Posts Tagged ‘Pitman Training’

Poor grammar and gimmicks in CVs spell disaster for job hunters say HR professionals

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Spelling and grammatical mistakes are cited as two of the most irritating faults found in CVs and a substantial reason for candidates being excluded from job shortlists, according to a study of HR professionals  by Pitman Training, Ireland’s leading provider of Business, IT, Secretarial, Web Design and Book-keeping Diploma courses. With over 125 training courses to choose from, and with Genesis Business College centres in Gorey, Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford,  there is a Pitman Training course for everyone’s learning needs.

With only five seconds to make the right impression, errors immediately distract and tempt recruiters into looking for more mistakes rather than assessing the applicant’s suitability. Such inaccuracies create an un-professional view of individuals and their attention to detail.

Gimmicks are also frowned upon. Personnel managers generally dislike photos, coloured paper, fancy envelopes and folding the document in interesting ways – while grabbing attention, they do not influence interviewing decisions. Some organisations go even further with a policy of not accepting photographs with CVs as this may tempt them into making subjective decisions.

Job applications can fail by being too all-purpose. HR departments believe that candidates spend time tailoring their CVs to the vacant position, they would improve their chances of securing an interview. They recommend researching the company first as a good starting point.

The Pitman Training study highlights the importance of setting out the right information in the right order. Too often, contact information is left off the first page and age is omitted completely – a deliberate mistake that tends to irritate as it forces recruiters to calculate it from the education history.

The study suggests that there appears to be two different sets of rules to follow which need merging together. One is the classic mini autobiography in which candidates write, often endlessly, about themselves. The other takes account of the needs of the HR person reviewing the applications.

Anyone who has ever been faced with dozens or even hundreds of CVs to read knows that clear, well presented applications get through the first round filter much more easily than the War and Peace epics.

Fleur Creed, Genesis Business College commented; “We can teach people to type and use word processing software, but it’s core with the content and detail-like spelling, punctuation and grammar – that helps them make it to the interview stage. All Pitman Training Diplomas include core modules on effective communication which give Pitman Training students the edge when it comes to quality CV and workplace preparation”.   

Based on HR professionals’ comments, Pitman Training has compiled a ten point ‘better CV’ checklist.

·         Check the CV for accuracy of information, spelling and grammar.

·         Respect the recipient. Recruiters receive hundreds of CVs so keep it short. Two pages is ideal but a 10 page life history will head straight to the bin.

·         Customise it. Use the CV to promote the skills and achievements that match the job you are applying for.

·         Keep it simple. Avoid jargon – the recruiter may not understand them.

·         Pay attention to layout. Make it simple by good use of headings, line spaces, bullet points and a readable font size.

·         Never hand-write your CV or use coloured type. It doesn’t scan, photocopy or e-mail well.

·         Use good quality white.

·         Put the most important first. This includes name, contact details and address. Follow this with a profile of yourself which should include your skills, experience and immediate career goals. After this you can insert your career history followed by education, interests and references.

·         Make sure all dates match up and any gaps are explained.

·         Ensure the information flows in a logical order.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Pitman Training | 1 Comment »

The Role of a Medical Secretary

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Career Details
A medical secretary usually works in a hospital or medical office and is responsible for performing highly specialised secretarial duties that include scheduling appointments, billing patients, compiling medical charts and reports and handling correspondence. They may also assist doctors with writing reports, speeches and articles, arrange for patient hospitalisation, bill insurance companies and order supplies. If you hope to become a medical secretary you must not only possess a cornucopia of skills; but you must also have a knack for detail work and be a good communicator. A secretarial position within the medical profession is the best of both worlds for some - a responsible office job plus the satisfaction of being involved with people’s health and possibly even contact with patients. That’s why specialist Medical Secretarial jobs are very well regarded.

The Pitman Training Medical Secretary Diploma covers a comprehensive range of practical skills and information, essential for a secretary working in the medical profession. The course has short course approval from the Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR).

