Category Archives: Training News

Business Advice, Media & Online Media, Training, Training News

Startups trained on how to become successful public speakers and media stars

Affordable media training offer for ambitious startup founders and leaders 

UK startup leaders are being encouraged to take advantage of a new series of cost-effective training courses which will help them to become successful presenters and media performers.

While many early stage businesses have little spare cash for public speaking and media training, particularly in the current economic climate, speaking to audiences and reporters is often one of the best and most cost-efficient ways to promote new services and products.

 

‘Media Training for Startups’ has been launched by a former BBC TV and radio correspondent with the aim of helping startup founders and leaders to present their businesses better and to perform well when engaging with the media.

Ex-BBC political correspondent, Tim Reid, said: “Working with a range of startups across the tech and environment sectors, we realise that budgets are often extremely tight and that media training can be pushed further down the long list of priorities.

“As a former journalist, I firmly believe that achieving good media traction and knowing how to engage audiences can make a mountain of difference between a successful startup and a struggling one.

“Performing well in front of the camera or microphone is not the same as pitching to investors. Good training will teach you the techniques and tricks to perform well and promote your business to best effect.”

 

London-based Tim Reid Media offers public relations and comms support, media and presentation training to a broad range of global businesses and charities.

 

Vicky Wilson, co-founder of award-winning tech bereavement notification service, Settld, said: “Before launching Settld, I hated public speaking.

“Fast forward 18 months, and I remember the sensation of waiting backstage, mic fitted, ready to present to an audience of 20,000 people. I was nervous, of course, but I’d received the perfect training, thanks to Tim Reid Media.”

Earlier this year, Settld was ranked in the top 25 of the 100 best startups in Britain in the prestigious Startups 100 index and was a previous Tech Nation Rising Star winner.

 

Two online Media Training for Startups courses are available during May, and further sessions are taking place throughout 2024.

For further details visit, timreidmedia.co.uk/event-list or contact tim@timreidmedia.com

News, Training, Training News

QTS Group Elevates Training Excellence by Upskilling and Hiring Fresh Talent

National rail contractor, QTS Group, continues to spearhead training within the rail industry as it welcomes new trainers and enhances the skills of its current work force.

Paul Knowles and Craig Loveman have recently joined QTS Training Ltd, the training arm of QTS Group. Paul has joined as a new Trainer and Assessor, while Craig has joined as an Assessor and Trainee Trainer. Additionally, Ross Stamper, who is currently an Assessor, is undergoing training to become a fully-fledged trainer.

Paul has joined QTS Training following a rail industry career spanning almost 25 years. During this time, Paul has covered a vast majority of rail disciplines from maintenance to planning, before moving into a training role at AmcoGiffen in 2019.

Based at the Linby, Nottinghamshire headquarters, Paul will play a key role in building the firm’s presence in England, leading on the delivery of training courses and the assessment, training and development of their participants.

Paul will also have an instrumental role in developing the Controller of Site Safety (COSS) material for QTS Group’s pioneering COSS Development Academy, which was launched in 2021 to develop and enhance the skills of QTS team members who hold this key safety critical role. Paul is now responsible for the further development of the programme, along  with other enhancements to safety critical learning.

Craig Loveman became a member of QTS Training in December 2023. He has extensive experience in the industry and has worked as an assessor and Trainee Trainer in recent years. He was eager to grow his skills and advance as a Railway Safety Critical Trainer and Assessor.

Since joining the team, QTS Training has provided Craig with mentorship and training to improve his skills. He can now provide Controller of Site Safety (COSS) training and various small plant competencies. He is currently working towards achieving Engineering Supervisor training capability.

Ross Stamper joined QTS Group as a Training Administrator back in 2018, where he was responsible for booking courses, filing course paperwork and assisting the trainers.

Over the course of five years, Ross has been working towards his goal of becoming a fully qualified Assessor and Trainer. This included undertaking his assessor qualification, obtaining his Controller of Site Safety (COSS) competence and gaining operational experience throughout the divisions of QTS Group. He has now achieved assessor status from NSAR and is well on his journey to become a rail Trainer.

