Oxford Applied Training

Coaching in any aspect of life is known to promote effective communication, boost confidence, improve work performance and build strong connections with your peers. Coaching in the workplace is extremely important as it passes on valuable skills, shapes employees and effectively allows those who are being coach to then be able to go on and coach another. The role of a manager essentially is to become a coach to your peers and those who work around you. When being coached, the better the employee performs, the better they compete their tasks. This sense of achievement is then channeled through their work and in turn can result in a multitude of achievements such as a more positive workplace culture, strong relationship…

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Use it don't lose it! Did you know that more than £1 billion in apprenticeship levy funding paid by employers expired unused between May 2020 and February 2021 alone. This is a 22% increase from May 2019 to April 2020, where expired levy was valued at £847 million. The Apprenticeship Levy is a UK tax on employers which can be used to fund apprenticeship training. In the current tax year, it is payable by all employers with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million at a rate of 0.5% of their total pay bill. SME employers who do not pay the levy also benefit by having up to 95% of the cost of apprenticeships paid for by the government.…

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Digital Skills = Growth! but don't take our word for it... The past year has shown us the opportunities and possibilities that digital technologies can offer in transforming the way businesses operate. However, digital technology does not exist in a vacuum, it depends on people and their skills. Covid19 has highlighted the pace of digitisation, with many businesses adapting to it, but the very rapid shift has also left many organisations behind. This is bad for the UK's productivity and competitiveness. It also prevents businesses as well as individuals taking full advantage of digital technology. 69% of business leaders report a skills gap in their organisations. Events such as Microsoft Skills Week shine a spotlight on the issue. All organisations now require digital expertise, not just…

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This April is Stress Awareness Month and in light of the current climate it is vital that we learn how to manage our stress levels in all aspects of our lives. Stress is a natural reaction to most everyday experiences. When your body releases stress hormones, the same hormones that triggers your 'fight or flight' response, your breathing speeds up, your heart rate and temperature rise and your muscles tense. Though this process is intended to protect us, if this reaction occurs at multiple points in the day, it could be very damaging for your health. A high overload of stress can cause headaches, muscle aches, depression, insomnia, fertility problems and high blood sugar and pressure which can lead to an…

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Reflection is defined as serious and careful thought, the act of looking back at your past actions and evaluating their consequences and the impact they had. The Act of reflection can also be embedded into teaching to create more effective learning for both teachers and students and is quickly becoming one of the most common teaching styles used today. Reflective teaching is a process whereby teachers reflect on their teaching practices in order to examine the overall effectiveness of their instructive approaches (Dana Di Pardo Léon-Henri 2021). Reflective teaching has proven to be wildly beneficial for teachers in numerous ways the most crucial is professional growth. When having a reflective thought process whilst teaching you can effectively analyse not…

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The chancellor announced on 3 March that the bonuses offered to employers who recruit an apprentice, set to end this month, will be extended for a further six months to September. And any employers who hire a new apprentice between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021 will receive £3,000 per new hire, regardless of the apprentice's age. This is on top of the £1,000 payment already provided for new apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan, meaning that some employers could receive £4,000 in total. It is part of the governments' "plan for jobs" (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-plan-for-jobs-documents/a-plan-for-jobs-2020) in response to the economic repercussions of Covid-19, a clear statement of intent that skills, apprenticeships and work…

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Free Mental Health Support for Apprentices Coping with anxiety, worry and stress during the COVID-19 crisis is an issue that affects many of us. Concerns about finances and looking after family or friends while learning how to work in a new way during the Covid-19 pandemic may be increasing stress levels, and it is understandable many people are finding it hard to cope at times. But there is free support available! The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service is a service funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. It provides advice, information, support and tools to help support staff with mental health conditions. What support is available? Here at Oxford Applied Training we support our apprentices though the the Access to Work…

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You may very well be missing an opportunity! The role of Training and Apprenticeships in the Covid-19 economic recovery Here at Oxford Applied Training we believe that Apprenticeships and training will play a vital part in the post pandemic economic recovery. Significant government investment of over £2.5 billion in Apprenticeship funding, new levy matchmaking services plus the July announcement of Apprenticeship hire bonuses of up to £2000 make this a better time than ever to find out how Apprenticeships can help your organisation recover from the Covid-19 crisis and become more resilient. Apprenticeships are one of the most cost-effective training options, giving your organisation the flexibility to train and up skill your existing staff or add capacity as the economy begins to recover. Covid-19 has…

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