Page 21

Training & Personal Development

All the skills required in the modern workplace – and how to get them

87,600 reasons why your country needs you! Continued

At present, as many as 70 per cent of all tradesmen do not have a professional qualification.

Another distinct advantage that Access Training has over local colleges is that its courses are more focused on the practical side of training - largely because of their superior facilities.

They have a 7,000 square feet hangar on Curran Road where trainees construct roofs, rebuild and plaster ceilings and walls, install plumbing and sanitary ware, tile surfaces and even produce leaded, stained glass windows.

Keen to keep up to date with the latest developments and technologies, Access Training is constantly responding to changing demands.

Bennett adds: “We are adding new courses all of the time. For example, we are developing a new environmental course that teaches students how to install solar panels, wind turbines and underground heating”.

But, Bennett is frustrated at what he sees happening in Wales. “The manufacturing industry in South Wales is being decimated all the time and there are companies closing their doors all of the time. Burberry is a prime example of this. And, in its place, the leisure and service industries have become the dominant employers in South Wales in recent years”.

There is no escaping the determination in Bennett’s voice when he says “The Welsh workforce has the potential to lead the UK in construction and allied trades”.

He adds: “Underpinning our success is the passion that our staff have. And this passion is passed on to our students” - a sentiment echoed by the tutors at Access Training including Mark Lewis, a senior trainer with over 30 years of experience as a plumber and central heating engineer.

Mark works as a senior trainer having spent 30 years in the industry. He joined Access Training with the sole intention of beginning his teaching career to pass on his knowledge and experience to students of all ages.

So if you are interested in working for a national construction firm, getting a Trade or simply improving your DIY skills, contact Access Training Wales today for further information and take the first step in what Bennett calls a “lifestyle change not just a career change”.

Testimonial

Flight engineer Andy Tomlinson, aged 57, left the RAF after 40 years, said “I wanted to become a carpenter but technical colleges wouldn’t take me because of my age. The instruction here is a very high standard.”

Similarly, Dave Cox, aged 24, from Ely, Cardiff, undertook a six week plastering course through Job Centre Plus’s Want2Work scheme after being made redundant and plans to set up his own business.

He said “There is a shortage of tradespeople. I would recommend this to anyone. The instructors are great and I would love to come back at some stage and train in the other skills.”

For more information contact Access Training on: 0800 345 7492 or email info@accesstrainingwales.co.uk

(Picture: Photo of a woman in jeans and a t-shirt wearing a hard hat, tool belt and work gloves) Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32