Why more companies should provide work placements?
Having a valuable work experience before graduating, could lead the way to better opportunities in the future, as statistically, 80% of employers claim that work experience on the CV is essential. (Nisen, 2014). There are several benefits that a work placement provides, the student is to rise to the challenge and develop creative skills. Realistically, there is a decent reason why employers enhance the importance of it, before hiring someone. Therefore, our partnership with South Thames College is beneficial to us, considering we have brought value to each other’s portfolios, regarding the work placement opportunities. The McJones Group was founded by Marlon Commock, an accredited Coach, and formal international financial services professional. Our mission statement is unlocking the potential of our clients for business success. The McJones
Group enables business owners with precise knowledge, structure, and disciplines to incorporate a proficient business strategy that counts. We have partnered with South Thames College at the start of 2019 and have mutually benefited working in partnership together. Some of their students have been on a student placement with the McJones Group, and we have set them challenging goals to work towards. We equipped them with the techniques to develop the necessary skills to develop business activities. For example, we explore areas in; networking, presentations, and business development techniques. A primary example of a testimonial
story from one of South Thames College Business students: “It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside Marlon. He was positive, patient, and supportive throughout my internship journey with the McJones Group. He has given me the confidence and belief to achieve anything in life.” Moreover, the work placement represents an essential aspect of a student’s career. It provides them with the right industry exposure and many networking possibilities. The employer prepares the opportunity to add value exposure to their CV. We look forward to continuing our active relationship with South Thames College next academic year. Alessia Vogli
Club is a success
Women of Wandsworth founded the WoW Enterprise Club in 2010 to help single mothers become entrepreneurs and solve their employability problem.
Single mothers have a Catch 22 problem and have to choose between taking care of their children or going back to work and paying the childminders most of their wages.
WoW Enterprise Club has a good success rate in helping with the self-employment of women and became partners with Wandsworth Job Centre. The club gives motivational talks there quarterly to share success stories and also takes part in
business networking workshops at Stamford Bridge, organised by the Chelsea Foundation. It also attends business events organised by Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce and was nominated for their Business Award this year.
Multi-purpose community hub to serve local area
The Woodfield pavilion has sat on the edge of Tooting Bec Common since 1933, but this summer has seen it reinvented as a multi-purpose community hub to serve the local area.
Thanks mainly to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Tooting Common Heritage Project, the building has been thoroughly refurbished as an Activity Centre. The building consists of a main hall, locker room, upstairs room, and a kitchen and toilets (including all-ability access and baby-changing facilities).
Woodfield has run a number of events including bug hunts, scything workshops, and a successful launch event with taster workshops, and has also hosted private parties, yoga, and a pop-up cafe. A burgeoning centre for arts in the area, we have hosted art classes, summer camps, and two exhibitions with well-received private views. Woodfield runs all this as an independent charity,
and we are always on the hunt for new ideas and opportunities. We are looking to work even more extensively with local residents, businesses, and community groups for our collective benefit. If you or your business would like our support or collaboration, please do get in touch through our website, www.thewoodfield.org.
Are Apprenticeships only for the young? Wandsworth-based company SureView, a fast-growing business development agency, is looking to expand its staff through The Government Apprenticeship Scheme. The company, which provides business to business telemarketing, initially thought that apprenticeships were for those beginning their careers, but having discussed this with several apprenticeship service providers, discovered that there are older candidates looking for a change of direction who are focusing on the apprenticeship route.
“We are a company full of passion and drive,” said Business Development Manager Rebecca Cunningham “so we wanted to offer an opportunity for innovative and enthusiastic people to develop a career in sales and to learn and grow with us. This scheme allows us to provide training and help somebody towards a respected qualification while they earn, and we benefit from having ambitious and motivated staff.”
The skills the apprentices develop at SureView include verbal communication, social media, marketing, business administration, sales, account management and helping companies grow their client base. SureView has found a way via the scheme to help not only those just starting but also those who take a little longer to find their career path.
Training within Businesses Customer Service isn’t always a priority within businesses. Many companies in the current climate are more interested in saving money and therefore, the main thing overlooked in company budgets, is training. Companies ask why budget for staff training, when they can save money, and increase profits? However, what’s not considered is the amount of potential customers - and staff - lost, due to the lack of investment in training. This, in my opinion, is short-sighted. Every organisation wants success and profits, but any form of training is imperative for staff development and motivation. Customer service training should be compulsory. It shouldn’t just be introduced to customer facing staff, but all staff. Whatever your occupation, you should be able to display good communication skills, which can be transferable, not just for the benefit of your customers, but also your colleagues. Without a good professional working relationship, it’s not a pleasant environment and impacts on standards, leading to high staff turnover. Customer service training has been acknowledged, but not prioritised with many organisations, because there’s always something else more important. Therefore, training becomes secondary to other business needs. What’s not considered, is how much potential business is lost, due to poor customer service. Making training a higher priority will ultimately encourage staff to become more motivated and productive. Psychologically, employees will feel valued and in turn, management will identify staff potential, and be able to implement relevant training accordingly. Any form of staff training is positive. We should always be ready to learn something new. If companies invested in customer service training, poor service would be a rare occurrence, instead of the epidemic we currently face. Companies would flourish - as trained staff are happy staff! Reeta Minhas-Judd, CEO of RMJ Training Services, specialising in Customer Service training. rmjtrainingservices.com
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