“Choosing the Medical Secretarial Diploma was the bravest and best decision I have ever made. I am now employed as secretary to one of the Gastroenterologists at St Peter’s Hospital.”

Medical secretaries fulfil a crucial role as the link between doctor and patient, and for this reason are required to be tactful, discreet and, above all, sensitive. Of the greatest importance, however, is the secretary’s ability to successfully complete a complex array of administrative and technical tasks relating to the job, such as compiling confidential letters, typing reports for patient records and medical journals and ensuring the general flawless running of the office. Medical secretaries are also expected by employers in the healthcare sector to be proficient in medical terminology, medical audio-typing and medical word processing skills. Nationally recognised skills for medical secretaries are generally considered to be advantageous to any individual seeking employment in this sector. The Pitman Training Medical Secretarial Diploma combines expert secretarial skills with a broad understanding of medical terminology, to enable individuals to apply for jobs within the healthcare sector.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Pitman Training | No Comments »

FÁS Quarterly Commentary, 12th February 2010

Friday, February 26th, 2010
  • REFLECTING THE SHARP DECLINE IN EMPLOYMENT THROUGH 2009, AVERAGE EMPLOYMENT IN 2010 IS LIKELY TO BE DOWN BY 87,000 ON LAST YEAR’S AVERAGE.
  • THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS FORECAST TO PEAK AT ABOUT 13.5% IN LATE 2010 – BELOW PREVIOUS FEARS OF A PEAK AS HIGH AS 16%.
  • EMPLOYMENT SHOULD STABILISE FROM EARLY 2011; HOWEVER AVERAGE EMPLOYMENT FOR 2011 STILL EXPECTED TO BE 11,000 DOWN ON 2010
Summary…

  •  
    •  
      • There have been signs in recent months that the upward trend in unemployment has begun to stabilise. However, it is too early to say whether the apparent stabilisation will persist.
      • While unemployment has risen across all occupations, craftspeople and manual workers have been hardest hit with unemployment in these groups rising to 25% or more, whereas the unemployment rate for professional occupations remains below 5%. Men have been relatively harder hit by the fall in employment and rise in unemployment than have women.
      • For a more narrowly defined group of craft and other occupations directly linked to the construction industry, unemployment has risen to over 30%. Also, although the unemployment rate for professional occupations remains below 5%, the rate for managers and professionals closely linked to construction has risen to over 13%.
      • The vast majority of unemployed people come from manual or lower-level service jobs. Managers, professionals and technicians together account for a minority – 14% – of the jobless.
      • In response to the lack of job opportunities, labour force participation has fallen particularly sharply for teenagers and those aged 20-24, reflecting postponement of entry to the labour force.
      • Almost 80,000 people participated in training in FÁS in 2009 and a further 26,000 were still in training at the end of the year.
      • Almost 11,000 people completed periods on FÁS employment programmes in 2009, and a further 26,000 were still engaged in these programmes at year end.
      • The number of new apprentices recruited by employers was down 59% in 2009, with construction-related apprentices down 69%.
      • Vacancies notified to FÁS were down 19% year-on-year in Q4 2009, with declines occurring for all occupations except health & care service workers. For the year as a whole, there were 55,000 vacancies notified to FÁS.
      • There has been a very strong link between economic growth and employment growth in recent years, and this has been particularly evident during the recession. However, the anticipated recovery in the Irish economy is expected to export-led, whereas job creation is largely contingent on a recovery in domestic demand. On balance, we are forecasting annual average employment to fall by 4.5% from 1,928,000 in 2009 to 1,841,000 this year and by a more modest 0.6% in 2011 to 1,830,000.
      • We expect the unemployment rate to rise further this year, peaking at about 13½% in the second half of the year. For 2011, we are forecasting a gradual reduction in the unemployment rate through the year, with the annual average falling to 12.6%. (In general, expectations as to the peak level of unemployment have fallen in recent months). However, the economic outlook for Ireland is still uncertain which makes forecasting more tentative than usual, with much hinging on a recovery in consumer spending. If the hoped for pick-up in consumer spending does not materialise, then the peak in unemployment is likely to be higher and later than in our current forecast.

