Despatches February 07 - News, views and case studies

Able Skills Construction Training Centre

The Able Skills Construction Training Centre (see the advertisement on page 53) has worked for many years with Service leavers and they have generally found that they fall into one of just two categories.

The first is the Service person who has lived in rented accommodation, often married quarters, and has never acquired any home maintenance skills. They then find they wish to move into their own property, but are reluctant to pay expensive labour charges. To prepare them for this situation, the company offers a Multiskills course which teaches plastering, tiling, bricklaying and plumbing. The courses provide the student with all the skills required to maintain or renovate their own home.

The second category, are those who are interested in pursuing a career in a booming building trade. Individuals can undertake either specialised training in a core subject, which can lead to City and Guilds Certification, or do a tailor-made course which suits their specific needs, like an electrical package which includes three recognised qualifications. SimilarCity & Guilds qualifications can also be obtained in plumbing, plastering and bricklaying.

Able Skills say that they can ‘offer all this training with no cost to the individual except for those wishing to pursue City & Guilds certification that may require a small contribution from the student. Whatever your building needs, we are able to tailor a course, along with accommodation requirements, that suits you.’ For more information or advice on their construction training, call them on 0808 100 3245.

Byiast Driving Academy

Tony Byiast left the Army at the age of 47 after a 23-year career dealing mainly with motorised transport. He spent three years at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SEME) in Bordon as a Senior NCO Instructor, and ended his career as a Warrant Officer Class 1 (Artificer Sergeant Major), the most senior recovery mechanic in the British Army responsible for recovery training throughout the world. He was also directly responsible for the training and management of the Recovery Training Section at SEME.

With his background of training the trainer, it was always likely that, on leaving the Armed Forces, he would take up some kind of career that involved instruction. After qualifying as a DSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) at his first attempt, he decided that he would train individuals to become DSA ADIs.

He is now the sole proprietor of an ORDIT registered driving academy that specialises in training individuals to become ADIs, with a pass rate of around 80%.

Byiast describes himself as: ‘A dedicated individual who will assesses and identify the training needs of the individual to meet laid down training objectives using selected training methods.’ He designed and organised the course which he monitors, as well as supervising the instructors. He is also responsible for devising and implementing the training, as well as drafting individual training assessments and reports.

Most of his work comes from recommendation, which he believes is ‘the best way of advertising’. For information on his courses, dates and timings, visit the website at www.byiast.co.uk , call 07763 550380 or see the advertisement on page 21.

Training to treat diving diseases

This year the Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC) (see the advertisement on page 60) is launching training courses designed to provide theoretical and practical experience in diving and hyperbaric medicine for physicians. The charity is one of the busiest hyperbaric units in the UK with a varied clinical caseload in elective and emergency hyperbaric medicine.

Previously there has been wide variation in the topic matter and standards of training in diving and hyperbaric medicine. More recently, the international Diving Medicine Advisory Committee have agreed levels of competency for doctors to be trained in diving and hyperbaric medicine. The courses at the Centre are for doctors, and they have been designed to the meet these recommendations. They include an introductory course in diving medicine with emphasis on fitness to dive, primary training in hyperbaric medicine and training in the management of diving accidents.

Other services provided by DDRC include sports and occupational diving medical assessments and training courses for the recreational and commercial diver. They also undertake ongoing research into diving and hyperbaric medicine, so they say they are ‘ideally placed to provide training in diving and hyperbaric medicine to physicians.’

For more information contact The Diving Diseases Research Centre (charity number 279652), Research Way, Tamar Science Park, Plymouth, PL6 8BU, call them on 01752 209999 or visit the website at www.ddrc.org