Ross credits QTS’s mentorship programme as being instrumental to his career progression. He said: “Working with experienced assessors and seeing how they do things has been so helpful! The team have been hugely supportive, and I’ve found their mentorship invaluable.”

Lorna Gibson, Managing Director of QTS Training said: “Investing in the upskilling of our existing staff reaffirms our dedication to staying at the forefront of the rail industry. Ross is well on his way to becoming a competent trainer and we’re incredibly proud of all that he has achieved.

“We’re also thrilled to welcome Paul and Craig to the QTS family, enhancing our commitment to delivering top-tier training solutions. Their expertise will undoubtedly enrich our team’s capabilities.

“At QTS, we believe that a well-equipped team is key to providing unparalleled learning experiences, and these developments align with our vision for continued excellence in training services.”

In April of this year, QTS Group will celebrate its 15th anniversary of QTS Training.

HR News, L & D, L&D, News, Training, Training News

Steve Herbert launches new Consultancy and Training Service.

HR & Employee Benefits industry veteran launches six new support offerings for employers.

Our regular Employer News columnist since 2018 – and one of the UK’s best-known commentators on pensions, employee benefits, wellbeing, and HR issues – has established his own training and consultancy business to support HR experts, C-suite professionals, and business-to-business (B2B) sales teams,  empowering them with the skills they need to reach and engage large and small audiences.

Steve Herbert is widely known to thousands of UK Human Resources (HR) and Finance professionals for his long-running, and hugely successful series of “fun and informative” in-person and virtual events, which he has run for the past 20 years, as well as writing his popular column where he frequently discusses HR, economic and benefits issues.

Topics Steve has spoken and written about in recent years include pensions, employee wellbeing, HR, the economic and political outlook, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the future of work and the workplace, and he now hopes to share his skills in a series of affordable L&D workshops to increase confidence and build skills for employees and business owners alike.

Topics include:

  • Presentation Skills training
  • “Webinars that Work” support
  • Creating engaging articles & content
  • Research and Development (R&D) work
  • Building and refining industry award entries
  • Keynote Speaker on a range of business issues

Commenting on these services Herbert said;

“After nearly 40 years in the industry, it was time for me to share some of the skills I have learned and give back to the HR and Business Community.   I am confident that these soft skills are much needed in modern workplaces, and will pay dividends for any individual or organisation seeking to make themselves heard or reach new business audiences at scale.

I will of course continue to act as a high-profile and objective commentator and influencer around Human Resources (HR), wellbeing, and employee benefit issues, and my monthly blog posts for the excellent “Employer News” website will also continue.”

Steve Herbert’s new website (including a list of all his current support services and many client testimonials) can be found here:  www.steve-herbert.co.uk.

Training News

Training providers welcome revised apprenticeships funding cut

Work-based training providers across Wales have welcomed the Welsh Government’s announcement today (Tuesday) to lessen the proposed cut to the apprenticeship programme.

In its original draft budget, the Welsh Government had proposed a 24.5% cut, the equivalent of £38 million and 10,000 fewer apprentices able to start next year.

Following a concerted campaign led by the National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW) and CollegesWales, supported by employers across Wales, £5.25 million has been put back into the budget.

Whilst the funding cut is still hugely challenging, the NTFW, which represents work-based learning providers across Wales, has welcomed the Welsh Government rethink, albeit under immense pressure.

“As a leading advocate for workforce development, the NTFW welcomes this Welsh Government announcement about apprenticeship funding,” said the NTFW’s strategic director Lisa Mytton.

“This rethink recognises the importance of apprenticeships in providing individuals with valuable training opportunities to gain hands-on experience and develop specialised skills that are needed by employers across Wales.

“We have maintained from the outset that apprenticeships are a vital component of building a skilled workforce and closing the skills gap in our country.

