Your Guide to Learning Information | Advice | Guidance
Your qualification may be funded by the Skills Funding Agency and the European Social fund working with Rewards Training Recruitment Consultancy D602 1
Your guide to learning with Rewards Training Page Welcome ………. ………. Communication ………. ………. Safety online ………. ………. What happens at the start of your course ………. Information, advice & guidance ………. The best level to start ………. ………. Individual learning plan ………. ………. Effective planning ………. ………. How to gather evidence for your qualification ….. OneFile online assessment ………. Code of conduct ………. ………. Staying healthy ………. ………. Looking after the environment ………. Safeguarding you and your learning ………. What happens at the end of your learning ………. Equality of opportunity ………. ………. Useful information ………. ……….
2
3 4 6 7 8 9 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Welcome to your training course Congratulations for taking the first step to achieving a nationally recognised vocational qualification. Rewards Training are here to support you and ensure you get the best possible training and support whilst you study. Rewards Training work with the Skills Funding Agency and the European Social fund to help finance courses, including Apprenticeships for people just like you. For more information visit our moodle site at www.rewardstraining.co.uk Our team of experienced, professional trainers will help to ensure that your learning programme meets your needs and helps you to enhance your career prospects. You will meet several of my colleagues whilst you are completing your learning programme. Your trainer will be the main point of contact and will arrange regular sessions with you to co-ordinate your training and guide you through your qualification. Your trainer is supported by an internal quality assessor who will help to ensure the support you receive is of the highest quality and meets your needs. You can keep up to date with our activities on our web page, or log into your personalised online learning page at moodle.rewards-trc.co.uk I look forward to meeting you and wish you good luck with your studies.
Marion Ward Chief Executive Officer Rewards Training Recruitment Consultancy
3
Login to your online resources
Find us on facebook and twitter
The Title of your Course The Name of your Trainer Your Trainers Phone Number Your Moodle Login & Password Your BKSB Login Literacy
Maths
ICT
Your Initial Assessment Results
Rewards Training offer you world leading online learning and assessment opportunities, talk to your tutor and make sure you take advantage of all the facilities on offer.
4
Communication Your first point of contact at Rewards Training will be your trainer, we will write to you very soon to give you their details. We will also send you login details for your online resources. Your trainer will make regular appointments with you so it is important you agree and attend these sessions. If for any reason you cannot keep your appointment contact your trainer as soon as possible to re-arrange. Late notified cancellations may result in a charge being made to your employer. Some other useful contacts for you Jane Williams—Quality & Curriculum Manager Jane Williams is the person with overall responsibility for co-ordinating the support you need to succeed with your qualification. T – 01293 562651 E – jane.williams@rewardstraining.co.uk A – Belgrave House, Station Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1HU
5
Safety online An increasing amount of training resources are available online through your online resources page on our website. Please let your trainer know if you do not have convenient access to the internet so we can make arrangements for resources to be delivered to you in the most appropriate way to meet your needs. The internet is a fantastic resource for us all and will help you to research and complete your learning programme. Your trainer will be able to arrange internet access during meetings with you and we recommend you check with your employer that you will be able to access the internet during work time and visit web pages relevant to your learning. Your company may have some rules about using the internet that you must comply with. It is really important that you are safe and feel safe while you are using the internet. We will take every care to ensure that web based resources we recommend are safe for you to use. However it is really important you make sure you do not put yourself in danger when accessing the internet. We recommend when you are using the web you make sure you do not exchange personal information such as email addresses, telephone numbers or your address. Make sure you trust the person you are communicating with and never publish personal details on social media sites like facebook, twitter or bebo.
Top Tip Remember to talk to your trainer if you feel threatened whilst you are online
Check the e-safety guides before you start using the web
6
What happens at the beginning of your course We will need to meet you and your employer to make sure you have enough information, advice and guidance to make an informed decision about the course or courses you are going to take. The course must be relevant to both you and the company you work for. Between us we will agree what is appropriate and which combinations of courses and levels will help you meet your goals. Rewards Training offer a range of qualifications at different levels to suit you.
