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March 19th 2010
Strawberry Success Stories
Congratulations to Joe Ward and Gemma Griffiths who have both been successful in their respective training.
Joe Ward has been named Student of the Month after impressing his tutors and Strawberry with his determination to succeed, and rapid progression since starting the college in September.
Joe is currently studying through an apprenticeship scheme at New College Swindon, with one day based at the campus on Queens Drive, and the rest of the week gaining hands on experience at Strawberry Recruitment.
Joe said of the award: "I’ve never won anything like this before, winning anything is an achievement and I’m really happy to be acknowledged like this by the college."
Joe was excluded from his previous school before he could complete his GCSEs, but decided to enrol at New College to gain some qualifications.
"New College had the faith in me to offer me a place, and the opportunity for me to learn without being judged."
"Studying as an apprentice really works for me. I didn’t enjoy studying in a classroom, and I wasn’t getting anything out of it. As an apprentice I can learn in a great environment, earn money, and get some good qualifications at the same time."
Karina North of Strawberry confirmed Joe is making real progress, "his desire to do well and learn is key to our business and as we move forward as a team focussing in new speciality sectors, his range of skills is constantly increasing as his role becomes greater. I have no doubt he will soon become a critical member of our team"
New College Quality Manager, Mandy Hamilton, commented: "The Student of the Month award has been designed to celebrate our students’ achievements and effort, both in and out of college. Our students excel in a variety of ways, not just academically, and we want to acknowledge and reward this".
Gemma Griffiths has recently completed her Certificate in Recruitment Practice qualification following 18 months in the industry. The Certificate in Recruitment Practice is a nationally recognised recruitment qualification developed jointly by the REC and key employers.
Gemma commented: "The distance learning course allowed me to complete the coursework in my own time, whilst continuing to work. The course content focused on 4 different modules each relevant to a different aspect of recruitment. I found myself relating the coursework to my day to day activities, strengthening my knowledge of Recruitment Practices and the reasoning behind these practices".
Strawberry is a member of the REC and feels that the standards outlined in the REC Code of Professional Practice are an excellent quality benchmark for recruitment consultants. To this end they actively encourage and support their recruitment consultants to achieve the qualifications available.
Mark Gaunt, Recruitment Manager in the Leeds office commented "Gemma settled very quickly into recruitment and is an integral part of the team. I am extremely pleased that she now has the industry recognised qualification to back up her solid and successful workplace experience. In fact, this now means that all of Strawberry’s Recruitment Consultants are REC qualified. This ensures that all of our clients receive the highest standards of recruitment service."
January 18th 2010
Strawberry is pleased to support The Public Service Skills Framework (PSSF) which incorporates the new Get on at Work programme.
Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for facilities management, housing, cleaning, parking and property, is hosting a series of free events to launch the Public Service Skills Framework (PSSF).
The launch events will comprise of a series of informal and participative seminars that will outline the initiative and provide a forum to share information for all parties in attendance.
The dates of these events are:
- 28 January: Birmingham
- 03 February: Bristol
- 09 February: Southampton
- 23 February: Peterborough
- 09 March: Newcastle
- 16 March: Manchester
- 31 March: London
Click here to register or visit www.assetskills.org/PSSFEvents/
The PSSF has been specifically designed for support staff in the public sector, such as cleaners, porters or caretakers who are in frequent contact with the public, yet receive no formal training in customer service.
As part of PSSF, a new Level 2 qualification has been developed. Skills for Supporting Public Service (SSPS) helps to develop customer service training within the context of the public sector. It is suitable for both directly employed staff and those working for outsourced contractors.
Asset Skills has worked with employers, trades unions, awarding bodies, learning providers and others to develop and pilot the Framework. Consultations have revealed extensive support for the initiative to the extent that the scheme has been extended to a series of Foundation Learning Tier qualifications called ‘Get on at Work’. These come with teaching and learning materials (developed by unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation) which will be available free of charge.
"We look forward to many people in our company achieving this new award," - Brian Cummings, Learning and Development Manager, OCS.
"The thirty staff currently taking part in the Pilot of SSPS have responded very positively; they are enjoying the learning – and most have a renewed sense of purpose," - Elaine Peck, Head of Customer Service, Chelmsford Borough Council.
Doors open at 9.00am, event starts at 10.00am and finishes at 2.00pm after a buffet lunch.
For more information please call Philip Stott 01392 456 825 / Tom Orton 01392 456 811 or email pstott@assetskills.org / torton@assetskills.org
June 10th 2009
Wiltshire College Adult Learner Awards
Awards evenings are very important to Strawberry. We are able to formally acknowledge and recognise the achievements of our partners’ students and the students in turn are then able to share their success with peers, friends and family.
Wiltshire College held their first Adult Learner of the Year Award to recognise and celebrate student success. Award finalists had stories that were outstanding, remarkable and inspirational and the hope is that their stories will motivate others to consider learning. They illustrate how learning as an adult can transform lives and achieve beyond their expectations.
The Awards took place on Wednesday May 20th 2009 at the Arc Theatre, Trowbridge and each winner received a trophy, certificate and cheque. The event was hosted by Bev Flanagan - Vice Principal Business Enterprise, Wiltshire College.
