Category Archives: Job Opportunities

Health, Job Opportunities, Jobs, News

Calling Allied Health Professionals to Open Day at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust – Saturday 21st May 2022 – 10am to 12 noon

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are vital to the NHS in delivering their long term plan to improve the care for patients over the next 10 years[i].

There are approximately 152,000 AHPs working across all health and social care settings including hospitals[ii]. One of the top performing hospital trusts in England, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW), is now recruiting people for various AHP roles – offering the chance for career advancement in a friendly and supportive trust which is focused on learning and professional development.

MTW is hosting a recruitment open day at Maidstone Academic Centre, Maidstone Hospital on Saturday 21st May for those about to qualify, newly qualified or experienced health professionals and are looking to recruit for several key roles including:

  • Dietitian
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Operating Department Practitioner
  • Orthoptist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Radiographer (diagnostic or therapeutic)
  • Speech and Language Therapist

On the day people can find out more about the roles and what it’s like to work at MTW, including the induction programme and training and development opportunities. They will also be able to speak with senior AHPs working in the Trust and ask any questions.

To attend, people must register by 13th May 2022. For more information and to view all the job descriptions for the available roles visit https://www.mtwcareers.com/news/allied-health-professionals-recruitment-event-saturday-21st-may-2022/.

—

MTW is a large acute hospital trust in Kent. The trust provides a full range of general services and some areas of complex care to around 500,000 people in the south part of West Kent and the north part of East Sussex.

MTW recently launched a major recruitment drive focused on clinical roles. This comes at an exciting time as the trust has invested in new facilities, service developments, training centres and digital transformations. To find out more about career opportunities, go to: Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (mtwcareers.com)

[i] https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/blog/building-our-workforce-of-the-future/#:~:text=The%20NHS%20Long%20Term%20Plan%20will%20provide%20a%20range%20of,level%207%20Advanced%20practitioner%20apprenticeship.

[ii] http://www.ahpf.org.uk/

Cybersecurity, Job Opportunities, Jobs, News, North of England

Cyber security company, Pentest People, seeks new talent following consecutive year of rapid growth

Additional clients and expansion of services sees 35% increase in headcount and search for new talent

Cybersecurity consultancy, Pentest People, is planning further expansion following its second consecutive year of rapid business growth, which saw revenues increasing by 65% and headcount increased by 35% over the past twelve months.

Organisations commission Pentest People’s cybersecurity experts to test their websites, applications and IT systems for any weaknesses that could allow cybercriminals to steal information, damage IT systems, or hold data to ransom. The company employs a number of CHECK team leaders, who have penetration testing qualifications and experience approved by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

The company, led by technical director, Gavin Watson, and sales director, Anthony Harvey, attributes its rapid growth to its continuous development of new threat assessment, consultancy, and remediation services, in response to increasing cybersecurity risks that affect organisations of all sizes.

“Over the past twelve months Pentest People has continued to grow its client base and expand its range of services, including the addition of cyber incident response, remote-working security assessments, dark web monitoring and zero-day exploit scanning, allowing us to detect, prevent, and remediate the most common cyber risks,” reports Gavin Watson.

Co-founder, Andrew Mason commented, “To support this expansion, we have increased our headcount by 35%, moved into a larger office at the Coach Works in Leeds, opened a second office close to GCHQ at Hub8 Cheltenham and launched an apprentice and graduate recruitment and training programme. We’ve hired thirteen women to join our team in the past year and we’re actively recruiting more female consultants.”