Don’t forget, achieving a qualification at work can help you to go on to higher education
We can help managers achieve Level 5
Level 3 Diplomas are suitable for supervisors and managers
A good starting point for anyone in a new role
Top Tip Your trainer will be able to give you personalised advice on the best level to start and help you move through to the highest possible level 7
Information, advice & guidance www.apprenticeshipguide.co.uk Everything you need to know about what an Apprenticeship can do for you
www.notgoingtouni.co.uk Not going to university? Or thinking of gaining work experience and a qualification before you do. This site is a great source of information.
www.apprenticeships.org Information Vacancies Advice Search
8
The best level to start Getting off to the right start is so important. If you haven’t already done so, your trainer will arrange a reference number for you to complete an initial assessment, this will help you to understand your current level of English and maths. The feedback from this assessment will help you to decide which is the most appropriate start point for your course and help to plan your course.
Guide to using BKSB online assessments First open your internet browser, Internet Explorer is preferable Type or copy this link into the address bar http://www.bksblive.co.uk/bksbLive1/rewardstraining/default.aspx
Enter your reference number, the password will be 'password'
Top Tip Completing an initial assessment online will give you access to a huge range of interactive learning resources
9
This will be the page that greets you when you login for the first time, it will prompt you to change your password, and to register an email address
You will be taken to this page where you can manage your account and access assessments and learning resources
10
Diagnostic assessment Once you have completed your initial assessment, you will need to complete the diagnostic assessment at the level the assessment has told you to do. You will see this at the bottom of your initial assessment results. Be careful not to go into Entry Level 2, if you need to take the Level 2 assessment. To take the course, click on view course and you will then be able to take the required Initial Assessments and Diagnostics.
If you are going to start an apprenticeship programme you will be studying to complete qualifications called functional skills. Functional skills are a way of demonstrating that you can apply your knowledge of English and maths in everyday work situations and show that you can solve problems at work and at home. Your trainer will make sure you get all the support you need to achieve these elements of your apprenticeship. If you have any problems, ask your trainer or tutor for help. Your results can now be used to help select the right course level and help you and your trainer produce an individual learning plan. 11
Individual learning plan After you have completed your initial assessments you and your trainer will be able to start planning the best way to help you achieve your qualifications. We will help you to complete an individual learning plan. This plan will include everything we need to do together to successfully achieve your goals. A learning plan for an apprenticeship programme might look a bit like this
Apprenticeship Certificate
Functional English Skills
Functional Maths Skills
Thinking and Problem Solving
Knowledge Based Diploma or Certificate to Confirm Knowledge in Your Job Role
Vocational, Competancy Based Qualification consisting of a number of elements and units
Your trainer will work with you to make sure the plan includes everything you need to do to achieve each of the different parts of the plan in the best way possible. Your plan will be updated regularly.
Top Tip It is really important to involve your line manager with the planning of your course Make sure you keep them updated with your progress and make sure they know when your trainer will be visiting you. 12
Effective planning By planning effectively for the future you will greatly increase your chances of promotion, higher wages and progression to further & higher education.
Your learning programme is all about you, your work and your personal and professional development. Working with your trainer to plan your learning and assessment is the most important thing to do at the start of your programme. It is vital that you take responsibility for ensuring that plans are realistic and are going to help you achieve what you want from your time studying with us.
Just ask your trainer to tell you their story!
Top Tip Effective plans take in to account Short Medium & Long term goals Make sure you consider where you want to be and how you are going to get there and discuss this with your trainer.