“The NTFW is delighted that the huge amount of time devoted to lobbying Ministers and Members of Senedd about the benefits of apprenticeships to individuals and businesses alike has been successful.

“Our members still face huge challenges with the significant reduction in the budget. Although the outlook is slightly more positive than we expected, there will still be significantly fewer apprenticeship starts next year and some very difficult decisions to take.

“We commend the Welsh Government and Economy Minister Vaughan Gething for listening to us and revising their original draft budget.

“However, we would urge the Welsh Government to invest more in apprenticeships as soon as possible to maintain this flagship programme and to retain the expert and professional workforce that drives skills development in Wales.

“We also wish to put on record our appreciation of the cross party support and backing from Welsh employers that we have received for prioritising apprenticeship funding in the budget. We are excited about the potential for growth and innovation in this space.

“Together, we can continue to support the development of a highly skilled workforce that drives economic growth and prosperity for all in Wales.”

Picture caption:

Lisa Mytton, NTFW’s strategic director – “Our members still face huge challenges”.

Healthcare, HR, News, North of England, Training, Training News

PAM Group takes a leap forward with new training academy

Occupational health and corporate health services provider PAM Group has opened a dedicated training academy to enhance the learning and development of its workforce.

The PAM Academy is based on the ground floor of a two-storey building at Mandarin Court in Warrington.

The 4,000sq ft building houses client services teams for PAM’s Wellness Solutions division on the first floor alongside the group’s IT support staff.

PAM Group founder and chief executive James Murphy said the academy fulfils a long-held ambition to create a bespoke training centre for clinical and non-clinical staff. It features a series of fully-equipped replica clinics and an audio booth where PAM Group specialists can train in a realistic setting.

The academy space will also be used to stage training courses and sessions for clients, covering topics such as mental health awareness, neurodiversity and health and wellbeing in the workplace.

PAM Wellness Solutions’ client services teams have relocated from the group’s corporate headquarters in Warrington and other sites, bringing together under one roof those running the group’s employee assistance programme, physiotherapy and occupational health advisory services. The open-plan upper floor can accommodate 50 staff.

James said: “I’m passionate that PAM becomes the employer of choice for people wishing to start or develop their careers in the fields in which we operate, and the academy is a leap forward for this.

“It’s common, for example, for people from the nursing profession to join us to start their journeys as occupation health professionals.

“We are developing a new career path framework for our colleagues, branded as the Elevate Programme. This will enhance routes for career development across the group, and the facilities at the new academy provide an effective and engaging space to host the learning opportunities on offer through the programme, in a bespoke environment.”

He added: “It’s a very versatile building where we can also hold departmental and inter-departmental meetings, planning sessions and workshops.

“In terms of the client services teams, the building provides a tremendous space to bring people together and improve efficiency by inspiring greater collaboration, engagement and teamwork in a stimulating working environment.”

The Mandarin Court site is a high-spec office building which PAM Group has fitted out to include a breakout area and meeting rooms as well as office space and training facilities. It has parking for 20 vehicles.

PAM Group is a major provider of occupational health, health screening and wellbeing services across the UK and Ireland. It offers a range of integrated services to public and private sector clients, supporting more than a million employees at over 1,000 businesses and organisations.

Its services include psychological support, corporate health assessments, ergonomic and assistive technology products, mobile health screening, drug and alcohol screening and a pathology laboratory. The group operates a network of 25 clinics. It also has a retail arm which supplies fitness, exercise and rehabilitation equipment to consumers, sports clubs and sports and physiotherapy professionals.

PAM, which employs more than 750 people, posted revenues of £53m for 2023 and is on track to reach £68m this year. PAM is looking to grow turnover to £90m over the next few years through continued organic expansion and further acquisitions.

The group is backed by private equity firm LDC to support its growth and the launch of new products and services.

Employee Engagement, Tech, Telecoms News, Training News

Two-minute bursts of learning on the job – How Three UK Trains Staff During Peak Periods in the Retail Calendar with 3D simulation games on mobile devices.

