Depatches July 07

Sniffing out new jobs in aviation and commercial security

The latest opportunity available to Service leavers completing the ClientFinders security resettlement programme is the chance of a job with a sniffer dog unit working in support of air cargo carriers.

Building on expertise originally developed to counter the terrorist threat on Britain’s streets, canine detection teams at Heathrow and Manchester airports now routinely screen large consignments of air freight for concealed explosives using the technique of remote air sampling. A number of security contractors are keen to recruit Service leavers already qualified in general aviation security for these dog handling and driving/air sampling roles. Drivers collect air samples from the cargo under controlled conditions at the airport and transport these for testing by the dogs back at base.

An entirely different specialist security function increasingly carried out for airlines at many UK airports is the questioning of departing passengers, known as ‘profiling’. Service leavers who are interested in this work must complete aviation security training at Level 1, before undertaking further job-specific training with their new employer.

As part of its industry-linked resettlement programme, ClientFinders has introduced many Service leavers to a range of security jobs at airports and other high profile locations across the UK. As well as the mandatory Department for Transport aviation security qualification, the programme also includes the SIA security guarding qualification, offering course candidates a wider career scope and civilian employers better trained and more flexible applicants. For further information call 01428 607755.

A new nutrition course launches this autumn

The MSc in Nutrition will be offered by the Northern College of Acupuncture in York, an will be aimed at a range of mainstream and complementary health practitioners, including doctors, nurses, dentists, osteopaths and chiropractors.The Northern College of Acupuncture, the only academic establishment of its type in Yorkshire, already trains around 40 students and practitioners in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine each year.

Although the nutrition course is aimed at professionals who already have an understanding of clinical nutrition, the acupuncture course welcomes applications from those who may not have a conventional educational background, because each candidate is assessed on their own merit.

College Principal Richard Blackwell explains: ‘Three quarters of our acupuncture students come from non medical or complementary therapy backgrounds. Over the past few years more and more people have been trying acupuncture as a cure for a range of conditions following scientific research which has proved that it works. In turn this has led to a greater awareness of acupuncture in general.

‘We are seeing many more students from different backgrounds applying for places on our course. Often people who have been acupuncture patients themselves and have firsthand experience of the benefits, or those who just want a change of career. Current students include a pilot, policewoman, mechanical engineer, call centre team manager and IT system administrator. All our lectures take place at the weekend so students can continue to work during the week. We even have one lady who commutes from Jersey.’

The Northern College of Acupuncture offers a diploma and MSc in Acupuncture and applications for the acupuncture and nutrition courses, which start in September, are being taken now.

For more information visit www.chinese-medicine.co.uk or call 01904 343305.

Teach English worldwide
After just four weeks’ practical training at OxfordTEFL, accredited by Trinity College London, you can be awarded a Certificate in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). As a qualified TEFL teacher you will be able to travel and teach English anywhere in the world, experiencing new cultures, learning new languages and improving people’s chances in life.

Many successful graduates are now teaching English in places like Barcelona, Thailand, Poland, Madrid, Germany, the USA, Cambodia and Prague. Some of their testimonials can be found on the website at www.oxfordtefl.com.

A Trinity-validated TEFL Certificate is recognised throughout the profession. The OxfordTEFL course is designed to provide the start to an exciting new career as an English language teacher. It also aims to teach the skills to enjoy teaching and teach effectively.

Careers officers are available to give graduates advice on job prospects for teaching English in Barcelona and Prague, and indeed throughout the rest of the world. They will advise on and support students in securing their first TEFL job.

Courses are run in Prague, Barcelona and Cadiz. These are not only interesting cities in which to study, but TEFL in Spain and in the Czech Republic are well-established markets with excellent job prospects for English teachers. For more information contact tesol@oxfordtefl.com

Buy a franchise or start a business – the choice is yours
Buying a franchise can be a good way to become your own boss, but it is not the only way. For people looking for self-employment, it can be useful to compare buying a franchising with the main alternative: setting up your own independent new business. Some major attractions of a good franchise are that you buy a firm off the shelf, with branding, tools, procedures, policies and pricing structures clearly in place.

But there can be some downsides; the costs can be high (£15,000 to £50,000), and the returns might be lower than starting from scratch on your own. It can also be as hard to break even in the early years of a franchise as it is with a small business. Lack of sales and cash flow bring many sole traders to their knees. No business runs and sells itself. And one size does not necessarily fit all. What works in one part of the country might not succeed in another. And it may not be easy to change the procedures or the way of doing business of a franchisor.

So good advice is to browse the goods and services on display at franchise shows or in directories, talk with independent experts, and make contact with Service leavers who are now franchisees. But do not assume that what works for one person will necessarily work for another. It will be your business and your responsibility so it pays to look around and conduct thorough research before putting any of your money on the table. And that goes for all forms of self-employment.

International Bodyguard Association - celebrates its half-century

The International Bodyguard Association was established in 1957 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Its experience in this field has included training agencies and anti-terrorist organisations world-wide. Its residential courses are delivered in the heart of the Cotswold countryside and they continue to claim excellent results in ‘training the close protection officers of tomorrow.

Close protection is an ideal career for those coming out of the Armed Forces,’ says course leader Duncan White, himself an experienced IBA trainer. ‘As well as physical conditioning, they will bring experience with weaponry and the vital ability to work effectively in teams.’

Graham Parsons served 12 years in the Parachute Regiment before starting a career in CP and was extremely impressed by the quality of the training. ‘The course really developed many vital skills and covered a great deal, with excellent attention to detail.’

Doug Smith, formerly of the 1st Battalion of the Queen’s Regiment, was also delighted when he passed the course. ‘The instructors understood we all learn at different speeds and they ensured everyone had the time required to successfully pass the course.’

All Edexcel BTEC Certificate courses in CP are delivered with NewCollege in Swindon. They fully support SIA licensing requirements. For more details and information, call course leader Duncan White on 07752 801310 or e-mail office@ibauk.com.