Full Details:
A copy of the FÁS Quarterly Labour Market Commentary (Winter 2009/2010) can be downloaded by clicking here [Pdf 213kb]

For further information contact:
Brian McCormick, FÁS Research & Planning Unit,
Tel: 01-6070517, E: brian.mccormick@fas.ie
Maria Walshe, FÁS Communications Unit,
Tel: 01 6070521, E: maria.walshe@fas.ie
 

Tags: ,
Posted in retraining | No Comments »

Secretary Courses Underpin The Professional Secretarial Career.

Friday, February 26th, 2010

The secretarial job market remains in a state of rude good health despite the recession and demand for these highly skilled staff, the “backbone of the office,” is stronger than for other roles such administrative assistants and clerks.

Such demand is probably a reflection of the high standards demanded by employers as they strive to obtain maximum productivity from every employee.

And as secretaries tend to be highly trained, they have the ability to deliver measurable value to a business.

Achieving these standards is not a matter of luck but rather investment in secretary courses and related training programmes and it is fair to say that the secretary is often the most highly trained of all the administrative staff.

He or she will have taken skill specific secretary courses to learn typing, shorthand, audio transcription and technical subjects such as minute-taking and letter layout.

In addition, it will have been necessary to learn about the information technology used in the job, such as computer studies and software packages including Microsoft’s Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access.

Without structured secretary courses, it would be very difficult to pick up sufficient knowledge, skill and competence to deliver work to the standard required.

And it would be even harder to become a medical secretary, legal secretary, paralegal or executive pa without having taken a number of secretary courses.

For most students embarking on secretarial careers, Pitman Training is the first port of call.

Sir Isaac Pitman launched his world-renowned shorthand method in 1837 and the Pitman name remains the byword for secretary courses to this day.

Nowadays, every Pitman Training centre seeks to replicate an office environment rather than a college or institute and they are leaders in self-paced education for the office skills sector.

Fleur Creed, Principal of the Pitman Training centres in Carlow, Gorey, Kilkenny and Wexford claims that this focus on the study environment linked with the learning methodology form the basis for the continuing professional respect enjoyed by Pitman trained secretaries.

“There is no doubt that the amount of practical study time and the reflection of what it is really like to be a high level secretary, as well as the coursework we demand results in a skill set and an attitude that says ‘I’m not just trained, I’m Pitman trained.’”

Recruiters and employers seem to agree, as anyone listing secretary courses from Pitman Training on their CV’s seems to have a definite competitive advantage when it comes to getting great jobs.

The continuing recession in the economy has made the need for professional studies even greater as downsizing has meant that secretaries face an increasingly large workload, handling tasks previously performed by colleagues whose roles have been made redundant.

Those who have the knowledge to harness technology to perform these extra duties and who have learned to organise the resources available to them can continue to provide invaluable business support to their bosses.

And at the same time they can manage the stress that additional responsibility brings.

In many ways, the recession has shown that cream rises to the top and the best way to be part of the cream is to ensure that you have the education and skills to shine.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Pitman Training, retraining | No Comments »

Take Your Future in Your Own Hands with Pitman Training

Monday, July 6th, 2009

For workers re-entering the workforce or considering a career change, the problems arise when deciding which skills to train in. The following are tips in helping you take your future into your own hands and gaining back the confidence redundancy make have taken away. Source: Pitman Training Ireland Blog 

1. Make a list of what you enjoyed about your previous position, what were your strengths in your job, what skill did people seek you out for help. Once you’ve identified what particular skills you enjoyed and were confident in you’re on your way to strengthening these and perhaps identify roles were these strengths are required. For example if you found you were the organiser in your company perhaps secretarial work would be enjoyable for you. If you found you were the fixer of all things technical perhaps looking into business management systems may be an option.