As a leading telecommunications company, Three UK supports staff with innovative and high-quality consultative sales training to boost skills and confidence.

“Better connectivity, every day, for every customer.” 

The aim is always to provide the highest quality of communication and service to customers and the best employee experience for Three UK teams.

At peak seasons and sales teams still need quality training support to improve skills and boost confidence, but time away from the front-line to participate in training is not always practicable or desirable.

Three UK has found a solution by working with Attensi on game-based training simulations that can be played in short bursts whenever it is convenient for the individual staff member, on mobile devices.

Senior Digital and Learning Manager, Gordon Weston explains:

“The key thing is it is about the engagement and for some time we have been looking for some way of gamifying our learning. When I first saw Attensi…I knew it was going to be good.”

“For the majority of our customers, the only people they ever see are those that are in the stores so those front of house staff getting it right and really engaging with customers and really getting the right messages across is hugely important.”

The impact data has been impressive:

  • 924 users played
  • 40 mins of playtime per user
  • An average of 6 repetitions per module
  • Closing 81% of identified knowledge gap

 

Nikki Scarf, Senior People Development Manager said:

“Attensi changes the way people think about learning. They want to do it because it doesn’t feel boring. It doesn’t feel like school. It’s not the traditional method.”

“To have learning that they can just pull out of their back pocket, on their handset, they can do two minute games – it was phenomenal.”

 

Evelyn Johnston Head of Region Midlands UK adds:

“You go into the app. You can learn immediately. It’s done at your own pace, saves time – it’s more efficient. It’s more fun. It’s engaging.”

“People are our most important asset. That’s the difference in why people choose Three, because our people do a fantastic job of telling customers about the brand. They absolutely understand where a customer is coming from. Now this learning platform is going to enable them to do that even more.”

 

Craig Miller, Head of Region Three UK said:

“There has never been a more important time for us to make sure that we stand out from a customer experience point of view. The environment that we work in, the world that we live in is now so, so different and customers have never been in more need of support.”

 

Rosie Deakin, Strategic Account Manager – Consumer Europe, Attensi added;

“Three UK is leading the way in both the telecom sector and in employee engagement, so we are delighted they chose Attensi to train their teams who are spread across the UK. By adopting our simulated gamification platform and therefore by making training fun, Three UK teams are challenging each other to win the highest completion score. This is only good news for Three UK as their teams are able to deal with issues and queries in their fast paced roles and for the employees who are enjoying a full competency in their work. We look forward to our ongoing work with Three UK to ensure their team is the best in their sector.”

Tech, Training, Training News

The Balancing Act: Product Owner vs Scrum Master

In the often complicated and constantly changing world of Agile project management, two roles, the Product Owner and the Scrum Master, play key roles when it comes to driving team efficiency and delivering value. While you may have a basic understanding of these roles, the real magic happens when you delve into the nuances of what each role involves and how they collaborate.

To fully understand this delicate balance and its impact on the success of Agile projects, you need to know everything – from the basics, like what is a Product Owner or what does Scrum Master does, to the specifics of their roles and how they actually work together.

Understanding the Product Owner Role

In Agile, the Product Owner is the captain of the ship. These experts create a product vision that defines its key aspects:

  • What the product is
  • Who it’s for
  • How it enhances lives

Serving as a liaison, their job is to gather insights from stakeholders. By managing the Product Backlog, they always keep priorities straight. Also, they are the ones who need to make critical decisions by balancing the available information on:

  • Customer desires
  • Market trends
  • Technical possibilities

In collaborating closely with the team, they ensure everyone’s on the same page, motivated to bring the vision to life. So, Product Owners are the navigators of Agile success. They are responsible for delivering products that exceed expectations.

