Connecting Learning And Training #lendDGCollegeyourear

#BusinessBackingTalent #ScotAppWeek In celebration of Scottish Apprenticeship Week we have organised a full schedule of live virtual events to highlight the benefits to businesses and apprentices, the support available, funding and the benefits of work-based learning. The series of podcasts is running alongside the online events (you can find recording of these on YouTube) Dylan Adamson is a Modern Apprentice in Electrical Engineering (SCQF Level 6) and is working for  BSW Timber Ltd outside Dalbeattie, near Dumfries. He has been with the company for a couple of years and secured employment with the company straight after school.. Dylan has always had an interest in technical subjects and hands-on learning. He is really enjoying the combination of College-based learning, ensuring he has the key and essential skills for engineering, but then be able to put these into practise when he is at the mill in Dalbeattie. If you want to find out more about apprenticeships and whether this career path is right for you, please get in touch with us. Send us an email [email protected] or give us the External Development team a call on 01387 734000 to find our more. In the meantime you may also want to have a look at these websites: www.dumgal.ac.uk www.apprenticeships.scot www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

#BusinessBackingTalent #ScotAppWeek In celebration of Scottish Apprenticeship Week we have organised a full schedule of live virtual events to highlight the benefits to businesses and apprentices, the support available, funding and the benefits of work-based learning. The series of podcasts is running alongside the online events (you can find recording of these on YouTube) Niall Smith is a Modern Apprentice in Business Administration (SCQF Level 6) and is working for  Cochran Ltd. in Newbie, near Annan. He has been with the company for three years. On leaving school he first considered going into engineering, but then decided that a Modern Apprenticeship in business administration within an engineering manufacturing business would be the right path. Niall has recently been promoted to Engineering Sales Adviser. (The photo above shows Niall receiving his SQA certificate from Clint Burgess, MA Co-Ordinator at Dumfries & Galloway College.) If you want to find out more about apprenticeships and whether this career path is right for you, please get in touch with us. Send us an email [email protected] or give us the External Development team a call on 01387 734000 to find our more. In the meantime you may also want to have a look at these websites: www.dumgal.ac.uk www.apprenticeships.scot www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

#BusinessBackingTalent #ScotAppWeek In celebration of Scottish Apprenticeship Week we have organised a full schedule of live virtual events to highlight the benefits to businesses and apprentices, the support available, funding and the benefits of work-based learning. The series of podcasts is running alongside the online events (you can find recording of these on YouTube) Gracie Drew Nursery has been providing quality childcare since 2009. Initially, mother and daughter ran a child-minding service. Soon, due to the popularity of their service, Rachel and Tamsin, decided to enlarge the premises and then they set up the registered private nursery.  The business now support a number of Modern Apprentices every year and the team are very passionate about their work and the importance of running a professional service. Listen to Eva's conversation with Siobhan Telfer, who manages Gracie Drew and hear about the benefits that businesses can gain from taking on apprentices and also, that working in the childcare sector is not just for women, but is very much open to men as well. If you want to find out more about apprenticeships and how you, as a business can sign up an apprentice, please get in touch with us. Send us an email [email protected] or give us the External Development team a call on 01387 734000 to find our more. In the meantime you may also want to have a look at these websites: www.dumgal.ac.uk www.apprenticeships.scot www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

#BusinessBackingTalent #ScotAppWeek In celebration of Scottish Apprenticeship Week we have organised a full schedule of live virtual events to highlight the benefits to businesses and apprentices, the support available, funding and the benefits of work-based learning. The series of podcasts is running alongside the online events (you can find recording of these on YouTube)  Luke Irons is a Modern Apprentice in Business Administration (SCQF Level 6) and is working for Dundas in Dumfries. He has been with the company for just over a year. After leaving school Luke went to university. However, after six months he decided this way of learning was not for him and chose the Modern Apprenticeship route instead. He has no regrets for having made this change and recommends work-based leaning to anybody.  Apart from earning money while gaining a qualification, Luke feels that he has become so much more confident in a relatively short time. If you want to find out more about apprenticeships and whether this career path is right for you, please get in touch with us. Send us an email [email protected] or give us the External Development team a call on 01387 734000 to find our more. In the meantime you may also want to have a look at these websites: www.dumgal.ac.uk www.apprenticeships.scot www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

#BusinessBackingTalent #ScotAppWeek In celebration of Scottish Apprenticeship Week we have organised a full schedule of live virtual events to highlight the benefits to businesses and apprentices, the support available, funding and the benefits of work-based learning. The series of podcasts is running alongside the online events (you can find recording of these on YouTube) Blackburn Hair & Beauty is a well established business in Dumfries & Galloway. Wayne Blackburn runs two salons, one in Newton Stewart and one in Castle Douglas. Wayne has been in the sector for over 20 years. He is very enthusiastic about the sector and the opportunities it offers to young people. Wayne and his team from both of his Blackburns Hair & Beauty salons believe in  offering their clients a quality and professional yet affordable service. Listen to Eva's conversation with Wayne to be inspired by his professionalism and passion for the sector and he passes this on on to the Modern Apprentices that have been working for him. If you want to find out more about apprenticeships and how you, as a business can sign up an apprentice, please get in touch with us. Send us an email [email protected] or give us the External Development team a call on 01387 734000 to find our more. In the meantime you may also want to have a look at these websites: www.dumgal.ac.uk www.apprenticeships.scot www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