2. Not all redundancies mean you must consider a complete change in career. If your company kept some employees on board and let others, like yourself go, look at what skills they may possess that you could up skill in.

3. Cross Training can make you more employable. Adding to your skill set may make you more flexible in positions are thereby more valuable to a company. For example a sales person who also has marketing skills, or a personal assistant who also has book keeping knowledge.

4. Look at your weaknesses.  We all hate to admit it but there are things we can’t do well or more likely feel we can’t do. If there are areas you always hid under the desk to avoid in your previous job, now is the time to get proper training. If you shivered at the thought of answering customer complaints or went pale at the thought of creating budgets in Excel, proper training could turn these into strengths.

5. Get certified. Employers have a choice of who to take for a job. Even if you have some experience from previous roles, the current climate dictates that you must have the qualification to back it up.

6. Don’t rule anything out. Be open minded as to what you can do, check with a Pitman course advisor as to what roles are available and how your experience can fit in. Sometimes there is a link you would never find yourself.

7. Training will boost your self esteem and can give you the confidence to apply for positions you wouldn’t have before.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Pitman Training, retraining | No Comments »

Job Opportunities in the Down-Turn - Retraining Skills Identified?

Monday, July 6th, 2009
 

A topical question these days is where should the country and the economy should be focusing in retraining the workforce, particularly in light of the huge recent increase in unemployment.  

FAS’ Planning and Research Department has analysed a number of sources of data and these lead to the conclusions presented in this article. Source Job Opportunites in the Down Turn - Roger Fox, Planning & Research June 2009. The report in full is very comprehensive and this article contains the main points of the full report.

The Irish economy is in the middle of a major down-turn with unemployment having doubled to 11% in the last year, employment falling and redundancies at record levels. There may not be enough jobs for everyone in the next few years and unemployment will rise further. However, there will still be some jobs, and it is useful to be able to identify areas with better prospects both in the short and medium-term.

FAS’ Planning and Research Department has analysed a number of sources of data and these lead to the conclusions presented in this report. 

  • Clerical (office work, accounts)
  • Caring (health care, child care, elder care)
  • Catering (Chefs, waiters, fast food)
  • Hairdressing

Security (shops, office, factories)

Growth Areas because of the Down-Turn

As people cut-back on spending, some products and services are likely to experience increased demand. Likely areas of growth are:

  • Repairs and Maintenance (Clothing & Footwear, Electrical Goods, Home DIY, Motor Vehicles)
  • Green Energy (e.g. Solar Panels, Heat-Pump Installer, Bio-mass Boiler Installer, Insulator, Smart Building systems)  
  • Vegetable/Fruit Gardening
  • Fast-food

 

Start Your Own Business

The lack of jobs is likely to lead to an increased number of persons becoming selfemployed. This trend is likely to arise across a range of occupations from construction, repairs and maintenance, personal services, office and business services. To support this development, Start Your Own Business training may be a relevant option for many redundant workers who have gained experience working in (now) down-sized areas including construction professionals, managers and craftspersons.

Skills and Labour Shortages

At present, there are few areas of skills or labour shortages. Any shortages are now confined to areas for persons with third-level qualifications and specific expertise and work experience. Thus, there is not a shortage of recent graduates, but rather persons with suitable experience. The main occupations identified as being in short supply are:

  • Health(e.g. Doctors and Nurses)
  • Software Engineers (with experience in networks and specific software applications (e.g. Java).
  • Accountants (with expertise in regulation, compliance and risk)
  • Actuaries
  • Marketing Managers (with considerable experience)
  • Technical Sales Representatives with knowledge of particular products/services
  • Scientists (highly qualified and experienced professionals and technicians)
  • IT specialists with fluent foreign language skills
  • Engineers (experienced design and process engineers for manufacturing subsectors)

Longer-Term Demands

While prospects for the world economy are very uncertain at present, if we assume that the world and Ireland will eventually return to the previous economic growth path then there is a widespread consensus on the main sectors and occupations that will grow in the future. The fastest growth areas will be in occupations requiring third level qualifications (professional and associate professional jobs) and in services such as caring and sales.