There were seven categories in total, each sponsored by a local company: Wiltshire Adult Apprentice of the Year was sponsored by Strawberry Recruitment
Judges were looking for outstanding examples of individuals who have achieved their qualification in the workplace.
The winner was Daniel Tanner
Daniel started the community sport coaches' apprenticeship in May 2008. He coaches and supports at many community events such as Sports Road shows, Beach Parties and the Christmas light switch. He runs regular weekly school clubs coaching a variety of sports. During the past year he has completed various qualifications on top of the administration workload which is necessary to coach effectively and complete his NVQ Level 3 in Sport Development. Some of these qualifications include:
- Stilt Walking
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Level 2 Gym Instructor.
A very motivated person he also is an enthusiastic member of Chippenham football club. Due to Daniel's performance over the year of his apprenticeship, Trowbridge Town Council has now offered Daniel a full time community Sports Coach position. He is admired and respected by many of the Trowbridge children whom he has inspired to take part in regular leisure clubs and activities. He was nominated by his employer who believe s that Daniel is extremely worthy of this award because he not only works extremely hard at his NVQ and job but he gives something back to the community every single day.
All of us at Strawberry Recruitment wish him every success for the future!
September 17th 2008
Strawberry shortlisted for prestigious award
Strawberry are pleased to announce that they have been shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Young Business of the Year’ award at the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2008. The event, attended by the Rt. Hon David Cameron, selects businesses from the region who have made an outstanding contribution to the area. The award is for businesses under 3 years old and focuses on company progression since inception. Strawberry, based in Bradford, was handpicked from a large number of entries due to its rapid progress since it started in 2006. Strawberry has quickly established strong working relationships with a number of key clients. This enabled investment in new service streams and staff infrastructure. Strawberry now works with 15% of English providers of Further Education including a number in the Yorkshire area - Park Lane College, A4E and Bradford College. Strawberry’s success has been inextricably linked to hard work, innovative ideas, strong business acumen and an investment in people. They are delighted to be selected and look forward to the event on the 17th October 2008.
September 1st 2008
Strawberry highlight changes in Government legislation for the supply of temporary staff
As announced in the 2008 budget the current Staff Hire Concession will be removed from April 2009. This will lead to an increase in the VAT liability placed on clients using temporary workers through employment businesses for the delivery of qualifications in the FE sector. Strawberry is working with the recruitment sector body, REC, to lobby the Government about the implementation of this directive. Also, from April 2009 holiday entitlement for temporary workers will increase to 5.6 weeks (28 days) based on full time employment, pro rata for those working part-time. This will affect anyone engaging staff through an employment businesses.
To find out more and to see if this affects you please contact Strawberry’s head office on 0845 094 3110
July 25th 2008
Strawberry open up Southern Office
Due to increasing client demand Strawberry have opened up a southern base. Strawberry will still maintain its Head Office in Bradford but will now benefit from a dedicated home in Swindon. Jon Cummins, Business Development Director, said ‘Since Strawberry started customer satisfaction has been paramount. The number of referrals from current client recommendations is testament to the high levels of service we provide. Having a permanent home in the south of the UK will allow us to offer even higher levels of support to FE providers in this area’. Set in the beautiful countryside of Wiltshire but with easy access to the M4 and M5 the office is a perfect setting for staff and clients.
July 14th 2008
Strawberry to attend key sector event.
Strawberry is pleased to be exhibiting at the ‘Becoming Recognised as an Awarding Body’ conference on 24 September. With a host of high profile keynote speakers the day will focus on the government’s decision to extend awarding powers to employers, colleges and training providers so they can offer their own qualifications. The event is aimed at senior staff within FE Colleges, Private Training Providers and other sector stakeholders. To learn more and to register please go to http://www.becominganawardingbody.co.uk/.
June 2nd 2008
Strawberry’s strengthens its ongoing commitment to the environment.
Strawberry supply a number of FE providers with high quality learning materials. We are pleased to announce that, for all new products, the paper and board used throughout our workbooks are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited and sourced. Also, all the inks used are vegetable inks which are made with a proportion of vegetable oil rather than petroleum oil. Being partially made with renewable resources such as soy, linseed and corn and means there is much less harm to the environment.
In addition to this all the waste material is separated and recycled at our printers, with waste ink disposed of by a licensed disposal company while our PVC binders are recycled and are made in Great Britain from up to 99% (by weight) recycled post consumer waste.
7th April 2008
Strawberry release first company newsletter
Due to frequent requests from existing and new clients we have launched our brand new company newsletter. Since our launch in 2006 we have grown significantly, primarily through word of mouth, supplying a range of key services to the Further Education sector. We have recently developed a new company structure that supports the needs of our clients nationwide with Regional Directors in both the North and South of the country. We have also strengthened our Head Office team to make sure that there is always someone on hand to help and advise on client requirements.
Recognising the needs of the FE Sector has been crucial to our success; from its inception we wanted Strawberry to be different, to provide the Sector with a fresh approach to its everyday issues. We have made it our business to understand our clients’ objectives and help provide the solutions.
