Recent Blog Posts

Apprenticeships are work based programmes for young people aged between 16 and 24, maybe people that are still not to sure what they want to do as a career and would like to try for something different with a qualification or maybe for people that want to get into their dream job but don’t have the experience, qualifications or skills.

One of the benefits of being on an apprentice is that you do not have to go to college to get the qualifications, (which you wont be getting paid for), but as an apprentices you will be in work getting the qualification and experience, plus coming home with a wage.

Also while working through your apprentice you will have a mentor that comes to see you every 2 weeks or so, they will advise you on your progress or are unsure about the work you have been set with, they can also give you advise or/and just be someone to sit there and listen to you if you have any personnel problems you want to share.

Apprenticeships can be demanding but they are very rewarding, they teach you things that potentially a course in college may not. When you have finished you can carry on working, maybe get promoted or go on to higher education such as college or university.

Are you in an apprenticeship? Have you been in an apprenticeship? What experiences have you encountered? Has your apprenticeship bridged the gap from education to full-time employment?

I have found over the last couple of years that job searching can be very tedious. A lot of the time job vacancies haven’t got enough details, like where the company is based or what the job entails. I find myself immediately put off by the job and start searching for a different position. It could have been my dream job and I could have been the dream candidate.

When job searching you need to research every position, which matches your Skill-set and sounds interesting to you. Don’t just look at that Job Site, phone the company that’s advertising the position and find out as much information as possible. There are a number of reasons why this could benefit you.

It gives you a chance to speak to someone at the company and gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd. They might even get you to explain in more detail about yourself and the experience you have. It shows how interested you are in the job role and the company that you would like to join. They can put a voice to the CV and start to build a picture of you as an individual and they may even remember you.

Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone to find your dream job. It will seem like you will never find your dream job but you will, I found mine.

Keep regular contact with the agency 
What may come across as pestering in fact can work in your favour. If you continuously make a presence whether that is by going into their offices, sending emails or making calls, you will pop into mind should suitable work become available.

Provide as much up to date information as possible
Tell them specifically what you are looking and not looking for. If you have worked the odd assignment here and there make sure that these assignments are on your CV and your contact has been made aware that your CV has been updated. Inform them regularly of your availability.

Listen and action any advice they may offer to you
It is their job to help you to find work, so any information and advice they provide you is for your own benefit and therefore you must be willing to cooperate alongside them.

Further information can be found on the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) website at:

http://www.rec.uk.com/jobseeker

 

People these days, readily, just follow the norm without taking into consideration any other options. Options which they are unaware of and possibly, suited more to their needs and abilities.

"What sort of experience do you have?"

I frequently find myself asking this question to candidates who come into the office seeking employment.

So what if you’re a student who has spent 16 odd years in full-time education and you know that if you were to reply with "I don’t have any experience", the door will be slammed firmly shut in your face. Leaving you to think ‘What the hell do I do now?’

School leavers and graduates are finding it increasingly hard to place themselves into work whether it is a position related to their studies, or not. Fed up of the hunt, many just opt for the most convenient position, soon to find themselves stuck in a demeaning, soul destroying, dead end job.

Little to their knowledge there are other things you can do to help you to progress. Yes, these routes do not have instant results but they can prove highly beneficial in the long term. So why not try taking a step back, looking at the broader picture, before thinking of taking two steps forward?

Approaching large, reputable companies should not always be the first and only port of call. Naturally, you would think that they could afford to offer you a position and surely there would be odd jobs for you to do with the hope of this leading to a more demanding, satisfying role. However, with the current economic climate, these larger companies are on shoestring budgets and are cutting back on graduate training schemes. Also reluctant to waste money and time on inexperienced people ('students'), they rather be spending their money wisely and getting done what needs to be done with minimal supervision and training.

Also, within these larger companies: ideas and opinions are brushed aside; mistakes are magnified; hard work and effort go unnoticed and work can get routine. Who really wants to be a bored average Joe in a sky-scraping office, when you can potentially be the star of the show?