Learning Styles To help to find out how you like to learn, take the short quiz on the next page to see what style of learning might suit you best. Don’t worry there are no wrong answers and you may find out that you favour more than one learning style. Discuss the results with your tutor. Here is an explanation of the three different learning styles. To find out about your own, look at the style for which you have the highest total. If you find you have two or more similarly high totals, then this means you like to learn in more than one way. Visual you prefer to look at diagrams, pictures, demonstrations, handouts, films and displays etc and you may like to write things down yourself. Auditory you learn through listening such as to instructions, information and listening to yourself speaking to confirm your understanding Physical you like to get involved physically, to be active when you learn and you like to learn by being hands-on. 13
Situation
Visual
Auditory
Physical
Read the instructions
Listen to or ask for an explanation
Have a go and learn by ‘trial and error’
Look at a map
Ask for spoken directions
Follow my nose or maybe use a compass
Follow a recipe
Call a friend for explanation
Follow my instinct, tasting as I cook
Write instructions
Explain verbally
Demonstrate and let them have a go
“I see what you mean”
“I hear what you are saying”
“I know how you feel”
“Show me”
“Tell me”
“Let me try”
“Watch how I do it”
“Listen to me explain”
“You have a go”
Write a letter
Phone
go back to the store, or send the item to head office
Museums or galleries
Music or conversation
Physical activities or making things
Look and decide
Discuss with shop staff
Try on, handle or test
Read the brochures
Listen to recommendations
Imagine the experience
I watch what the teacher is doing
I talk through with the teacher exactly what I am supposed to do
I like to give it a try and work out as I go along by doing it
I imagine what the food will look like
I talk through my options in my head
I imagine what the food will taste like
Focus on the pictures or words in front of me
Discuss the problem and possible solutions in my head
Move around a lot, fiddle with pens and pencils and touch unrelated things
Writing notes or keeping printed details
Saying them aloud or repeating words
Doing and practising the activity, or imagining it being done
Looking at something
Being spoken to
Doing something
How they look
What they say to me
How they make me feel
Show them what I mean
Explain to them in different ways until they understand
Encourage them to try and talk them through the idea as they try
When I first contact a new person…
I arrange a face to face meeting
I talk to them on the telephone
I try to get together to share an activity
I first notice how people…
Look and dress
Sound and speak
Stand and move.
Visual
Auditory
Physical
O
O
When operating new equipment for the first time I prefer to When seeing travel directions I… When cooking a new dish I… To teach someone something I… I tend to say… I tend to say… I tend to say… Complaining about faulty goods I tend to… I prefer these leisure activities
When shopping generally I tend to… Choosing a holiday I… Learning a new skill
Choosing from a restaurant menu… When concentrating I…
I remember things best by…
My first memory is of I feel especially connected to others because of When explaining something to
Add up the number of boxes you circled in each column
O
14
How to gather evidence for your qualification The main part of your qualification is a competence based series of units which make up the vocational element of your course. You will work together with your trainer to plan the collection of the right type of evidence to help you complete your qualification as efficiently as possible. Your trainer will arrange to directly observe you undertaking specific important parts of your work
Gather outputs from your work, examples of reports or spread sheets, maybe a testimonial from a colleague or manager
Your trainer will need to record some of the key conversations you have about your role and duties at work
There are lots of different ways to gather evidence for the competence units in your qualification
You will need to answer questions about your work, job role, responsibilities and the sector you work in. These might be in a test or as part of a written answer you give to a specific question about
Some of your colleagues and particularly your line manager might like to provide a statement about how you help them and the organisation to succeed
Top Tip Make the most of your time with your Tutor, brink all your work with you and try to collect as much of the agreed evidence as possible before your next appointment 15
OneFile online assessment To help you to gather and organise evidence for your qualification you will have access to your own personalised online assessment page. Your OneFile page can be accessed through the Rewards Training website www.rewardstraining.co.uk. Look out for a welcome letter containing your password over the next few days, once you have received your login details you can set up your account, change the password to something memorable or use your facebook account to sign in.
Ask your tutor for login details or call our administration team who will be able to help you.
Top Tip Login to your learning portfolio using your facebook account
Using your OneFile online learning account couldn't be easier. Your own personalised page will have all the information you need, as well as being easy to navigate you can also send messages to your tutor.
16
Appeals Procedure We pride ourselves on making the right assessment decisions and helping people achieve their qualifications in a timely and proper manner. We strive to make decisions in the right way each and every time but occasionally you may disagree with an outcome or decision. All learners have the right to appeal against any decision made by their assessor. In the event of a learner disagreeing with an assessment decision they should;
Discuss any concern about assessment initially with their assessor. If the matter has been discussed and no satisfactory outcome has been achieved, the learner and assessor should refer to the internal verifier within 5 working days.
The internal quality assurer will investigate the decision and review the evidence.
If no satisfactory outcome has been achieved after this discussion, the learner may appeal to an independent third party. This could be another internal quality assurer not previously involved in the assessment of the learner or someone from within or without the centre with a broad expertise in the qualification area.
All details of the appeal, including the final outcome, i.e. the nature of the appeal, those persons involved and dates of discussion and meetings, should be recorded as evidence that an appeal has been processed.