#BusinessBackingTalent #ScotAppWeek In celebration of Scottish Apprenticeship Week we have organised a full schedule of live virtual events to highlight the benefits to businesses and apprentices, the support available, funding and the benefits of work-based learning. The series of podcasts is running alongside the online events (you can find recording of these on YouTube) Dryfemount Care Home is part of the Heidi Group of residential care homes and John Whitehouse is the Group Operations Manager. With Dumfries & Galloway, like many other parts of the UK, experiencing an ageing population the need for a well staffed and well run care sector is becoming increasingly important. John is giving a detailed account of the many career opportunities the care sector offers. The sector is highly regulated, but offer a great variety of career paths and these can all be explored during a Modern Apprenticeship. If you want to find out more about apprenticeships and how you, as a business can sign up an apprentice, please get in touch with us. Send us an email [email protected] or give us the External Development team a call on 01387 734000 to find our more. In the meantime you may also want to have a look at these websites: www.dumgal.ac.uk www.apprenticeships.scot www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

Lockdown commenced on 18 March 2020, but that did not stop SVQ candidates from continuing with their learning. Listen to Lois Bodle, one of our work-based SVQ candidates talking to Eva Milroy, External Liaison Officer for Dumfries & Galloway College, about her experience.  Lois is working towards her SVQ in Social Services (Children & Young People) SCQF Level 7 and she is based in Stranraer. This is her second career. She started off as a beauty therapist, but after 20 years in that sector decided to start a new career path. Dumfries & Galloway College has been supporting her throughout this journey. If you want to find out about work-based training please get in touch with us. You will find information on the Dumfries & Galloway College website and you can also get in touch with us by email: [email protected] Please also get in touch if you have any suggestions for topics for future podcasts. We hope you will #lendDGCollegeyourear again soon for another podcast!

COVID_19 has affected every part of life, including how various sectors accessing staff training and how it is delivered. In this episode, recorded on 5 June 2020, eleven weeks into lockdown, Margaret Symington, Work-Based Assessor for Dumfries & Galloway College talks to Eva Milroy, External Liaison Officer at the College, about her role in supporting learners within the Health & Social Care sector. Margaret explains her role as Work-Based Assessor in Health & Social Care and provides examples of how she and her learners, i.e. staff in care homes, have had to adapt to the 'new normal'. The discussion also looks at the impact the COVID_19 situation has had on the sector overall. Please note that the quality of the recording is not as good as it should be in places. This is due to wifi and bandwith problems during the remote recording. If you have any questions about the recording or would like more information about how you can access the work-based learning options Dumfries & Galloway College supports, please go to our website www.dumgal.ac.uk or email us on [email protected]

Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) are subject to very rigorous procedures and quality standards, It is one of the key roles of the Work-Based Assessor to ensure that these standards are met and evidence for having met the standards is supplied before awarding an SVQ. In this podcast Andrea Muir, one of Dumfries & Galloway College's Work-Based Assessors talks to Eva Milroy , External Liaison Officer, about her role and responsibilities. In this podcast you will find out: What is a Work-Based Assessor?  What evidence does an SVQ candidate have to provide? What qualifications does an Assessor have to have? What quality control is in place? What is VARCS? What relationship does the Assessor have with the candidate and business? How do you ensure quality standards are met? If you have any questions regarding the role of a Work-Based Assessor or wish to find out more about how to access SVQs, you may want to refer to these websites: Dumfires & Galloway College  Scottish Qualification Authority You may also want to contact us by emailing the External Development department of Dumfries & Galloway College at [email protected] (Andrea's email is [email protected]) Please use the hashtag #lendDGCollegeyourear when you are on social media.

Claire-Louise Ross, Programme Coordinator within External Development at Dumfries & Galloway College talks to Eva Milroy, External Liaison Officer for Dumfries & Galloway College, about how to sign on a Modern Apprentice and whether there are any changes to this in the current climate of social distancing. Claire-Louise explains her role of Programme Coordinator and emphasis that the College may have its doors closes at present, but otherwise is still providing support and guidance to current and would-be apprentices as well as the local businesses taking on these apprentices. Anybody wishing to discuss how to recruit, sign up and support an apprentice should contact the College via the generic email of apprentices@dumgal,ac.uk. You may also want to refer to these websites: Dumfries &Galloway College  Skills Development Scotland