We are offering the key nationally recognised industry qualifications as fully and partially funded options for those who are out of work.

We are able to offer courses in the following subject areas:

• Exercise and Fitness – Gym Instructor
• Exercise and Fitness – Exercise to Music Instructor
• Personal Trainer

Each course will also include an opportunity for those who have not already done so to register with the Apprenticeship service and to review current vacancies.

Course lengths vary but we will provide a mix of taught days (5-8) and on-line learning that will be scheduled over a period ranging from 1 month up to 4 months for higher level programmes.

Access to our  interactive on-line academy is provided with each course and is a really great way of  making significant progress from home ahead of course dates.

For more information about the course options that are available and your eligibility for them, please comment on this thread or contact us via the Contact page.

We look forward to hearing from you!

As working apprentices they  will be responsible for daily duties that will include grooming, checking the tack, tacking up (putting on the saddles and bridles) and un-tacking, general maintenance and proper care of horses including recording basic health information, rugging up and bedding down. Positions will also include all aspects of daily care, mucking out, cleaning stalls, turning in/out and watering. It is the perfect stepping stone into a professional racehorse business.

If you are looking to work with horses or are an employer looking for stable staff, contact us via the website today.

If you are considering attending the festival, we invite you to drop by and visit our stand. We will have staff on hand who will be able to provide advice and guidance on the range of courses that TSP provides and the Apprenticeship vacancies that we are helping our employer partners to fill.

We will also be running an online quiz on the day, with the chance to win an ipod Touch.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Nikki Hinton from Guildford has completed both an Apprenticeship and Advanced Apprenticeship and is quick to point out the way in which her these programmes have helped to shape her career.

“In order to be able to work in the gym environment I knew that there were certain industry recognised qualifications that I would need to achieve. At first I didn’t think that the opportunity would be open to me as I had left school with good grades across a range of subjects. Having discussed this with a training provider, I found out that the Apprenticeship course would provide me with the qualifications that employers in the leisure industry were looking for and would also give me that valuable element of experience.”

Nikki undertook her first Apprenticeship whilst working in a leisure centre and having demonstrated her commitment, she was soon looking for her next step. At this stage, she was rewarded with an increased level of responsibility and Nikki chose to work through the Leisure Management course. “I was new to management positions and wanted to broaden out my range of skills. To begin with I didn’t even realise that I would be able to move on from a first qualification and through into more advanced learning. Having spent some time in a management position I was keen to work with other people who were starting out and to share the experience that I had with them and it was at that point that an opportunity came up with the training company that had trained me.”

Fast forward to today and Nikki is working as an NVQ tutor with The Skills Partnership, “I hadn’t realised that my professional qualifications would have a value outside the industry itself. I was used to working one on one with clients and tutoring and coaching seemed to be a natural progression for me. Of course my learning didn’t end with my Apprenticeships, I continued to work and learn with the organisation picking up my assessor and teaching qualifications. I did find it tricky in the early stages, there is a lot of terminology to get used to, but luckily a lot of the transferable skills that I picked up during my apprenticeships really helped me out, such as my communication and numeracy qualifications.”

“It’s been a rewarding challenge to work with both younger and older learners across a range of courses. Some of the highlights have been the feedback you get from people who have found out what new doors their Apprenticeship course has opened up for them.  From those who have been promoted through to personal trainers who wouldn’t have been able to start up their businesses without the course. We’ve also had learners who have moved through into Higher Education and have been able to use their advanced Apprenticeship to get into their first choice universities and to shorten their study time there.”

To find out more about Apprenticeship opportunities with The Skills Partnership, visit our website www.skillspartnership.co.uk or call us on the contact number found on our advertisement within this section.

Hayley Bollons is just 20 years old and is currently completing her Advanced Apprenticeship level 3 in Teaching Physical Activity and Exercise (Personal Training) with The Skills Partnership, having previously completed her level 2 NVQ whilst working at the Guildford Spirit Health Club.

As Hayley explains, “I joined the Spirit team at the Holiday Inn, Guildford in November 2008 as a Lifestyle Consultant and I started my first work-based course to achieve a full NVQ at level 2. Then I started my advanced apprenticeship at level 3 last year with The Skills Partnership because I knew that I wanted to progress on and work toward my full level 3 Apprenticeship to become a Personal Trainer.”

“This is all I’ve ever wanted to do, work in the Sports industry. I didn’t want to go on to Uni because I’m not majorly academic, if you just sit me down with a book I don’t get motivated, I’m much better with practical learning rather than constant writing which is why I think the NVQ worked for me. Of course there are written elements in the Apprenticeship but they are based on practical work experiences that you’ve had.”

With her advanced course at work underway Hayley can now do more 1-2-1 personal training work with clients, and as she points out, “I can now earn extra money for myself and for the company. It’s enhanced my knowledge, I now teach ‘Circuits’ and ‘Abs’ and lots of other classes too.”

Hayley is keen to point out how straight forward she found working and learning, “Learning at work has been perfect for me. My course was a mix of some off site training sessions and then on top of that I had meetings at work with my personal tutors. My tutors have been really good, you get to know them and they support you through the course.”