I (enter name) _______________________________ Understand the above procedure Signed
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
More information on assessment decisions can be found on your moodle home page, scan the link or go to moodle.rewards-trc.co.uk Top Tip All our vocational qualifications are fully accredited and certificated by Education Development International.
17
Code of conduct Depending on the course you are undertaking we will be working with you and supporting you for anywhere between 6 months and 2 years, in fact we hope to stay in touch with you through the rest of your career and build a lasting relationship that helps you to carry on learning. We need a few ground rules to start with though and it is really important we take a few moments to consider how we can ensure proper communications and make sure you are supported in the best possible way
A bit about us and the way we will support you. Your trainer is an experienced expert in the sector you work in, Rewards Training are very careful to select only the best people to come and support you and guide you through your qualifications. All our staff are continually working to improve our service to you and are also studying to increase their knowledge. Everyone involved in supporting you has necessary clearances and check made and you can be assured every effort is made to ensure you receive the proper support from the right person. Whilst working with you your trainer pledges to Respect you Explain everything to you Avoid jargon and acronyms Help you plan your training Make regular appointments to support you Prepare you for any tests you need to take Make sure you have the right resources Feedback to you regularly Talk to your employer about your progress
Your employer is supporting you by Providing you a contract of employment Providing you with a safe place to work Meeting statutory guidelines for your employment Complying with wage regulations Making sure you understand your responsibilities and completing an induction
18
We expect you to support your trainer by Respecting them Taking ownership of your qualification Communicating appropriately and at the right time Completing work as agreed Reporting anything that made you feel unsafe Complying with your employers policies and explaining them to your trainer
Staying healthy Being healthy and active helps your body and mind to achieve your potential. We want you to be able to achieve your qualification and use what you have learned to help improve your prospects and develop your career. Can we help you to stay healthy whilst you do? Well that’s a difficult one! But we can certainly point you in the right direction and make sure you get the right advice if you need it A few things to think about and some useful sources of information.
Live Well! nhs.uk/LiveWell More than just a visit to hospital!
How much Alcohol drinkaware.co.uk One more might hurt! More Advice Please thesite.org Get the facts!
Eat Well! eatwell.gov.uk Its more that just 5 a day! Talk about it! relate.org.uk Its always good to talk! Top Tip Make sure your trainer is aware of any information or advice you might need Remember we are here to help you and that means supporting you to make the right choices
Drugs Talktofrank.com Get the facts straight
Learn about it! bbc.co.uk/ learning So much more to know!
Top Tip There are lots of links to useful organisations on our website www.rewardstraining.co.uk
19
Looking after the environment We do need to get quite a lot of resource and information to you to help you complete your qualification. Some of what you have seen so far is printed because we think that this is the best way to start. We have tried our best to minimise the paper and ink we use to produce these materials and we are using power saving and ink saving technology wherever we can. Your Trainer will discuss with you how we can use the web to minimise the printing we need to do and maybe we can reduce our carbon footprint just a little bit by using email and making sure we keep to our appointment schedule and don’t waste any fuel coming to see you if we could have supported you by telephone or via a web meeting. We will keep on developing our environmental impact policy and improve things as best we can by working together we can make a difference.
Top Tips to Reduce our Carbon Footprint Make an appointment time with your trainer that is convenient and you will be able to make Don’t print or copy anything unless you really need to Use email to exchange work with your trainer Telephone your trainer if you are unwell and can’t make an appointment Ask your trainer about our online learning portfolios Turn off the lights after you have used a meeting room with your trainer Keep your workstation clean and tidy and switch off electrical appliances between use if safe to do so
Lots of advice on the web Energysavingsecrets.co.uk Cat.org.uk Environment-agency.gov.uk
20
Safeguarding you and your learning You have already read a little about how to keep safe whilst using the web. This is really important as there is a very real and growing threat to those of us who do use the internet to keep up to date with friends, family and work to let them know about us and what we are doing, thinking or feeling. We recommend you visit some of the following sites before you click into the Rewards facebook or twitter feeds
moodle.rewards-trc.co.uk www.bullying.co.uk www.getsafeonline.org
When you are online - Remember the 3 W’s
What are you sharing? Is it yours to share? What personal information are you sharing?
Who will see what you share? How do you control who can see it?
Where are you sharing things? Is this the best place for you and your work?