Relatively high growth is expected for engineering, computing, scientific, medical, legal and financial professionals. In relation to services, the fastest growth areas are likely to be for care workers (for childcare and elder care).

It is important to emphasise that while many fast-growing jobs will require third-level qualifications, the National Skills Strategy for Ireland still expects that half of the workforce in 2020 will have below third-level qualifications.

Another more general trend is that towards occupations requiring combined skills from a number of disciplines, as well as ones requiring a strong element of soft and generic skills.

USA Projections

Projections from the USA and other countries suggest broadly similar patterns to Ireland. In terms of the number of jobs created, large occupations dominate such as nurses, retail sales, clerical, caring and catering. Teachers, IT workers and truck drivers are also forecast to create many additional jobs. Some of these same jobs are among the fastest growing in percentage terms – particularly in software, health and caring. It may also be interesting to note some more unusual growth occupations in the US including vets and gambling workers as well as social-type workers/counsellors for substance abuse, mental health and family issues.

Conclusions

The analysis presented in this report is intended to provide guidance in terms of job opportunities during the down-turn. It is important to emphasise that in all job areas in the short-term there will be an over-supply of potential recruits, so that not all suitable persons will be able to find a job in their chosen occupation. Equally, however, there is unlikely to be any occupation for which no recruitment will take place. Thus, there will always be some job openings in any chosen occupation, so that for someone committed to a particular occupation then support towards achieving that goal should not be excluded. However, the information in this report may be helpful in advising persons who do not have a clear direction, and who may be helped by better understanding the prospects for different occupations.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Business Training, Uncategorized, retraining | No Comments »

Invest in your self!. Upskill your workplace skills by retraining with a Pitman Training certified training course.

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

Deciding where to invest your money has never been tougher; property, stocks and shares and even high street banks don’t seem to offer the security or return that many of us are looking for. Training and skills experts, Pitman Training are recommending that if you want to secure your future, one of the safest financial investments is in yourself.

Claire Lister is managing director of Pitman Training Group. With over 100 training centres throughout the UK and Ireland, the company has considerable experience in helping people to develop new skills and increase their earning potential. Claire says; “Our experience shows that people who invest in themselves and their skills always see a return on investment. Whilst training involves far more than a financial injection of capital – you need to commit time, energy and hard work into training – the potential returns can be enormous.”

Pitman Training is urging people to focus on themselves this winter in order to reap the rewards before spring arrives. Anyone wishing to boost their promotion prospects, kick-start their career or change direction can register at their local centre for a free career consultation. An experienced training advisor will provide practical recommendations on training which could help the individual plan for a happier and more successful working life. By using the colder months as an opportunity to invest in themselves, people in could end up with a raft of new skills, an impressive CV and a vastly improved earning potential.

“As the world of commerce and industry becomes tougher, employers are becoming more and more demanding,” explains Claire. “They want staff who are well-skilled and prepared to invest in themselves and their personal development. Many bosses are looking for candidates whose CV shows that they have proven, practical, office-focused skills which will enable them to hit the ground running when they start a new job. In a challenging economic climate bosses can’t afford to take chances on people who don’t have certificates to back up their skills and experience.”

“Importantly, learning a practical new skill which will really enhance your career prospects needn’t take forever,” continues Claire. “The Pitman Training approach means that you can start a course as soon as you’re ready – you don’t have to wait for the start of a new term. You learn at times that suit you and can complete your course as quickly, or slowly, as you want to, fitting your studies in around work or personal commitments.”

“For example, if you’ve decided on a career as a legal secretary, you could opt to study for a full time Legal Secretarial Diploma. Within 7 to 12 weeks you will have all the specialist skills that any employer would be looking for from a legal secretary and the certificate to prove it,” Claire says. “Alternatively if you already work in an office environment and want to enhance your promotion prospects while you work, you could study part time for the Microsoft Office Plus course. In 7 to 12 weeks you’ll cover advanced Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook and be ready to show any employer that you really mean business.”

