Retail Support Training Packages

BRIGHTER PROSPECTS LIMITED

EMPLOYABILITY SPRINGBOARD

A menu of training opportunities to improve the employability of
ex-retail workers seeking new employment options

THE   OFFER   TO   POTENTIAL   BENEFICIARIES

Funded by Hampshire County Council these training courses are available at
Winchester & Eastleigh Learning Centres.

You need to be UNEMPLOYED and previously working in the RETAIL or closely related SERVICE SECTOR  - Check the HCC / eHampshire web site for eligibility rules

Train in our Winchester or Eastleigh Learning Centres, at Home or in a workplace (once re-employed) using high quality audio visual courses with tutor support or choose a tutor-led briefing workshop

Training includes choice of Wordprocessing and/or Spreadsheets and/or Electronic Communications plus opportunities for an extra course in accounting, web design or other MS Office / business skills option

Contact our Employability Springboard help line 023 8001 3254 in the first instance to arrange to meet with an advisor and select your training, then register on the web site with our guidance and then….....get started on your way to new skills!

Limited availability – first applications w/c 24 August with initial advisor sessions normally on Wednesdays and Fridays each week (though some flexibility) and then an immediate training start as soon as YOU are ready (unless you select one of our workshop options).  Workshops start in September as required to meet demand.

If you are eligible for this project and need to brush up your skills to help you secure a new job, don’t delay……………call today!
The Training Centres, our Individual Learning Approach, our facilities and centre opening hours…………..

The team at Brighter Prospects Limited (BPL) has been providing secretarial, IT, IT technical and accounting training in the County for 19 years and operates the Winchester Learning Centre and the Eastleigh Learning Centre.

The centres offer:

• 60 training workstations with modern front-line equipment networked to broadband
• Excellent certificate courses drawn from our PITMAN Training portfolio
• On-line eCourses you can do in our centre, at home or in the workplace
• Some workshops in IT topics where this approach suits your requirements
• Learndirect courses including Numeracy and Literacy courses 
• Flexi hours learning opportunities during weekday, evening and some Saturdays
• Training rooms where small groups of learners can tutor-led common programmes
• Self-paced audio visual learning approach with tutor support

At the Winchester and Eastleigh Learning Centres, we offer YOU the choice of the style, frequency and times of learning to fit in around your other commitments, whether you are learning at our centres, at home or in a workplace (after you secure your next job).  YOU will have an individual tailor-made training solution you can pursue at own pace. 

Centres are open from 9.30 am – 4.30 pm Monday to Friday and each centre offers additional open hours outside these times at different stages of the year so please ask if you have limited availability.

And in addition……………..

BPL is a Learning and Skills Council Contractor and, through its Train to Gain contract, also offers a seamless transition from employability training to in-work training support.  Additionally, there are other ESF projects available to assist those seeking assistance with a return to work demanding new skills over an above those provided by this project.  BPL is also one of two private providers engaged in the LSC Skills Accounts pilot so is able to offer training for Full Level 3 qualifications to eligible applicants who are ready to proceed to Level 3 studies in such topics as IT Technical or other Level 3 office related qualifications. 

Our first step is to identify individual needs………………

This HCC and e-Hampshire initiative is targeted at helping people previously working in the retail sector and now unemployed.  They will have varying degrees of ICT experience and very individual needs.  Therefore, we offer MATRIX standard information, advice and guidance alongside individual skills assessment in order to ensure you select the menu of learning best suited to your needs.  Where necessary, (and it will be entirely up to you) we will arrange the opportunity for you to improve numeracy and/or literacy to GCSE level using on-line courses for centre or home study via Learndirect or Train to Gain. 

What is on offer under this project?

If you are unemployed and your recent job was in an eligible retail / service related sector, we’ll discuss your current skills with you first of all and help you to select the best combination of courses to suit your needs.  Your choice will vary depending on your starting skill level and your availability for training / other personal commitments. 

Course options for IT and other training are outlined below.  An individual will be able to select one option from the Main Course Menu but please note that you can mix and match various learning approaches under each menu option.  To review ideas before meeting us (if you wish), you can see most course outlines at either www.pitman-training.com or www.learndirect-business.co.uk depending on whether you seek a certificate course or eCourse option.