Pentest People now offers a broader range of on-site and online services to clients including:

  • Penetration Testing as a Service provided via the company’s Secure Portal
  • Ransomware defence assessment
  • Remote-working security assessment
  • Zero-day exploit response to alert clients to fresh vulnerabilities
  • Dark web monitoring to proactively search for evidence of stolen data
  • Social engineering assessment to identify where staff education is required
  • Phishing email assessment
  • Firewall ruleset reviews
  • VPN configuration assessment
  • Load testing to identify where third-party service and servers are impacting website user experience
  • Red Team assessment to proactively test organisations’ abilities to withstand targeted cyber attacks

Commenting on the company’s new service development, Gavin Watson, technical director, Pentest People added, “Our initial mission was to provide remote and on-site assessments to uncover vulnerabilities in systems, processes and employee practices that expose companies to cyber attacks. As Pentest People’s team has expanded, we’ve added rapid response services to help clients to fix critical issues resulting from newly discovered vulnerabilities and zero-day exploits. Within hours of any new exploits becoming public knowledge, our cyber security experts scan clients’ systems and provide remediation advice if they are found to be vulnerable.”

The company’s successes have not gone unnoticed and it was recently listed among the Leeds Tech Climbers of inspiring technology companies that are innovating to meet demand and are set for growth and it has been shortlisted for the Prolific North Tech Company of the Year award. Pentest People has also been invited to attend the UK Government’s CYBERUK 2022 event taking place at the International Conference Centre, in Newport, Wales, on 10th – 11th May.

About Pentest People:

Pentest People is a cybersecurity consultancy that provides Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) to organisations in the public and private sectors. This innovative approach to security testing combines the benefits of a consultant-led penetration test, bolstered by continuous vulnerability testing delivered via its SecurePortal®, which provides a living threat monitoring system throughout the contract, rather than a vulnerability assessment taken at a single point in time.

Established by the cybersecurity experts who founded RandomStorm, which was acquired by Accumuli Security in 2014, itself acquired by NCC in 2015, Pentest People operates a growing team of talented consultants, to help leading organisations to manage cyber threats and minimise disruption.

Pentest People is a CREST- accredited company and a CHECK Service Provider for its Penetration Testing services and has attained NCSC Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, as well as earning a place on the G-Cloud 12 framework. Pentest People is also certificated to ISO:9001 and ISO:27001.

For more information, please visit https://www.pentestpeople.com

 

Job Opportunities, Jobs, Midlands News, News

Job seekers invited to Herefordshire employment event

Supported employment and training charity, Landau, has announced further details to its latest job fair in Hereford, which aims to support even more people into the workplace.

The charity is hosting the event on April 27 at the Shell Store in Rotherwas and has secured more than 40 businesses to promote their latest employment opportunities.

Exhibitors cover a range of industries and sectors and include Balfour Beatty, Wye Valley NHS Trust, Barclays Bank, Lidl and West Mercia Police.

Caroline Richardson, head of employment services at Landau, said: “We’re excited to be bringing back our job fair to the Hereford region, after such a successful event last autumn.

“We know times are tough across the job market, so we wanted to bring together a wide range of hiring businesses for job seekers to speak to directly and make those all-important connections.

“Alongside the jobs fair, attendees will be able to speak with employability experts and organisations that can help job seekers maximise their skills and achieve their objectives.”

The event opens at 10am for a networking session, where business leaders can connect and collaborate with other employers, while the job fair opens to prospective employees at 12 noon.

The free event is being delivered in partnership with The Marches Growth Hub, Hereford Enterprise Zone and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Landau annually helps in the region of 3,000 individuals back into the workplace or into training schemes through its specialist support. Last year it was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its work in Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

Careers, Charity & CSR, Job Opportunities, Jobs, Midlands News, News

Businesses invited to secure their spot to hire new employees in Herefordshire

Award-winning supported employment and training charity, Landau, is organising its second Hereford job fair to help even more people across the county into work.

Following the success of its first Hereford jobs fair in October 2021, the charity is hosting a larger spring event at the Shell Store in Rotherwas on Wednesday, April 27.

The free event will bring together national, regional, and local organisations that are actively recruiting, as well as providing job seekers with support and advice on their search.

Caroline Richardson, head of employment services at Landau, said: “We’re inviting businesses who want to exhibit at the jobs fair and showcase their vacancies to job seekers to register their interest as soon as possible.

“We know the past few years have been challenging and this positive, inclusive event will bring together a range of businesses across Herefordshire. Alongside the jobs fair, we will also be incorporating a networking session so that those exhibiting can share details and opportunities with other organisations too.”