Courses on offer at Pitman Training range from basic computing and keyboard skills to advanced secretarial diplomas, book-keeping and even web design. Technical IT courses, including MCSA, MCSE and A+ are also available for those wishing to pursue a career as computer engineers.

Genesis Business College offers the full range of Pitman Training Courses in Carlow, Gorey, Kilkenny and Wexford.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Pitman Training | 1 Comment »

Under 25’s urged by Government to Retrain

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

More than 50,000 young people signing on the Live Register are being urged to improve their education. Over the coming week the Department of Social and Family Affairs will post a letter to all 18 to 25-year-olds on Jobseeker’s Allowance advising them to look at the options for up-skilling and retraining.

 

 

With the announcement earlier this year of the cut in jobseeker’s allowance payment rates for 18 and 19-year-olds, we have seen a huge trend of under 25’s contacting us for advice. Within our area of computer, office and secretarial skills training, Pitman Training can offer a wide range of tailored solutions that give people immediate results and up-skill them for the jobs that are available, including temp work. From a Business I.T. Diploma through to an Executive PA Diploma, we have the courses available. Our approach has always been to give people the skills they need at the times they can learn. This flexibility gives us many advantages over the current state-aided approach to retraining.

 

 

The training courses provided by Pitman Training range from touch typing to their prestigious legal, medical, accounts and secretarial diplomas.

Every day we talk to people who have just lost their jobs and want to retrain, the biggest obstacle they face is financial. We are currently helping potential learners identify if they qualify for any fee reductions through allowances as this means we help a lot more people develop the skills they need for a new career.

 

 

Pitman Training has been successfully providing training to both the corporate and private markets across Ireland for over 15 years and is one of the world’s leading office skills and computer training organisations. With more and more employers focused on specific business type qualifications and skills, Pitman Training provides internationally recognised business certification as well as legal and medical qualifications. Learning with Pitman Training is undertaken with a flexible training model, whereby individual students choose their days and times to train. There is also a wide range of classroom courses including seminars such as CV Preparation, Job-search Skills and Job Interview Techniques.

 

 

Social Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin said improving skills will be the key to economic recovery, “Young people should not see signing on the Live Register as their future – they should look to see what supports and opportunities are available for them throughout the country. We know that people of all skill levels are losing their jobs. Young people who may have opted out of the formal education and training opportunities, when the draw of high wages during the boom years was irresistible, are now more likely to remain unemployed if they are not actively up-skilling and gaining new expertise.”

 

 

With fifteen training centres throughout the country, Pitman Training is one of the top retraining and up-skilling networks in Ireland. The centre offers top quality computer training courses, secretarial training courses and IT skills training to individuals and organisations.

 

 

For more information on the courses available from Pitman Training, call Pitman Training on 1800–532632 or log onto www.pitman-training.ie

 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Pitman Training | No Comments »

Poor keyboarding skills are one of the major productivity issues confronting employers today.

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

No one can seriously deny the importance of keyboard skills in the modern world, where computers occupy centre stage in the office, the classroom and increasingly the home.  In the digital age there has been a massive growth in the use of computers and therefore keyboards. PC skills are now expected and taken for granted in all sectors, and efficient keyboard skills, the most basic of computer skills, are often neglected.

In the past 10 years we have witnessed the demise of secretarial support. Business executives who might in the past have been able to rely upon secretarial support are now expected to create their own electronic documents.  products. Companies and individuals concentrate on improving their knowledge of the Microsoft Office software but without the basic keyboard skills, this training is wasted. 

Poor keyboarding skills are one of the major productivity issues confronting employers today.The lack of skill that would be unacceptable in, say, our ability to drive cars is often accepted in typing. There are a number of reasons for this, but prominent among them has been a lack of suitable training to correct the problem.

With the Digital On-line Age upon us, keyboard or typing skills are a ‘must’ not a ‘nice to have’ for small-medium business people. It is simply a question of productivity.

