as much as it does the provider. A mutual responsibility needs to be built to ensure that apprentice chefs can still find work placements where they will receive the support and training needed to keep the catering skills sector alive. If this is to happen, the Professional Cookery qualifications will begin to silence critics, and maybe even win over the more nostalgic head chefs.

Many sectors of the hospitality industry were targeted by the rioters in London and other major cities, ranging from the large corporate hotels right down to the smaller independent coffee shops. However, every business affected has shown great resilience to withstand the threats and maintain the levels of hospitality that the “Brits” are renowned for.

This is not the first time that the industry has managed to use all of its resources to maintain its reputation. Examples of major disruptions include; the foot and mouth scare, volcanic disruptions and terrorist threats.

With the prevalence of the rioters comes the underlying question of  “why are people rioting?” Some speculative peers have given countless reasons to this question ranging from, blaming the parents, lack of correct policing, rising costs and increased tuition fees, to name a few.  My view (everyone is entitled to one) is that after the initial cause for the riots, the main follow on point was that far to many of the perpetrators had far too much time on their hands, lack of education and very little disposable income.  In turn, the question of “how can we prevent this happening again?” comes about.

The Hospitality Industry is a great starting point for matters to be turned around. With the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and Straight A Training in tow, many youths of today could make a positive for the negative incidents they have been involved in and sign up to an apprenticeship in hospitality. This may provide the drive and determination for success and allow an improvement in their lives. The learners will have a qualification from which they will be able to forge a career from. Maybe instead of using their hands for mindless acts they could transform this energy into core skills in the industry.

So, why is it important to seek feedback?

• to identify our strengths and weaknesses;
• compare the feedback with our own assessment of any situation – to make sure we are on track and realistic with our own self-appraisal;
• learn from a situation where you went wrong – or got it right for next time;
• identify problem areas that need action and over which you have responsibility;
• see how your team is performing – as additional information to your own assessment.

As you can see, none of those points involves praise or approval. It is a realistic appraisal of a situation or project so you can learn and move on.

How do we ask for feedback?

Asking people in the team is easy i.e. ‘So, guys, how did we do’ – a response from the team should follow. The next stop is your manager or a supervisor i.e. ‘So, Boss, how did I do?’ that also sounds easy to do, does it not? Asking for feedback from your customers? That is also easy i.e. ‘Is there anything we could do to improve the service/product/delivery times etc? How about your colleagues?? Just ask them every now and then ‘So, could you tell me how did I do with my task?’

What is important when enquiring for feedback, do not preface it with things like ‘Can you tell me where I went wrong?’ or ‘I know the task went wrong, but I do not know where the mistake was.’ Never ever, give your own judgement of the situation in advance.

Let them tell you the good and the bad. Just nod at it all and say ‘Thank you’ and move on.

The events in London demonstrate that in teaching there should be more emphasis on building mutual respect and good relationships between the learner and teacher. Additionally, we should develop students’ mandatory skills such as literacy and numeracy as well as important life skills such as career planning. It is crucial for educational organisations to motivate their learners by showing them what they can do with their qualifications and encouraging their students to reflect upon the practical applications of their learning both in the work place and in everyday life.

 In the Evening Standard last week, Boris Johnson highlighted that one  solution to address the current problem is through the use of Apprenticeships. The apprenticeship training provision offers vocational qualifications in the workplace with personally tailored training programmes and teaching. This is the way that we work within Straight A Training. It is a priority for us to help our students to reach thir full potential and career objectives. Every learner has their own Individual Learning/Personal Development Plan which is expanded upon during the completion of their apprenticeship. But the most important thing is that we always try to build a friendly, respectful and helpful relationship between our learners and assessors in order to encourage students’ progress and to make studying fun. Our apprenticeships are like stepping stones for further education or an opportunity for gaining life skills to progress on your career pathway.

Whilst working with us at Straight A, she achieved her Assessors qualifications and her introduction to teaching in the Lifelong learning sector.  She was a popular member of the team; one who always worked above and beyond the call of duty and who was always willing to help other team members if required.

We have remained in constant contact with Caroline since she moved out to China and I even had the opportunity to meet up with Caroline and Pedro when I went to Beijing last year!

Caroline has gone on to grow and develop her skills whilst in China.  She is currently teaching English to Chinese students and has been involved in the judging on a competition for learners studying English.  More recently she has even been featured on her local television channel; Zheng Zhou TV!

Congratulations to Caroline and Pedro as they are due to be married in June this year; in Portugal.  Many members of her old Straight A Team will be at the wedding to celebrate with them both.  Watch this space for photographs!!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Following on from the first diary entry the remainder of the week has been as wonderful as the beginning! On Wednesday I spent the morning in the grade school with a very lively grade one class teaching all about the letters ck and miming words that contained these letters. It was all going fabulously well until I demonstrated the work ‘kick’, which was followed by one of the children swiftly kicking a table leg with brute force and then collapsing in tears.  Thankfully after a quick smile and hug normality was resumed.  I then spent the afternoon in kindergarten reading a book called Pirate Boy, and learnt that I have some serious work to do on my parrot imitation! The children seemed to enjoy it though and spent the remainder of the lesson drawing some very impressive pictures of pirate islands.  Thursday then arrived and upon arriving at the grade school was informed that the grade four teacher was unfortunately off and would I be ok working with his class for the morning, to which I enthusiastically said yes! I then headed straight over to the classroom and received a lovely warm welcome from the class. Following a very fun circle time (a kind or registration time when a game is also played) everyone then sat down at their desks to begin class.  However, upon checking the plan for the day panic started to creep in as I established that the first two classes were Amharic language and maths (which would have been fine in English, but nope it was in Amharic).  After a quick deliberation I decided that we would skip straight to the third lesson and do phonetics followed by English grammar. The rest of the morning then flew by and soon it was time for lunch and a quick break. The afternoon classes began with some games and then we came to the final lesson which was P.E. Although not another one of my strengths we all ended up having a very lively and dusty game of football!! Friday was somewhat more relaxed with the morning spent assisting in kindergarten and the afternoon in grade 2.

Now the weekend has arrived, and its lunchtime in Nazareth! Thanks for reading and check back for more next week…….