The free event is being delivered in partnership with The Marches Growth Hub, Hereford Enterprise Zone and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and will begin with the business networking session at 10am. Doors will open to the public to meet potential employers at 12noon, and registration to exhibit or attend is free to everyone.

Caroline added: “The jobs fair that we held in October was hugely successful — with over 580 vacancies promoted at the event and a significant proportion of people finding employment as a result. We hope the spring edition will be just as popular with employers and job seekers alike.”

Each year Landau supports in the region of 3,000 individuals back into the workplace or into training schemes through its specialist support. Last year it was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its work in Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

Companies interested in exhibiting at the event can secure their spot for free by contacting Landau’s employment engagement officer Karina Cullen on 07719555178 or by emailing karina.cullen@landau.co.uk.

Food & Drink, Job Opportunities, Jobs, News

Dream job? A Day in the Life of a Distillery Team Leader at Aber Falls

Distillery team leader at Aber Falls Whisky Distillery, Sam Foster, shares his career highlights, top tips, and how you can also join the team

Sam Foster, distillery team leader at Aber Falls Whisky Distillery, is one of the brand’s most long-standing employees, working for the company for almost five years. During his time working for the first whisky distillery in North Wales for more than 100 years, Sam has had the opportunity to work his way up the business and further his qualifications and experience as a skilled distiller.

Day-to-day at the distillery, Sam is responsible for production and spirits planning for the year. Planning sees the 28-year-old focusing on improving yields, new product launches and department reporting, and managing a team of seven.

Sam’s career journey has been varied throughout the last ten years. The Bodelwyddan-born distillery team leader joined the British Red Cross as a community equipment engineer after realising university wasn’t the right challenge for him. At the British Red Cross, Sam volunteered in times of crisis by servicing, repairing, and delivering hospital beds, all of which made Sam realise he thrived on multi-tasking – a important quality for his future career at Aber Falls.

Eager to progress a career path and role more hands-on, Sam became aware of a position at Aber Falls Whisky Distillery through word-of-mouth, living in the area and local to Managing Director, James Wright.

Initially joining the team as a distillery operative, Sam was able to gain first-hand experience in distilling and the spirits sector whilst gaining support from the business to complete qualifications relevant to his job and the industry. Sam passed the General Certificate in Distilling through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) in 2018 and is now completing a diploma for Distilling.

Reflecting on his favourite aspect of the role, Sam said: “It’s the level of autonomy you’re given and the opportunity to work in areas, and on projects, you have a genuine interest in that give me such job satisfaction.

“For example, I have thoroughly enjoyed working on the creation, development and production of a limited-edition Cask Aged Gin – a gin matured in an orange wine cask – which we recently launched in January. I have an enormous sense of job satisfaction working on a project from start to finish, but most of my pride comes from knowing the public can now enjoy the limited-edition Cask Aged Gin – it’s special.”

For those who might be interested in following in Sam’s footsteps and starting a career in the world of spirits, the distiller recommends visiting distilleries in-person and looking into relevant qualifications.

Speaking of his top tips, Sam added: “If you’re looking to get into the world of distilling, look into qualifications – such as the IBD Foundation Course – to showcase your passion and knowledge and help you stand out from other candidates. Some companies, including Aber Falls Whisky Distillery, offer this training as part of a role, which is great. Nevertheless, showing initiative to complete courses only helps get your foot in the door as you start your career.

“I would also suggest visiting the distillery in person to hand in your application. Not only does this demonstrate your dedication for the role, but it allows the company to get to know you – it’s something at Aber Falls we really notice and appreciate.”

Looking to the future, Sam is excited to complete his diploma and develop new whiskies. After the sell-out launch of its Inaugural Release Welsh Whisky in May last year  and the 2021 Release Single Malt in September 2021, product launches are a focus for the team at Aber Falls.

For those interested in joining the team, Aber Falls Distillery has a host of exciting events and product launches coming up in the next year and is looking to expand its team with passionate and charismatic individuals.

