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Internships are not always the answer to getting a job!

A number of our students are ex graduates who have done an internship and effectively worked for free. Some of them worked for up to six months until they reached the end of their term, only to be replaced by another intern.  Whilst the work experience is useful for their CV they told us that they did not learn practical job skills as they often did routine jobs such as reception work or basic administration duties. Training at Pitman offers another way round the dilemma of finding employment for a graduate.  If you estimate that each month of an internship 'costs' the intern a minimum £1,000 of lost income then after two or three months they could have easily paid for a Pitman Training Diploma such as an Executive PA and gone straight into paid employment.

HMRC implements Business Records checks

The tax man - HMRC has announced that it will start to implement a programme of random business records checks in SMEs (small medium enterprises) over the next few months.  It has found that record keeping of basic accounting information is poor in some businesses leading to under reporting of tax liabilities.  Given the government's budget deficit this is obviously one area where the government can increase its revenue.  If you are a small business it is even more critical that you have a good understanding of business accounts.  We offer a range of book-keeping courses to give you the skills to manage your business accounts more effectively.

2010 was a record year for Pitman Training Guildford!

As 2010 nears its end we can report that it has been a record year for Pitman Training Guildford with more private students enrolled than ever before.  This is because our students tell us that the job market is very competitive and employers are only selecting people with the best IT and office skills on their CVs.  They also say that learning with us allows them to start their courses sooner, study more flexibly and find work quicker than going to a conventional college.  The outlook for next year looks even better as we are busy enrolling more students to start in January 2011.
 

Pitman Training improves its place in the UK Superbrands list

Pitman Training has become one of the fastest risers in the UK's Superbrands list, rising from 441 to 301.   Superbrands ranks businesses according to a number of factors including Quality, Reliability and Distinction.  Ranking is decided by a number of independent researchers, an expert council and members of the public.  We are also ranked 8th in the UK as a business education or training provider and are only beaten by the likes of London Business School and Henley Business School.  This result shows how well Pitman Training has weathered the recession and helped thousands of its students to go on to better careers.

University not for you?  Get professional level office skills NOW!

As the number of university places falls and competition to get them gets higher we get a lot of enquiries from people who decide to skip university and get a job as quickly as possible.  Why do a three year degree that may cost £25,000 and not deliver a job when you can study for three months and begin a career in office administration, IT, web-design or finance etc for a fraction of that price?  We have a number of professional level business, web, finance and office administration courses that can kick-start your career within weeks instead of years.  Click HERE to learn more.
 

We are recruiting!  Part time course supervisors/tutors required

As we continue to grow we require additional course supervisors and tutors in our central Guildford training centre.  We are looking for people who already have good Microsoft Office skills and would be comfortable helping and supporting our students with their studies.  Someone from an IT support or education background would be ideal.  Additional training will be provided as required on all our courses.  The position is part time and flexible as it may involve working days or some evenings.

If you want to work in a busy, friendly and successful training environment send your CV with a covering letter to guildford@pitman-training.net
 

Pitman Training in national press - 'The Times' (2 June 2010)

The Managing Director of Pitman Training Group, Claire Lister was featured in a special supplement in 'The Times' on 2 June 2010.  The 8 page supplement introduced the nationally recognised 'PA of the Year' competition.  Under a heading called "How to get ahead" Pitman Training was mentioned as ".....a name synonymous with traditional secretarial training education and is well respected...."  Claire went on to say that "Courses can be studied full or part time... all offer an end-of-course test as a proof of ability and achievement".  The article ended with the comment "The Pitman Executive PA Diploma .... will provide more than sufficient skills to achieve this objective".

What more proof do you need of the quality and recognition our courses provide?

Effects of Further Education cutbacks start to be seen

We at Pitman Training Guildford are noticing a significant rise in enquiries and new students for our bookkeeping, Sage and computer courses.  They tell us that courses in these subjects at some local further education colleges have been either reduced or even cancelled as a result of funding restraints.  As a commercial provider of such courses we are not affected by such cutbacks therefore we can assure all potential students that our courses are continuing to run.  In addition, unlike conventional colleges our courses can be studied at times to suit the student and can begin at any time.   

April 2010 - New 'Time to Train' Legislation come into force

April 2010 sees the introduction of an important piece of employment legislation, which will allow employees the right to request time off to train. The scheme, which will cover all businesses by April 2011, provides an employee with the right to make a request for time off work for the purpose of training. 

From April 2010, businesses with 250 or more employees must follow the scheme. It will extend to businesses of all sizes in April 2011.  Only those employees who have worked for you continuously for at least 26 weeks will be eligible to make a request. An employee can request any training that they believe will make them more effective and productive in their job. This can include courses that result in a recognised qualification and shorter non-accredited training sessions.

Pitman Training Guildford launches its Dreamweaver CS4 course

We are pleased to announce a new web development course using Adobe Dreamweaver CS4.  The course is designed to teach to the Adobe Certified Associate level.  As with most of our courses, the training can be done at times to suit you so it is possible to easily study around work or family commitments.  Please click here for more details. 

Pitman Training Guildford announces discounted courses for unemployed people

Are you unemployed or soon to be unemployed?  If so we are offering heavily discounted courses such as Microsoft Office, bookkeeping and web development to help you to improve your skills, CV and job opportunities.  The courses include our flexible self-paced and one day scheduled options.  Click here for more information.

It's official - John Humphreys of the BBC prefers Pitman!

In an article on the BBC's web site John Humphreys says that he still uses the Pitman shorthand that he learned as a junior journalist many years ago.  Now, the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) is campaigning to make it clear that shorthand is still a vital part of the journalists' toolbox. "Strangely, its more necessary than ever," says Kim Fletcher, chairman of the NCTJ. For a full version of the article visit the following web page - http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today

Beat the January 2010 VAT rise - Book now to start in the New Year!

In January 2010 government will increase the VAT rate from 15% to its previous rate of 17.5%. There is even talk of it moving up to 20% because of the need to repay government debt.  If you want to beat the VAT rise simply book your course before 31 December 2009 and you can start it any time within 4 months of the booking date.  This could save you up to 5% on extra fees so why delay?.  Call us on 01483 572855 to learn more.

Distance learning course completion rates warning

Many of our students tell us that they had started, but failed to complete a 'distance learning course' before joining us.  At first sight, a distance learning course sounds like an easy, flexible and cheaper learning option - you study when you want and at home.  However, when one considers that course completion or success rates are below 20% that means that four out of five students have, in effect, wasted their money.  Our course completion/success rate is well over 90% which means that if you start one of our courses, barring unforeseen events, you should complete and pass it.  This is a testament to the quality of the learning environment, materials and support you will receive while you study with us.  Therefore if you are considering a course always ask what the course completion or success rate is.

Is university right for you?

At this time of the year literally hundreds of thousands of young people are contemplating their educational and working futures.  A key question that many are asking is "is university right for me?".  We have pulled together a few facts that will help you to decide if three years further education is right for you and a few alternatives to university.  Click here for more information. 

Tips and advice on finding work - May 2009

We often get asked for help and advice on how to find work by our students or people enquiring about our courses.  Click here to visit a new page on our website that gives you some practical advice on finding work after redundancy.  The work finding tips are based on real life experiences of some of our students who quickly found work after losing their jobs. 

Pitman Training announces launch of its BTEC Level 5 Diploma in Management Studies - April 2009

Pitman Training has developed a set of accredited management qualifications that will allow you to study at a time or place to suit you.  Our Management Professional qualification has been developed with the support of the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to provide a flexible programme of learning for people who are looking to improve their management skills.  Click here for more details.