Tag Archives: fast track courses

A Quick and Easy Way for job Seekers to Gain Valuable Soft Skills Qualifications

The Academy of Vocational and Professional Training (AVPT) is pioneering a way for people to gain valuable new training with the focus on the soft skills that can often be the deciding factor when it comes to a potential employer’s decision after an interview.

avpt-double2- bored broke brainy girl ok magAll AVPT’s training can be done through a mobile phone or tablet meaning it’s easy to study on-the-go. The tutor, course material and everything else can easily be accessed whenever is convenient. This drastically cuts down on the time it takes to qualify.

Mobile learning is the way forward as 56% of all people on Earth have a smart phone with 50% of those people using mobile as their primary gateway to the Internet (State of Mobile Survey 2013). Because most of us have a phone or tablet glued to our hands at all times, it makes sense to use that time wisely and invest in our own futures.

This sort of learning allows people to gain new qualifications in a matter of weeks with AVPT’s Express Courses and supportive online Virtual Tutors for each student.

Diane Shawe the CEO of Academy of Vocational and Professional training says “The whole country needs to invest in ways to help up-skill every individual so that they can either find work or generate their own income from supplying a service or product” she goes on to say “we need to utilise technology, embrace more adaptable ways of empowering individuals to lead a responsible, inclusive and financially rewarding life so as to buck the increasing trend of unemployment”

Delegates can learn anything from leadership and project management skills to social media and care to skills, hair and beauty through to Security and hospitality.

With so few jobs around at the moment, it’s these skills and certifications that could mean the difference between a job offer, resuming the job hunt or a better change at succeeding in business. Experience and references might tell the story of these skills but it’s accredited certifications that prove their existence.

AVPT understands the competitive job market and has created these courses to help people improve their skill set in the most efficient amount of time possible.

About the Company

AVPT is the only UK Globally Accredited online and workshop based provider of over 390 Soft Skills courses using a cutting edge, proprietary online Learning Management system.

It takes an awful lot of time and effort to create a training course; Designing, researching, writing, and appropriately presenting it. Especially difficult though, even more so is the time taken to create an on-line learning system to work fluently and securely with various technologies. We know this because we have done just this.

What most people, employers, entrepreneurs and even some educational institutions do not have in today’s current environment is time the necessary resources and the infrastructure they need to support and achieve their learning objectives. Both our online and workshop based courses are a cost effective way to deliver and up-skill a wide cross section of our society. Designed to be student (user) centric and time sensitive. We believe that online courses can save time, are easily scalable, reduced acquisition costs per person, measurable, provide a flexible virtual support system, Less paper/ink (environmentally green!) and are generally less stressful owing to their user led flexibility!

Mobile LMS

Learning Management Solution (LMS) & Portal Hub

The Academy of Vocational and Professional Training has a sophisticated LMS solution that is not built on a static system. Yet the user interface is clean, clear, accessible, and easy to understand and work through. It uses little bandwidth, making it quick to load and use, and accessible on a scalable model. Globalisation has changed the way we communicate, do business and relate to each other and technology can help to up-skill a far wider audience.

In today’s ever changing environment, the real promise experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students that enables more “learning by doing,” which many students find more engaging and useful. Our ‘Chunked’ teaching approach revolutionises the learning experience.

Social Impact

The importance of transferable skills. There can be no doubt about the importance of a degree and a solid academic background but it’s not the only thing that employers will be interested in. Especially where there is strong competition for entry to a job, employers have to find a way to choose. Educators must focus on the personal qualities and skills that can be developed while studying, and acquired as information in mutual exchanges of information. In a competitive employment climate, these can be just as (or more) important to employers as a degree certificate. Employers are looking for people with transferable skills.

For more information email

Why 2013 is going to be a bumper year to become a Virtual Teacher

Become a Virtual Teacher Facilitator

I originally blogged way back in 2010 that the growth for professional trainers was going to grow.  But I have since spotted a gap in the market which is now becoming a growing trend throughout 2012.

So why is 2012/13  going to be a different type of bumper year for training organisations or consultant who can help the  unemployed individuals upgrade into a new skill that will help them generate their own income?

Well usher in the new breed of Virtual Teachers!  If your not up to speck with the new direction and growth in the market then you could really find yourself on the old fashion self by 2016!  Make no mistake, becoming a trainer is all about running a business.   Being up to date with the latest techniques, developments, trends and needs is just as essential if you decided to set up a coffee shop.