There are plenty of areas of the business to get involved and There are plenty of areas of the business to get involved, and Aber Falls currently has vacancies available, including in the café and event teams and tour guides and a café supervisor. To apply, please hand in your CV at the distillery or email: Careers@aberfallsdistillery.com.

 

Job Opportunities, Jobs, News, Pets

New Year, New Career? Homesitters is recruiting new homesitters who love to travel and look after pets

If you are looking for a new career in the New Year, Homesitters Ltd, a leading UK home and pet sitting company, is seeking new homesitters to take care of people’s homes and pets when they go on holiday.

Homesitters expects a big increase in bookings this year. Since the testing rules for international travel were relaxed, holiday demand has surged[i], with EasyJet reporting last week that bookings rose almost 200% compared to the week before.

Pet ownership has also soared. According to The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, 3.2 million households in the UK have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, meaning the country now has 17 million pet-owning homes[ii].

Homesitters says the ideal home and pet sitters are active retired people who love pets, as well those with a portfolio career who can fit in home and pet sitting around other work commitments.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to stay for free in gorgeous homes across the UK, spend time with pets and meet new people. They can also boost their income or savings, as homesitters are paid a modest remuneration, including a food allowance and make savings on their own energy bills when they are on assignments.

Benjamin Irvine, Director of Business Operations at Homesitters Ltd says, “We are looking for new homesitters to join our friendly team as we’re already seeing many new enquiries as people start booking their holidays. It’s a fantastic role that suits retired people in their 50s, 60s and 70s or those not working.

“One of the main benefits of working through us is that all our homesitters are employees, and it’s a flexible job that can fit around other commitments. It’s a fun way to visit new places and the chance for animal lovers to look after all, kinds of different pets.”

Homesitters offer a high level of customer service and following a rigorous interview, homesitters are carefully matched with clients, considering their preferences, personalities, skills and experiences. Homesitters can pick and choose their assignments and will almost always visit their client’s home and pets before starting.

Retired couple Peter and Julie Barnes from Gloucestershire have been home and pet sitting since they retired. During his career, Peter spent many years in the Armed Forces, including the Royal Marines, before working in the printing industry. Julie was a swimming coach and a manager at a large leisure centre.

When they retired, they wanted new to experience some new adventures. Peter was keen to get a dog, but the couple also wanted to travel, and thought it would be too difficult with a pet. Homesitting was the perfect solution. One of their favourite parts of the job is travelling, exploring new places and spending time in the countryside.

Julie says, “We do a lot of homesits around the Cotswolds near where we live. Even if we’re only going thirty miles or so from home, it is often to somewhere we haven’t heard of before! There’s a limited amount of exploring you can do while you’re working and we’re really enjoying discovering new places.”

The couple also love to spend time with pets. Peter is a dog lover, while Julie likes spending time with cats and looking after chickens. They both enjoy walking the dogs together, combining a long dog walk in the country with a pub lunch.

Peter says, “We can’t help but fall in love with the pets who all have different characters. We looked after two black Labradors who loved to play in the snow and a beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback who would sit and watch us read. We even looked after a parrot who would mimic Julie’s voice so I would think she was talking to me when it was the parrot!

The couple earn a modest salary from homesitting which they put towards spending money for their holidays, but Peter says money was the last thing on their agenda – it was the benefits of the role that appealed most.

“We’ve had several customers contact us after a homesit to tell us how relaxed their pets are after their time with us and to thank us for looking after them – that’s reward in itself.”

Anyone interested in becoming a homesitter can apply by clicking here.

For more information about Homesitters Ltd please visit www.homesitters.co.uk

References

[i] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59905680

[ii] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56362987

Health, Job Opportunities, Jobs, Newport, News

St Joseph’s Hospital opens up 30 new roles following £4.2m investment

Over two thirds of hospital’s staff “look forward to going to work”

St Joseph’s Hospital is recruiting for 30 new roles following on from its recent £4.2m investment announcement.