Hayley is clearly a very motivated individual and is passionate about her choice of industry and the benefits that being able to join an Apprenticeship programme have delivered for her. She confirms that being able to develop her skills on the job has opened up further opportunities at work, “I got employee of the year for 2010 and I also got promoted to Deputy Club manager this year.”

Ross Cowie, Spirit’s Training Manger for Health and Fitness in the UK and Ireland is very clear about his support for Apprenticeships and is pleased with how the programmes that have been developed for Spirit are working. “We are able to up skill our teams with nationally recognised qualifications. Learning and support takes place in the workplace and is therefore much easier for learners to access. I would certainly encourage other employers to get involved”.

Hayley agrees, “I’d say that an Apprenticeship is a great opportunity because it not only increases your knowledge but you have that practical real life work experience and when you’re going for promotions and future jobs it’s the experience that counts.”

“Now that I’ve moved into a management role, I will continue to learn while I’m working, I’d like to look at Leisure Management qualifications now”.

Hayley has been given a wonderful opportunity with the backing of her employer, who is clearly fully supportive of the Apprenticeship model and the support of The Skills Partnership. “I would certainly recommend the Apprenticeship to any young person looking to get into a particular industry.”

Other employers should take note, Hayley is representative of a number of young people from age 16 and upwards that are looking to channel their enthusiasm into learning on the job and for a relatively modest outlay you could be developing these talented people.

The Skills Partnership is a National Apprenticeship Service approved work-based training provider that works with employers and individuals that are looking to undertake Apprenticeship courses. The Skills Partnership can advise employers and individual applicants on courses and funding available to them across a wide range of industries including; Health and Fitness, Business and Customer Support Services, Creative, Retail, Hospitality and Industrial.

Mike Bourke CEO of The Skills Partnership explains, “Our approach is to work closely with our employer clients in order to understand what their business priorities are particularly in terms of the training and recruitment requirements that they need in order to hit their bottom line business objectives. The range of Apprenticeship frameworks have proved themselves to be flexible enough to meet a wide range of skills gaps identified by our clients.”

James Bishop, Business Development Director adds, “We are able to demonstrate to the employers that we work with that Apprenticeship provision is able to provide tangible results for businesses, such as; reductions in staff turnover; reductions in unplanned absence and measurable improvements in client customer satisfaction. We also see through analysis of staff engagement surveys before and after training activity that employees have improved motivation and productivity. Providing the Apprenticeship opportunity also enables businesses to access government funding to support training budgets and this is invaluable in what are certainly challenging economic times.”

TSP received some fantastic feedback from its learners and employers and notably some of its provision, in particular its Creative courses were described as ‘inspirational’.

The programme will provide participants with a wide range of knowledge about Equality and Diversity including an introduction to legislation, terminology  relating to Equality and Diversity and also employer and employee rights and responsibilities.

The course also highlights the issues surrounding stereotypes and unacceptable behaviour in relation to Equality and Diversity and leads to stimulating and challenging debate.

The course leads to a nationally recognised qualification awarded by an external awarding body and is a very useful way to demonstrate continuing professional development.

Course delivery is flexible and can be provided either at a venue arranged by The Skills Partnership or at a place of work for an Employer client.

We are normally able to provide the programme based around 1 intensive taught day and distance learning.

Funding is currently available for a wide range of adults who satisfy some basic eligibility criteria that can be provided upon request. Please note however that funded spaces are limited to our first 100 applicants!

To find out more, comment on this article and leave your contact details or use the contact details provided on this site.

A large number of local areas are currently being targeted as part of a national campaign to encourage employers to engage new Apprentices.

Employers who are looking to engage staff are encouraged to look at the advantages of engaging an Apprentice. Individuals engaged as Apprentices need to be following a recognised Apprenticeship programme of study that can be delivered in the work-place by The Skills Partnership.

We offer a wide range of programmes including:

• Health and Fitness
• Cleaning and Facilities Management
• Customer Service
• Retail
• Creative (Music Industry, Live Events and Promotion)
• Hospitality
• Team Leading and Management
• Warehousing and Logistics

Employers benefit by having:

• Members of staff that will be fully trained to achieve a nationally recognised set of qualifications
• Members of staff who you will be able to develop organically in line with how your specific organisation operates
• Access to government subsidies to provide all required training to your Apprentices
• The opportunity to operate using the Apprenticeship payment model that ranges from a minimum of £2.50 per hour and upwards

We welcome your feedback on this opportunity and you can contact us using the details provided on this site. We will discuss your business requirements with you and visit your site to make arrangements should you decide you would like to pursue the Apprentice opportunity.

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ipod Touch Draw Rules
1. Entry to the competitions is restricted to one entry per person please.
2. Multiple entries will be disqualified.
3. Automated entries, bulk entries or third party entries will be disqualified!
4. Competitions are open to UK residents only unless otherwise stated
5. Prizes can only be sent to a valid UK address unless otherwise stated.
6. Winners will be chosen at random from all valid entries.
7. Winners will be contacted via email contact provided on the survey.
8. The Judges decision is final and no correspondance will be entered in to.
9. The competition will run from 23/09/10 until 12/11/10.
10. www.skillspartnership.co.uk is compliant with the data protection act. Our policy is such that we will not pass on your details to any third party without your prior consent.