Option A (For complete IT Novices)

3 Short Introductory Tutor-Led Workshops (AM or PM) for a maximum of 6-8 people at each and addressing

Wordprocessing
Including creation and saving of files; Editing and formatting of documents and use of Tables;
Commonly used secretarial functions including file management

Spreadsheets
Including entering and formatting data; Simple Formulae and the use of charts; Commonly used workplace functions

Internet and E-mail
An introduction to using the Internet; Web Browsers and Search Engines; Computer Security

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Option B – For the busy learner with some IT knowledge

Wordprocessing
The Option A workshop in Wordprocessing using Word 2003 above or
an e-course (8-12 hours) in Wordprocessing covering the same topics and more,
mapped to Level 2, with mentor support and on-line access for 6 months

Spreadsheets
The Option A workshop in Spreadsheets using Excel 2003 above or
an e-course (8-12 hours) in Spreadsheets covering the same topics and more,
mapped to Level 2, with mentor support and on-line access for 6 months

Internet and E-Mail
The Option A workshop in Internet and E-mail above or
an e-course (8-12 hours) in Electronic Communications covering the same topics,
mapped to Level 2, with mentor support and on-line access for 6 months

NOTE:  In all Option B cases above, there is scope to substitute any e-course with
an alternative topic such as Databases using Access or Presentations using PowerPoint

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Wordprocessing
A full PITMAN Training Certificate Course (about 20 hours) taken in centre.
Self-paced, flexi hours with tutor support.  Spread over a maximum of 6 weeks.
Audio-visual working live on Word 2003 / 2007 at all times. 
End of course assessment.
Available at Proficient and Expert Level
Or
The Wordprocessing alternative in Option A or Option B above

Spreadsheets
A full PITMAN Training Certificate Course (about 20 hours) taken in centre.
Self-paced, flexi hours with tutor support.  Spread over a maximum of 6 weeks.
Audio-visual working live on Excel 2003 / 2007 at all times. 
End of course assessment.
Available at Proficient and Expert Level
Or
The Spreadsheets alternative in Option A or Option B above

Internet & E-Mail
A full PITMAN Training Certificate Course (about 20 hours) taken in centre.
Self-paced, flexi hours with tutor support.  Spread over a maximum of 6 weeks.
Including effective communication techniques.  End of course assessment.

Or
The Internet & E-mail alternative in Option A or Option B above
     
In all Option C cases above, there is scope to replace any one of the PITMAN Training Certificate Courses with an alternative such as a PITMAN Training Certificate Course in Access or PowerPoint.

The Sweet Course

As the heading suggests, the Sweet Course will be the icing on the cake for learners in that permits the inclusion of any one of a massive range of options designed to give a specialist feel to the training they undertake – a clear stepping stone towards their employment aim.

In this element of the Employability Springboard project, BPL plans to offer any course available from its IT range of in-centre courses in the PITMAN Training portfolio (www.pitman-training.com) or any of the courses from its e-course portfolio range of IT, management and business skills courses (www.learndirect-business.co.uk) which can be accessed on-line for 6 months from the enrolment date.

The exception to the rule will be the inclusion of one of the following offers for those seeking employment in an accounting:

• A Sage Line 50 Certificate Course
• The Purchase and Sales Ledger Courses
• The Final Accounts I course (in double entry book-keeping)
• The Final Accounts II course (in extended Trial Balance)
• A Sage Payroll Course
• A manual PAYE Course

The Final Course

To round off the experience, ALL DELEGATES will be offered professional Exit-IAG and job-search advice where this is needed along with a Health and Safety on-line course to suit their current knowledge and experience. 

Coffee and light refreshments are provided for all learners free of charge at our centres.

For Workshops, bespoke briefing notes and consolidation exercise material will be retained by the learner.  E-Courses do not have specific workbooks but learners are free to print off any aspect of the coursework undertaken.  All PITMAN Training Certificate Courses have bespoke workbooks used during the course and retained by learners.