The hospital takes pride in maintaining a happy staff and good working culture. In a recent staff survey, over two thirds of staff said they looked forward to going into work at the hospital either most of the time or all of the time, while over 90% have a good working relationship with colleagues.

Located in Newport, St Joseph’s is an independent hospital recognised for its supportive and compassionate care and is easily accessible from Cardiff, Bristol, Monmouth and Abergavenny. 2021 is the hospital’s 75th year anniversary year.

The 30 new roles include theatre practitioners, registered nurses across pre-assessment, ward and day surgery, and physiotherapists. The investment will fund new facilities at St Joseph’s, including a state-of-the-art GE X-Ray machine, as well as ongoing upgrading and refurbishment work which will ensure it continues to be at the forefront of excellence in healthcare.

As well as always maintaining a positive culture, as demonstrated in the staff satisfaction survey, the hospital offers a range of benefits. These include private healthcare, flexible working opportunities and study leave support programmes as well as above-inflation pay rises.

Jan Green, director of clinical services at St Joseph’s, comments: “We’re incredibly proud of the team and they remain the hospital’s greatest asset. We’re sincerely looking forward to welcoming so many more talented and compassionate individuals and continuing to share the wonderful atmosphere and outstanding work ethic of the people that make St. Joseph’s.”

James Austin, theatre manager at St Joseph’s, adds: “We’re a small team at St Joseph’s and we’re keen to nurture our staff. We’re more like a family, really – we know how each other works and we feed off each other’s experiences. There are lots of career progression opportunities and, if you’re newly qualified, you’ll always be assigned a mentor. One thing that really sets us apart is that you still see staff holding the patient’s hand here. That’s special to me.”

The recruitment drive is supported by an advertising campaign across the region.

Further information on each new role is provided on the St Joseph’s Hospital website:https://www.stjosephshospital.co.uk/careers, and anyone who would like to find out more can contact hr@stjosephshospital.co.uk.

 

 

Careers, COVID-19, HR, HR News, Hybrid Working, Job Opportunities, Jobs, Mental Health at Work, News, Wales News

The Welsh HR Consultant Helping Businesses from her Garden Shed

Julie Grabham, Director and Owner of JG HR Solutions has taken remote working to a new level, as she moved her business to her garden shed during lockdown, where she has been helping her delighted clients across the UK with HR advice.

 

With over 20 years of HR experience, Julie’s passion for fairness in the workplace led her to set up her own HR consultancy in 2015. The business has gone from strength to strength, with a 300% growth of clients and over 800% growth in revenue since year 1.

 

The impact of Covid-19 has brought so much uncertainty for many businesses. In 2020, Julie set up an office in her garden shed at her home in Lampeter to ensure that she was readily available to help her clients with confidential and difficult conversations throughout the course of the pandemic.

 

Speaking of setting up what is now known as #HRFromMyShed, Julie said: “The thought of me conducting professional and confidential phone calls, surrounded by pots and tools in my shed was ludicrous. I sent my daughters a photo of me working in the shed and they texted back with “#HRFromMyShed”. I knew that there was an idea there and started filming videos of me giving business advice from my shed.”

 

Thanks to #HRFromMyShed, Julie has significantly grown her social media following, with over 50 videos created since the start of the pandemic.

 

Speaking on JG HR’s services, Adam Culley, Crunch Digital Media said: “Julie’s advice and support during the coronavirus pandemic has been crucial in understanding the sometimes-conflicting advice and guidance issued. Through her regular #HRFromMyShed videos and contact with our team, we’ve felt that we’re in a much stronger and knowledgeable position having her at the forefront of our discussions around Covid action plans, risk assessments as well as the regular HR catch ups.”

 

Working with clients of all sectors and sizes, Julie has a strong Welsh client base, as well as national businesses across the UK.

 

Recognised as an expert in her field, Julie has received much critical acclaim, including winning ‘Independent HR Consultant of the Year’ at the 2019 Wales HR Awards and being named in the Top 100 Business Women in Wales.