Taking into account the simplest things really can make a difference.

A covering letter and CV is your unique selling point. In your CV you should be able to write about your skills and qualifications. If you don’t have an employment history try ‘bulking out’ your CV with general experiences under Key Skills headings such as: teamwork, communication, management, IT, languages etc. Adding comments such as ‘100% attendance at school’ under achievements can also count. Keep it concise by using bullet points, rather than long sentences and paragraphs. Above all, BE HONEST.

With your covering letter and CV, try and target businesses locally.

Trying to research these smaller independent local businesses can sometimes prove difficult. You will find that not all of them will have websites and email addresses that you can get your hands on through a search engine, believe it or not, this is when you should reach for the trustworthy Yellow Pages! Local directories like the Yellow Pages and Thompson Local can be very handy. After all, they are just extensive lists of all the businesses within your area with contact details, businesses, which you may not even thought existed. What more could you ask for really?

Smaller businesses can get swamped with workloads putting aside low priority tasks. Try and approach businesses, with this in mind, just looking for possibly a few hours of work to complete these tasks. Even if it’s just a few unpaid (Yes, I did just say unpaid!) hours a week. At the end of the day you will be gaining valuable experience. Experience and knowledge that can go on to your CV. So it may be worth not getting paid, if ultimately it will launch you towards that dream career.

You must be willing to compromise.

Realistically, you will not instantly land that dream job if you do not have any relevant qualifications, skills or experience. So be willing to receive a lower wage or salary and accept a position, which has a lower status than your peers, if there’s room for progression within the business. If you work hard and prove yourself, who knows what opportunities may arise.

Pop down to your local training centre. Heart of England, Leicester College to name a couple. Training centres have contacts and access. In the sense, they work alongside local businesses and have access to Government Funding. Did you know that if you are aged 16-25 and are not a graduate; you can have access to these funds? That doesn’t mean money straight into you pocket but in the form of vocational courses being paid for and EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance). There are NVQ qualifications for every vocation imaginable. From driving to flower arranging and bricklaying to business administration.

These centres are full of friendly faces. People who are there specifically to help you. It is worth going and talking to an advisor as they can point you in the right direction and provide you with further in-depth information.

I think, in most cases, you need to exploit what is already available, use your own initiative and be prepared roll up your sleeves to do some good old-fashioned, hard work.

After all, I am speaking from experience…

Useful websites:

http://www.hoet.co.uk/

http://www.connexions-direct.com/index.cfm 
http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/
http://www.ypla.gov.uk/

 

A SOLDIER mum is set to receive a big cash settlement after winning a discrimination case against the Army over BABYSITTING.

Single mum Tilern DeBique had been disciplined after she failed to turn out for parade citing childcare problems.

But after her commanding officer told her the Army was "unsuitable for a single mother who couldn’t sort out her childcare arrangements" she launched a sex and race discrimination case.

Miss DeBique, 28, was serving with the 10th Signal Regiment and was expected to be available 24 hours a day.

She had wanted to bring a relative over from her home in St Vincent to look after the child but was told immigration rules meant they could stay for no more than six months.

She feared she would soon be dismissed and quit the Army after seven years in April 2008.

Central London Employment Tribunal slammed Army chiefs for not helping her enough with childcare arrangements.

It said she had been treated badly compared with male soldiers and others who were not Foreign and Commonwealth personnel and the tribunal concluded the Army could have asked the UK Border Agency to relax immigration controls to help her half-sister stay in the country.

Miss DeBique appeared before the tribunal today chasing a six-figure sum in compensation for loss of earnings, injury to feelings and aggravated damages.

The MoD had already failed in having the ruling over sex and racial discrimination overturned on appeal.

Miss DeBique - who lived in family accommodation at Chelsea Barracks, south-west London - said she had always dreamt of joining the Army and if it were not for the discrimination she would have completed the full 22 years service.