What to do next Before you meet with your trainer it would be good to update your c.v. and make sure you have a current job description. You can either email these to your trainer or have them with you at your next meeting. Make sure you have any certificates for qualifications you have listed on your application form ready for your trainer. 21
What happens at the end of your learning programme Your trainer will help you work through your learning plan and make sure you are assessed at the right intervals, they will also schedule any end tests or final exams you need to take. At the end of your learning programme your trainer will arrange to have your work quality checked and if all is ok arrange for certificates for your qualification to be ordered from the awarding body. Certificates can take up to 8 weeks to come through, we will keep you up to date with progress and arrange for your certificates to be delivered to you as soon as possible. We will also contact your employer to celebrate your success. Your trainer will have advised you of the next steps you can take and discuss any higher level qualifications suitable for you. We will advise you if we can continue to secure funding for any future learning. Remember there are higher level Apprenticeships available in an increasing number of sectors. Talk to your trainer about continuing your studies with or moving on to higher education.
Your feedback is important We hear that statement all the time but it is true, we cannot improve our service unless you tell us what you like or dislike or if you have any constructive criticism for us. We will give you lots of opportunities to tell us what you think about our service. Your trainer will make sure we gather your views regularly as part of the meetings you have. We will also be sending you an online questionnaire from the Skills Funding Agency (the government department who is helping to pay for your qualification). You will receive this between January and April and we would be grateful if you would complete the survey, it only takes a couple of minutes. If you have something to say to us right now, please send a message to our facebook page, or text or talk to your trainer. We will make sure your views are considered when we make changes and improvements to our service for you.
22
Equality of opportunity We regard young people and adults who enrol with us a member of the family, everything we do is centred around the promotion of individual attainment and success. We pride ourselves on offering open and inclusive learning opportunities for all and we are proud to be supporting learners from diverse backgrounds. Equality is an important part of our ethos and its importance not to be underestimated. At the heart of what we do is the firm belief that by promoting learning for all we will truly help everyone we can to achieve higher levels of qualification and create further opportunities at work and at home.
We have legal duties to those who access our learning and education services, policies and procedures are in place to ensure that this remains our top priority, these policies can be accessed through our website or moodle.
More importantly, it is imperative to ensure that we help you develop your understanding of equality and use this knowledge to help you attain your qualification and of course to help you develop better working relationships and understand the barriers that may be present to some who work in your sector or live in your community. Unfortunately inequalities and discrimination surround us in everyday life and it is up to all of us to take care to recognise this and do our small part to improve opportunities for all. As part of your programme you will work with your trainer or tutor to develop an understanding of the Equality Act 2012 and in particular knowledge regarding
Race Gender Religion Physical ability Education Community and family backgrounds and other topics relevant to you and your community & family
There are several resources on the web that we will use as well as some case studies and other reading materials, however the best resource will be your trainer or tutor, make sure you engage with them when prompted to give your response to direct questions about equality and make sure you ask about resources designed to help you increase your knowledge. 23
Useful information Apprenticeships www.rewardstraining.co.uk www.apprenticeships.org.uk www.nextstep.direct.gov.uk www.apprenticeships-in-sussex.com www.notgoingtouni.co.uk www.apprenticeshipguide.co.uk
Employment www.direct.gov.uk
Safety & Safeguarding www.hse.gov.uk www.thinkyouknow.co.uk www.bullying.co.uk www.getsafeonline.org.uk
Learning resources www.moodle.rewards-trc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk/education
Go to your dedicated online learning page Scan the code with your phone
www.moodle.rewards-trc.co.uk
Health & Wellbeing www.nhs.uk/livewell www.drinkaware.co.uk www.thesite.org www.talktofrank.com www.relate.org.uk www.eatwell.gov.uk www.cruseberementcare.org.uk www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits www.direct.gov.uk/en/homeandcommunity www.direct.gov.uk/en/caringforsomeone 24
Your next steps Prior to your first Trainer visit please ensure you have completed the following tasks.
Notes Work could include; collecting job/role profiles, updating a c.v. obtaining copies of certificates, commencing H&S or E&D learning, logging into moodle, collating company policies, commencing an ERR project. Please detail as appropriate . 25
Belgrave House Station Way Crawley West Sussex RH10 1HU
01293 562651 www.rewardstraining.co.uk enquiries@rewardstraining.co.uk Crawley | Edinburgh |Glasgow
26