 

Julie has also been shortlisted for numerous awards this year, including the 2021 CIPD Wales Awards and both the UK and Wales Women in Business Awards 2021.

 

Julie concluded: “Over the next 12 months, there are plans to grow steadily, with an aim to continue to practice a healthy work-life balance. I have many plans to help my clients to grow strategically, as well as continuing to share HR expertise and updates via #HRFromMyShed.”

Job Opportunities, Jobs, News, Wales News

Business Expansion Brings Jobs To Swansea

Are you looking for Something Different to bring in extra cash in the run up to Christmas or want to progress your career? Local business Something Different Wholesale, based in Llansamlet, Swansea is hiring.

The successful ecommerce giftware importer has recently doubled in size and expanded in to a new warehouse. The business now has over 158,000 square foot of warehouse space – that’s the same size as 3.5 football pitches.

Based in the city of Swansea in Wales, Something Different Wholesale was established in 1999 and has over 21 years experience in designing, developing and distributing quality gifts, homeware and garden accessories to trade customers across the UK and overseas. Offering over 3000 products spanning contemporary, traditional, gothic and spiritual designs, Something Different prides itself on its ability to supply businesses of all sizes from independent gift shops to international distributors.

The company’s  success is great news for the city of Swansea and jobs in the area. The company is looking for enthusiastic people, from warehouse operatives to managerial roles, to join their busy workforce.

The following roles are available with immediate starts.

  • Warehouse operatives (Part time and Full time)
  • Warehouse Manager
  • Customer Care advisor (Part time)
  • Accounts administrators
  • Marketing content writer

Commercial Director Anthony David said

“We know that our people are the most important part of our growth journey and we are looking forward to adding to our existing team with enthusiastic, ambitious and driven individuals. Something Different has always been a place where people can develop and progress with our exciting growth plans this will open even more opportunities to people who want them.”

Various working patterns available with competitive rates of pay.

If you are interested in a role at a fast growing local business with great opportunities for the future get in touch today. Visit our dedicated careers page at www.somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk/vacancies/  alternatively Email your cv to careers@somethingdifferentwholesale.co.uk

Apprenticeships, Job Opportunities

York St John University to create 129 new police recruits through partnership

Since the launch of its Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, York St John University (YSJ) is helping to increase the number of officers in its region in partnership with Humberside Police.

A first-of-its-kind course for the University, YSJ has seen a rapid number of applications and is proud of the success of the course in its early stages.

The three-year programme gives new police recruits the chance to achieve a BSc in Professional Police Practice, where they can gain knowledge on law, policy, and procedure, as well as interpersonal and educational skills, all while supporting communities.

Stephanie Yeo, Work-Based Learning Tutor at York St John University, said, “In current times, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of a police officer is extremely complex. These professionals operate at degree level every day, so we wanted to recognise that hard work with the appropriate qualification.

“The programme we’re offering is a blended approach to learning, where time is spent between study and practical on-the-job training. This ensures each apprentice is learning the correct policing skills whilst being supported throughout.”

A nationally approved Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) standard was introduced by the College of Policing to support the development of policing as a profession, recognising and raising educational standards.

This new entry route is part of a wider police education and qualification framework that has been approved nationally to raise education levels for all policing roles to reflect the skills and capabilities required for future policing challenges.

Stephanie continues, “It’s great to see the influx of officers joining the constabulary through the University’s programme. No two days are ever the same, and it will take them beyond their own expectations. It gives apprentices more variety, challenge, and reward than they could ever expect from any other career.”

The University delivers a range of apprenticeship programmes from both its York and London campuses to a broad and diverse range of industry sectors. This includes a Level 7 Senior Leaders Apprenticeship for upskilling team leaders and managers. 

Apprenticeship courses are suitable for A-Level students and above and allow apprentices to ‘earn while they learn’ and gain a degree or Level 7 qualification. Businesses interested in enrolling members of their workforce in the apprenticeship programme can contact the team at apprenticeships@yorksj.ac.uk.