She said: "I know what I signed up for. I know the life I grew up with. It is not what I wanted for my daughter.

"There was no way that anything was going to prevent me giving her the life she deserves."

She joined up in March 2001 and was allowed to work restricted hours during the week and avoid weekend duties after the birth of her daughter in 2005.

But after failing to appear on parade in January 2007 she was told she faced disciplinary action.

Miss DeBique told the tribunal special arrangements were made for single parents but these were not offered to Foreign and Commonwealth soldiers like her.

The tribunal ruled: "Despite it being foreseeable that Miss DeBique could become a single parent while in service, the Army failed to make appropriate arrangements for such an eventuality.

"Bearing in mind the recruitment campaigns, the tribunal would expect that the Army would make those arrangements.

"The arrangements could have been to provide proper childcare provisions. But that was not done or done effectively."

The MoD insisted she could have taken another posting instead of quitting altogether.

MUSLIM radicals are planning a parade through Wootton Bassett, the town which holds processions in memory of fallen British soldiers.
Extremist group Islam4UK are organising a march in the coming weeks, which they claim will be in honour of muslims killed in the Afghanistan conflict.
The plans have sparked outrage in the quiet market town, which has now become synonymous with the rising death toll from the war.
Friends, relatives, fellow servicemen and woman and shopkeepers line the streets to pay their respects to the coffins of returning soldiers on a near weekly basis.

See link below for full details, but I for one would be prepared to rally support to oppose this. 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6973792.ece

The recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) case of Dansie v The Commissioner of the Police for the Metropolis has approved previous case law regarding dress codes and the ability of employers to apply different rules of appearance in respect of men and women.

Mr Danise commenced his training as a new PC at Hendon, wearing his long hair pulled back in a bun. He had previously asked whether his hair would be acceptable and had been told that it complied with the dress code. However, on commencement he was told that he would need to cut his hair or else he would face disciplinary action. Accordingly, Mr Dansie had his hair cut but brought claims of unlawful sex discrimination on the grounds of less favourable treatment and harassment (the threat of disciplinary action).

The EAT found that a woman would not have been required to cut her hair in similar circumstances, but said that this did not amount to less favourable treatment: "...a difference in treatment between the sexes on one particular aspect of the Dress Code is not necessarily more favourable treatment of a member of one sex compared with a member of the other sex...it is necessary to consider the Dress Code as a whole, even although a single provision of the Code may upset the balance of treating the sexes equally."

It is this sort of reasoning which permits employers to insist that men wear a collar and tie (but not women). As long as the code fits in with conventional standards of dress it is likely to be permitted.

Only 46% of sick days are legitimate!
According to a recent survey carried out by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk 74% of men and 65% of women have admitted to "pulling a sickie" when they were not actually ill. The top reason given by men was to play video games and for women it was to go shopping!

It is all too easy for shirking employees to swing the lead when employers do not question them about sickness absence. Introducing a clear sickness policy which includes return to work interviews can have a dramatic effect on the levels of frequent short-term absence. Employees also think twice about calling in sick if the policy requires that they speak in person to their manager rather than sending a text or an email.

MINISTERS ARE “SELLING THE FAMILY SILVER”, SAYS DEFENCE ASSOCIATION

Govt condemned for sacrificing vital air defence and undermining its own Defence Review

The Government is sacrificing Britain’s military capabilities and undermining the credibility of its own Defence Review by making arbitrary short-term cuts in the Armed Forces, according to the UK National Defence Association (UKNDA).

Responding to reports that the Government is planning to close at least one air base and make substantial reductions to RAF manpower, UKNDA spokesman Andy Smith said: “Once again the Armed Forces are paying the price for Governmental mismanagement. Now, to balance the books at the Ministry of Defence, the Government proposes to sacrifice elements of our vital air defence.