Institutions of higher learning increasingly embrace on-line education, with 65.5 percent of chief academic officers now calling on-line education ‘critical’ to their institutions! long-term strategy, an opinion that’s risen more than 15% over eight years.

Like any business you still have to source new customers, gain glowing appraisals and testimonials, get your pricing right, court the right type of publicity and sustain credibility.  Oh! and let’s not forget making a profit.

We all know it takes a certain kind of self belief and courage to set up any type of business in today’s climate. You could even make a claim based on sheer desperation, the need to do something to generate an income.

But it even takes more courage to leave your destiny in the hands of many of the businesses today, no matter what their global or brand status might be. Most people are now being spurred into self employment due to the levels of redundancies, job insecurities and the need to meet ongoing expenses.

Participants are more interested in the qualifications and or skills they will gain in the subject at hand, and the experience you have in doing jobs similar to theirs and your track record in ‘doing’ rather than ‘talking about’ the topic.

What is really important is your ability to engage with participants around this experience and help them to translate that into action. That is where the true value often lies for them. Of course we know that there are academic trainers and teacher courses which award accredited or private certificates.

Choosing the entrepreneurial route can bring great benefits, but there are also challenges.

What are some of the considerations before you decide to set up, invest or replicate another successful business model?

  1. Be candid about your strength and weaknesses. What do you have to bring to the table?
  2. Do as much homework as you can before taking the plunge
  3. Look carefully into all aspects of owning and running a business and sound out anyone you know who has already done it.
  4. Be prepared to change your idea or abandon outdated school of thoughts.
  5. Don’t be scared to appraise negative feedback, all businesses have a negative and positive aspect to them.
  6. Prepare a business or marketing plan. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, money and stress if you understand as much about the theoretical side of the business as well as the vocational aspects

Ask yourself these key questions before launching your business:

a) Is there a demand, how long will the demand last, is it scalable, can you bolt it onto anything else, can you partner?

b) Have you got the full support of your family? Your decision is likely to impact on them, so talk to them first. Don’t be put off by their own fears, if you can actively offer up reassurances of how you can cope with whatever concerns them, then will be serve to give both them and yourself the confidence to move forward.

c) Speak to any contacts you have in the sector you plan to work in. If you are going to invest in a Franchise, they try to get some feedback from any previous candidates who have made the investment.

d) Check out the competition. If there isn’t any, why not? You may not have rivals but will you have any customers?

e) Are you prepared to work the long hours to get the business off the ground?

f) Do you have the necessary skills? Can you cope with paperwork? Can you cope with criticism?

g) What about funding? Talk to several banks and consider various options, be careful though, they are not assisting many businesses today they are more interested in protecting their own levels of risk and increasing their profits. Some of the smaller banks might be of interest as they might treat you more like a customer than a commodity.

h) Could your training course attract funding on behalf of the student? This might make it simple for them to enter your training services if some of the costs could be supplemented.

i)  Are you clear at delivering information, can you present subject matters or theory step by step, what training would you need to boost your technique, confidence and presentation skills.  Could you get funding for your own training?

Important advice about redundancy money

If you are considering using your redundancy money, make sure you set aside enough for household bills and other costs. It is important that you think of your redundancy money as your cushion until you get yourself back on your feet.

  1. Invest what you feel you can afford to risk or lose but do so where you have some knowledge and a passion for the subject involved.
  2. Try not be over powered by flash organisations offering huge earning potential subject to you parting with lots of your own money.
  3. Don’t rely on the referrals and testimonial they supply to you.  Do some of your own research.
  4. Remember every business has to start small and keep lean before it can grow to a stable long term business
  5. Don’t rely on marketing short-cuts, this can be very expensive and  not very productive.

More and more people are looking for good quality training courses that can add value to their life, career portfolio and career longevity.

It has been proven that most recessions bring an influx of new businesses, entrepreneurs and even millionaires. One of these new areas of business is the growth of the non surgical hair replacement and hair enhancement sector.

The UK and Europe has a shortage of properly trained trainers who can deliver a variety of hair extension and hair enhancement technique to the non professional and professionally qualified sector.

An opportunity now exists for anyone wanting to enter the vocational training market with a service that has far reaching benefit and impressive revenue streams.

An opportunity exists throughout the UK today to establish your own virtual training school in this very selective and much needed service. Visit our website to read a little more about how you can make the first steps to becoming a Virtual Trainer