Understanding the Scrum Master Role

The Scrum Master plays a different role. They ensure everyone plays by the Agile rules. Most importantly, they’re pulling forward the whole team by encouraging these essential aspects of business:

  • Teamwork
  • Feedback
  • Improvement

They act as both coach and referee, so to speak. They’re helping the team perform at its best by removing all unnecessary obstacles. As process orchestrators, they streamline team workflows and make sure Scrum rituals run smoothly. By closely collaborating with Product Owners, they balance processes and check on the team’s efficiency.

Key Differences Between the Roles

Now that you know what both roles do, let’s see what are some key differences between them. So, in the Agile world, Product Owners and Scrum Masters are two unique and different roles, but they still complement each other. The Product Owner is all about championing the product, ensuring it aligns with business goals, and engaging with stakeholders.

They call the shots on product features. In contrast, the Scrum Master takes on the role of a team coach, focusing on smooth Agile processes, teamwork, and pure efficiency. They don’t make product-related decisions. While both roles are important, these distinctions help them collaborate effectively and successfully balance processes.

L&D, News, Training News

Lloyd’s Register and Seably integrate their systems to ease crew trainings and certificate management

Lloyd’s Register (LR), a global professional services company specialising in engineering and technology for the maritime industry and Seably, a marketplace for online maritime training, has announced that they will be integrating their web-based systems to ease crew trainings and certificate management by streamlining processes and automating exchange of data.

The newly formed LR Digital Solutions division offers, among other solutions, Cloud Fleet Manager (CFM), a cloud-based management system for shipping and ship management companies. The system offers more than 40 different modules to enhance efficiency across the different departments of a company.

Seably is a marketplace for online maritime trainings where anyone can explore, take, or even teach a course. They offer a wide range of flag state-approved STCW courses, legislation typed trainings, introduction courses, reflective learning how-to courses, and customer demanded trainings. With new content added every month, from industry professionals, training centres, subcontractors, and insurance companies, offering the latest in maritime education.

The goal of this partnership is to empower a faster, smarter, and more collaborative management of crew trainings. Since the trainings provided by Seably can conveniently be accessed both via web-browsers or through their native apps, seafarers can autonomously take care of their trainings and respective certificates, freeing up crew managers’ time. All data that is created this way will automatically be transferred to CFM where it is immediately available for further use.

Martin Taylor, CEO LR Digital Solutions division said: “Integration of systems and standardisation of data brings huge benefits to shipping companies. Instead of managing data manually in two separate systems, crew managers now only need to create information in one place which is then automatically available in both systems. This does not only free up time but additionally increases quality and reliability of data.”

“Being open and easy to integrate with is an essential part of Seably’s business. By teaming up with CFM we can onboard our joint customers quicker, allowing for automatic seafarer enrolment and training record synchronisation. We’re happy to have started with AdMare Ship Management and OljOla Shipping as our trial integration partners and look forward to implementing a full-scale roll-out with Peter Döhle and Erik Thun AB soon.” added David Svensson, CTO of Seably.

 

—

About Lloyd’s Register 

Trusted maritime advisors, partnering with clients to drive performance across the ocean economy.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) is a global professional services group specialising in marine engineering and technology. Created more than 260 years ago as the world’s first marine classification society, to improve and set standards for the safety of ships.

Today we are a leading provider of classification and compliance services to the marine and offshore industries, helping our clients design, construct and operate their assets to accepted levels of safety and environmental compliance.

We also provide advice, support and solutions on fleet performance and optimisation, voyage optimisation, enhancing our clients’ digital capability. Our digital solutions are relied upon by more than 20,000 vessels.

In the race to zero emissions, our research, technical expertise and industry-firsts are supporting a safe, sustainable maritime energy transition.

Lloyd’s Register Group is wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a politically and financially independent global charity that promotes safety and education.

For more information, go to www.lr.org

News, Training, Training News

Why does taking a course help you become a better HR professional?

In today’s world, efficiency has become more important than ever. What used to take days now can be done in a matter of moments, and this new way of working has transformed the employment landscape.