“Giving up RAF bases and scaling back our military presence in strategic locations such as Cyprus is tantamount to selling off the family silver. Once sold, these facilities will never again be available to us, and this will inevitably impact on our long-term defence posture should the UK ever have to re-arm. These decisions clearly demonstrate the low priority given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the security of the United Kingdom and the importance of maintaining a properly balanced and well-resourced defence capability.”

He added: “By making these arbitrary short-term cuts, the Government is undermining the credibility of its own Defence Review. How can these decisions be taken now, in advance of the Review? Britain’s Armed Forces are already seriously over-stretched and any further reductions would put the UK is an extremely vulnerable position. We call upon the Government to hold back on making any cuts to the defence budget until our military commitments, needs and resources have been examined thoroughly through the Defence Review.”

The UKNDA, formed two years ago to campaign for properly-resourced Armed Forces, is backed by a number of former service chiefs including Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Lord Craig of Radley (a former Chief of the Defence Staff) and Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon (former Chief of the Air Staff). Its President is Winston S. Churchill, grandson of Sir Winston Churchill.

Floods put military transferable skills in the spotlight

Military expertise and commitment to getting the job done in the wake of the devastating Cumbria floods has thrown transferable skills of services personnel into the spotlight.

Harry Dean, director of Gemini Forces, said military intervention to build a temporary footbridge spanning the River Derwent in Workington was the perfect illustration of the skills of forces personnel can be transferred seamlessly into the civilian environment.

In Workington, the logistic support bridge will provide a vital connection between the north and south sides of the town. They were cut off from each other after the Workington Bridge was destroyed and the Calva Bridge suffered significant structural damage from the floods.

It involved around 200 soldiers from the Royal Engineers, Royal Logistics Corps, Royal Signals and Royal Military Police to prepare the site, transport the bridge sections and build it.

Mr Dean, who served in the Army for 30 years before moving into the recruitment industry, said: “Ex-services personnel possess a broad spectrum of skills which can be used in both combat and non-combat situations. The work in Workington highlights just how transferable those skills are, from engineering to logistics and project management.”

Leicester-based Gemini Forces, part of Gemini Resourcing UK Ltd, specialises in helping ex-services personnel find employment when they return to civilian life, particularly in the Health & Safety, environmental, aviation, facilities management, project management and defence consultancy sectors.

Mr Dean added employers that have embraced taking on ex-services personnel had reaped the rewards of gaining highly-skilled employees with high levels of commitment and loyalty.

-more-


“When we approach civilian organisations, they tend to think ex-forces people will be ideal for security roles, for example,” he said.

“Some also have the initial opinion that while they might look good on paper, they lack commercial experience. They soon realise though that there’s far more to ex-service personnel than they first think and when we have placed a candidate in a role, employers frequently say to us ‘what a difference they’re making’.

“The qualities ex-forces personnel possess include loyalty, commitment and time management which are the cornerstones of any business. They won’t down tools just because it’s the end of their shift. They will finish the job which, in our experience is why civilian employers use them time and again.

“Gemini Forces looks at what a candidate has done and what trades they have before translating it into a CV to use in the civilian world, creating a win, win situation for candidates and employers alike.”

- ENDS -

Editor’s note:-

About Gemini Forces
Gemini Forces, part of Leicester-based Gemini Resourcing Ltd., provides a help, advice and placement service to both service leavers and former service personnel. Gemini Resourcing UK Ltd deals with the very best candidates and workers that the UK has to offer, placing them into key positions with a diverse range of high profile clients. It places Management Consultants, Project Managers, Executive Assistants/Aides, Facilities/Operations Managers, Defence Consultants Risk Management/Security Consultants, Engineering Managers, Not for profit Directors and Health and Safety Managers.

For further information, please contact:
Gary Lillistone, Bridge PR on tel: 024 76 520025, email: garyl@bridgepr.co.uk or Harry Dean, Gemini Forces on 0845 308 2405.