We hope our newsletter provides key information to the sector and keeps you up to date with how we can help you meet LSC targets - if you would like to receive a copy or comment on any of the articles please e-mail me at jon@strawberryrecruitment.co.uk
Strategic partnership leads to success
In the first edition we hear from Sam Sawyer, Director of Performance and Quality at NVQUK about the successful partnership that has developed with Strawberry during the past 12 months and how this has led to major success within their organisation.
How has your relationship with Strawberry supported NVQUK?
One of Strawberry’s key services is the supply of qualified NVQ Assessors and Verifiers to colleges and private training providers. We approached Strawberry as we needed support to grow our Assessment team to meet an ever-increasing demand from employers in the Health and Social Care sector. We provided Strawberry with a brief and together we have developed a hugely successful recruitment strategy that has allowed us to meet the demands of the organisation.
In less than 6 months nearly 30 full time qualified Assessors and Verifiers have been successfully employed by NVQUK after being identified and referred by Strawberry, our partnership with Strawberry has been key to our success over the past year – their team has invested time and energy in understanding our business requirements with some great results.
What other initiatives have you been working on during the past 12 months?
Key to NVQUK’s success has been our popular NVQ STARS programme. This has been developed using a planned and systematic modular approach to the delivery of training and assessment.
Follow the link www.nvquk.co.uk/nvq-stars.asp to learn more about the NVQ STARS programme.
Stop Press …
New…
We can now provide Assessors on a temporary, contract basis. For more information visit our website
www.strawberryrecruitment.com
New …
NCFE Palliative Care and NCFE Equality and Diversity Learning Materials
Save …
10% on your initial order of any VRQ Learning Materials.
Subject to availability. Offer ends 31st May 2008
New … ASET Occupational Health and Safety and ASET Personal Health and Lifestyle Awareness Learning Materials.
3rd April
Strawberry help ‘Get Kids Going’
Strawberry are delighted to be sponsoring Matthew Harrison as he walks from the source of the Thames to London before running The Marathon in support of ‘Get Kids Going’, a national charity that gives disabled children and young people the wonderful opportunity of participating in sport. “‘Get Kids Going’ is a fantastic charity and if by supporting Matthew and his group we can help more disabled children and young people get into sport then we are delighted to help” commented Jon Cummins, Strawberry’s Business Development Director.
To learn more about the Get Kids Going charity and the work they undertake on behalf of disabled children and young people, or to make a donation, please visit www.getkidsgoing.com
Wednesday 21st November
Strawberry launches Christmas promotion on learning materials for new clients
Strawberry has created an exciting range of care related VRQ learning materials. Developed with leading Further Education colleges they have received a fantastic response from clients who are impressed with their quality and ease of use. As an early Christmas present all books ordered from new clients before the 15th January 2008 will cost just £45 each. The price includes the following:
• Branded front cover using your college logo – a key opportunity for you to promote awareness of your college to local employers and employees.
• A full training session for your delivery team with our experienced sector expert.
• A supporting assessor guide, available electronically for you to use with any existing guidance information
• Postage and packaging
Saturday 17th November
Strawberry sponsor Leeds vs Swindon League 1 Fixture
Strawberry was delighted to be the Match Ball sponsors at the recent League 1 fixture between Leeds United and Swindon Town. With bases in Swindon and Leeds it was an ideal opportunity to support their local football teams. After an entertaining match, Stuart Miller (Recruitment Director) and Jon Cummins (Business Development Director) presented the match ball to man of the match Leeds United’s Jonny Howson. Stuart commented that ‘this was a fantastic chance to demonstrate our commitment to supporting important centres for the local community’.
Monday 1st October 2007
Strawberry secure exclusive recruitment deal with leading training provider
Strawberry is delighted to have secured an exclusive arrangement with NVQUK to supply their NVQ Assessors and Verifiers. NVQUK are one of the leading private training providers and specialise in care related qualifications. After a successful initial pilot NVQUK agreed that Strawberry would be responsible for all recruitment related services. Jon Cummins (Business Development Director) said ‘we are really pleased that NVQUK have decided to utilise our services and we look forward to helping them deliver against their key LSC contracts. NVQUK have won a number of new contracts and Strawberry look forward to identifying high calibre applicants so they can meet employer and funding body demands’.
To apply for any vacancy please click on the following link: www.strawberryrecruitment.com/vacancies.php
Friday 28th September 2007
Strawberry launches new learning materials
Working alongside leading FE colleges, including North Warwickshire and Hinckley and Castle College (Nottingham), as well as awarding bodies NCFE and ASET Strawberry have launched two new VRQ Dementia learning materials. Using an exhaustive and robust process Strawberry has designed engaging and easy to use learning materials. All latest best practice, guidance and policy have been incorporated. The qualifications are on the Learning Aims Database and are typically delivered using either a distance or blended learning model. The front cover can be personalised with the employer or college logo. They are in full colour and contain a range of interesting and engaging activities that prepare the learner for the assessment element of the qualification.
To learn more about our learning materials please click on the following link: www.strawberryrecruitment.com/clients-lm.php