Increase Satisfaction

Research indicates that 70-80% of business computer users felt that they could get more out of their computer by being better with the keyboard but don’t have time to learn. 75% of this group who had tried old fashioned typing tutors were quite dissatified with them.

The inability to easily create electronic text is frustrating and time wasting.

Reduce the risk of typing-related injury

One consequence of this is a greatly increased possibility of keyboard injury (repetitive strain injury - RSI) and related occupational health and safety concerns in the future.

Employers need to be aware that in requiring their workers, or themselves, to do any serious amount of keyboarding exposes the worker to the risk of RSI and the company to the legal and ethical consequences. This is not inevitable, and basic preventative action should be taken. Diligence in this respect is demonstrated by the promotion of eText typeSmart within your organization.

If you or your staff spend a lot of time in front of a computer (and who doesn’t these days?), and you can double their typing speed, the benefit goes fairly directly to the bottom line argument.

The Solution…..

Genesis Business College offer a range of Pitman Training keyboard skills training courses covering both accuracy and speed in our training centres as well as home/workplace study options. . Let us improve your productivity and satisfaction.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Pitman Training | No Comments »

Shhhh…don’t tell the children, but adult learning is more fun!

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Survey reveals that 78% prefer learning as an adult

 

Children all over Ireland head off to school every day, excited by lots of new things to learn.  But what about the Mams and Dads who wave them off?  A survey has revealed that whilst school days are apparently the best days of your life, a massive 78% prefer learning as an adult to learning at school. So perhaps the new school term could be a catalyst for kick-starting your career.

 

The start of the new school term can mean that many parents finally have a bit more time on their hands.  As they watch their children take the next steps on the education ladder they may feel inspired to consider their own future and career prospects. But going back into education can feel like a scary prospect for many people who have taken a career break to raise a family.  

 

The online survey of 300 adults, carried out by IT and office skills training specialists Pitman Training Group, also discovered that 47% wish they had tried harder at school and that nearly half of those surveyed (48.4%) left school without the skills necessary to get the job they wanted. 

 

One of the most exciting things about learning as an adult is the self confidence that it can help you gain.  Some people who come to Pitman Training Centres really didn’t enjoy school and often left with few or no qualifications.  As a result they have low self-esteem and little belief in their own abilities and prospects.  Those who have completely devoted themselves to bringing up a family often put aside their own ambitions; by the time their children are more independent they believe they are completely unemployable

 

It’s wonderful to see them start to change after only a few sessions of learning about a subject they are interested in. As they begin to develop new skills in a friendly and supportive environment they begin to see that they can achieve far more than they thought possible

 

Whilst some people who come to us have a clear career path and want to improve their skills to help them get into a specific job, we also work with people who have no idea what they would like to do.  Many have taken a complete break from work to raise a family and the start of the new school year can be a new beginning not just for their kids, but for them too.

 

 

Whilst it might sound like a grand claim, updating existing skills, or learning a complete set of new ones, really can give people a new lease of life.

 

Because Pitman Training qualifications are well-known and well-respected by employers, many students go on to get jobs that they really want.  Not only can people aim for a career which they enjoy – the better qualified they are, the more money they can hope to earn.

 

Pitman Training specialises in delivering practical, work-focused training designed to help people progress in their chosen career.  From basic PC skills to advanced IT certificates, book-keeping to IT web-design; courses are self-paced allowing students to choose their own study times.  Learners follow audio tuition plus a workbook and a tutor is always on hand to provide help and encouragement.

 

In addition to short courses Pitman Training offers longer term Diploma programmes.  Each Diploma consists of a range of modules covering a comprehensive range of IT and office skills.  Students can then opt for specialist modules such as legal practice, medical terminology, marketing, book-keeping or accounts.  They will then be fully equipped with the relevant skills needed to get ahead in a range of careers including Legal Secretary, Executive PA, Accounting Technician or Medical Secretary.

Tags: ,
Posted in Pitman Training | No Comments »