In fact, being able to respond quickly and effectively to new challenges is one of the cornerstones of a great contemporary worker, and an attribute that organisations are always on the lookout for. With this in mind, training is a vital cog in the machine that is creating this modern employee, ensuring that their skill sets are as up to date as possible, as well as preparing them for the latest developments in the working world.

In the field of Human Resources (HR), being able to understand where others will best fit into the company structure is invaluable. For some people, they are at their best when speaking with others in person or via a video call. However, others might find that their strengths lie in working behind the scenes, dealing with complex problems away from the spotlight.

It is precisely this capacity to be able to pick up on a worker’s strong points and areas for improvement that makes HR professionals absolutely ideal candidates for another career type. That vocations could be TEFL; Teaching English as a Foreign Language. 

HR expert should definitely consider a TEFL course, for a number of reasons. Read on to find out some of these, as well as some useful ideas to help the HR guru grow along the way.

 

Obtain a TEFL certification

The first step is to go ahead and get a reputable TEFL qualification. It’s about having the knowledge and self-confidence to approach new problems with greater confidence, even if this means working from home or adding a side hustle to the day job.

It’s also about teach English in Taiwan, one of the hottest spots to go and teach TEFL abroad at the moment. For one thing, having the choice to go and travel overseas to work is a great option to have. 

For another, a foreign spot on the curriculum vitae adds an element of surprise, giving future interviewers the perfect moment to be curious and ask further questions. These are essential in gaining an advantage in an interview setting.

Furthermore, a reliable TEFL course also has a plethora of information about teaching the language itself, which is a key component of communicating with anyone in English. This might migrate into more accurate and detailed explanations of core projects, all the way through to paying greater attention to detail on major internal business correspondences, so that they can be understood by all.

 

See the world

Once the TEFL qualification is in the bag, a wonderful next target is to go abroad and use the certification to teach abroad. Many large global sectors, from airlines to hotels and restaurants, all want to make sure that their own staff are highly engaged with the English language.

These firms recognise that tourists have a choice when it comes to where they spend their travel money. Indeed, travel locations that offer English as a language are more likely to attract visitors, and so make more money as a result. 

The workers get the benefit of on the job training too, that they might otherwise have to pay out of pocket for.

As a result, most employees are liable to be highly motivated and focused during these classes with a TEFL teacher. They have the chance to add value to their own employment record, as well as learn a skill that they will be able to use in their own personal lives.

 

Choose a suitable location

Once the decision to go abroad has been made, another good task is selecting the right country for living and working in. For each individual, this will be motivated and influenced by distinct facets, such as cost of living, quality of life, travel options, alongside many other factors.

A great blend of all these aspects is Taiwan, located just off the east coast of mainland China. With technological developments on par with most of the developed world, it is easy to get around and navigate this beautiful island.

On top of that, Taiwan has a host of attractions, from traditional all the way up to cutting edge. There is something for every taste to be found in this small nation, with an ideal hybrid of old and new fused together in a fast paced environment.

 

Opt for an age group

Another big area in the decision-making process is to choose the right age group to teach TEFL to. Around the globe, there is a vast array of learner groups, from kindergarten up to adult learners, and each bring their own advantages.

With really small learners, for example, there is the chance to have a lot of fun with the language. It is usually easy to come up with a range of games and activities that are simply a pleasure to participate in for both students and TEFL teachers.

On the other hand, older kids tend to be a touch less energetic, and more aware of the responsibilities that come with being a mature student. They have their futures to think about, and often can take their time more on aspects such as essay writing or debates. Additionally, they are more likely to comprehend more complex grammar topics, as well as pay attention to classroom presentations for a bit longer.

Last but by no means least, there are the adult students to think about. These could be in the form of university learners, who need English for writing their thesis, or performing cross-cultural research projects with students from universities in other countries. 

Alternatively, as mentioned before, there are a whole host of companies who pay for a TEFL professional to come in and make sure that the staff are in the know about the latest happenings in the English language. In any case, the HR expert has a full range of age groups to choose from when making their final choice to teach TEFL.

 

References:

  • https://businessinthenews.co.uk/2022/07/06/language-training-app-elsa-announces-over-1-million-dollars-in-airline-and-hospitality-training-investment/
  • https://businessinthenews.co.uk/2022/01/06/the-importance-of-training-your-staff-well/
  • https://www.tefl.org/teach-english-abroad/teach-english-in-taiwan/
  • https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/10-things-taiwan/index.html
  • https://abcnews.go.com/International/taiwan-growing-destination-hong-kong-residents-freedom/story?id=89817220

 

Healthcare, Mental Health, News, Training & Apprenticeships, Training News

More than 100 Healthcare Assistants given career boost to become mental health nurses in Northamptonshire

St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northamptonshire is celebrating 115 students graduating from its innovative ASPIRE programme to become mental health nurses.

ASPIRE enables Healthcare Assistants to combine their learning and experience and jump straight into the second year of the University of Northampton’s Mental Health or Learning Disability Nursing degree – completing a nursing degree in two years.

A St Andrew’s girl for life – how one nurse progressed from Healthcare Assistant to mental health nurse on an innovative training course

One successful student is Bukunola Popoola. Originally from Nigeria, Bukunola came to the UK in 2007 with her husband on a highly skilled migrant programme and she joined St Andrew’s Healthcare as a health care assistant and during this time she learnt about the ASPIRE programme.

Seeing it as a great opportunity to further her career, Bukunola completed a level four course and gained a certificate in mental health before embarking on the course.

During her training Bukunola had a crisis in her personal life and decided to stop the course completely but the staff at St Andrew’s Healthcare were very supportive and told her to come back when she was ready, which she did.

Bukunola said: “St Andrew’s Healthcare couldn’t have been more supportive and flexible. I was so pleased to restart the ASPIRE programme – it’s an amazing course because you are financially supported when studying. I was 46-years-old and an international student which meant I wasn’t eligible for student finance but the fact I was still able to work and study made it possible for me.

“This has been a very positive journey for me. Becoming a nurse has enabled me to make better contributions to patients’ recovery journeys.  I am full of gratitude for the opportunity to be part of ASPIRE and for the fantastic support I received from staff throughout the course. They have an open door policy and there is always someone to talk to.  I am proud to be a nurse at St Andrew’s Healthcare which I love. I am a St Andrew’s girl for life!”

Shortage of Mental Health Nurses preventing adequate care for millions worldwide

A recent report from the World Health Organization[i] (WHO) highlighted that a global shortage of mental health nurses was preventing adequate care for millions of people around the world whose mental health was hit by the pandemic. In England the mental health nursing workforce has by declined 10 per cent since May 2010[ii].

St Andrew’s Healthcare is addressing this through the ASPIRE programme which is enabling them to boost their staff numbers and give Healthcare Assistants like Bukunola a unique opportunity to realise their career ambitions. The programme is a huge success with 115 nurses having now qualified and working back at St Andrew’s Healthcare.

Emma Swain, Programme Lead and Senior Lecturer at St Andrew’s Healthcare said: “Even though, individually all the students going through the ASPIRE programme all have different qualities, they all have the same drive and ambition. The last two years with the pandemic tested everyone’s resilience, but each student rose to the challenge, worked hard and are now qualified. We’re proud of all of them and look forward to watching their careers blossom as registered nurses.”

St Andrew’s Healthcare is part of the ‘Best of Both Worlds’ recruitment campaign. This brings together the University of Northampton (UON), Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), Northampton General Hospital (NGH), Kettering General Hospital (KGH), St Andrew’s Healthcare and Northants GP. The aim of the programme is to recruit nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals to live and work in Northamptonshire.

 

[i] https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/mental-health/more-mental-health-nurses-urgently-needed-around-the-world-21-06-2022/

[ii] https://nhsproviders.org/mental-health-services-addressing-the-care-deficit/the-workforce-challenge