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06/02/2012
PDS supports National Apprenticeship Week
PDS will be pulling out all the stops to help support the governments National Apprenticeship Week 6 -10 February this year. David Willett will be making an appearance on BBC Radio Wiltshire with Vodafone apprentice Lucy Wiltshire, talking to sixth formers at St John's School Marlborough and speaking at a special business networking event organised by Telefonica at their Slough office.
Said David:
"National Apprenticeship Week helps to raise the profile of apprenticeships in the skills debate every year. PDS is passionate about the role which a properly constructed apprenticeship programme can play in helping businesses to attract and retain talented employees. This year's campaign focuses on encouraging more businesses to "get with apprenticeships" so naturally we are fully behind it and hope that we can persuade more businesses to consider the apprenticeship route."
For more information on what events are going on in your area please go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk
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24/01/2012
PDS Group Wins 2012 UK Business Excellence Award
On 23rd January, Directors Jenny Harman and David Willett, were presented with the national award for Best Overall Company at the UK Business Excellence Awards 2012 at a special ceremony in Reading. The PDS Group had already secured the prize of Business of the Year 2011 in their region in October, from the leading international business consulting firm, ActionCOACH.
The Business Excellence Awards honour the "best of the best" in small and medium sized businesses from around the world, and showcases exceptional results for business owners, entrepreneurs, their teams and their companies.
The PDS Group was among more than 250 companies participating in the event this year, and were nominated for the way it has successfully managed huge business growth over the last 5 years.
Commenting on the award, David Willett, Director of the PDS Group, said:
"Winning this award has been a real boost for the PDS Team, who have worked so hard to provide a quality service for our clients. We couldn't have done it without the enthusiasm and professionalism of the whole team and Jenny and I would like to thank them for all their hard work. 2011 was a very successful year for us, but it was important to manage this so that we maintained the highest levels of quality. This meant introducing new systems, processes and financial controls and we were very grateful for the guidance provided by Action COACH in helping us to do this seamlessly. We have some big plans for 2012, which already looks like it will be our best year ever."
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03/01/2012
PDS celebrates Business of the Year Award 2011
Everyone at PDS ended 2011 on a high note (and a rather large bottle of champagne!) with the fantastic news that ActionCOACH has chosen the PDS Group as their regional Business of the Year for 2011. We were chosen for the award by business coach Sally Rainbow-Ockwell, who has been helping us to manage the huge growth we have being going through over the last couple of years.
Commenting on why she selected the PDS Group as her region’s 2011 Business of the Year, Sally said:
“Many of my clients have achieved financial growth this year but I selected the PDS Group as my overall winner for 2011 because of the combination of their financial success and the way they have embraced change. They have shown 100% commitment to make business change a fundamental part of how they run their business and have been prepared to listen and personally change the way they do things. They have put new processes, new people and the crucial element of trust in place. They will do whatever it takes to bring their team on the journey with them and have shown great balance and understanding of the people in their business, which will make the changes they make sustainable in the long term.”
We are also delighted to have been nominated as one of the 25 finalists for the 2012 UK, Europe and Middle East Business Excellence Awards from ActionCOACH.
Commenting on the award, David Willett, Director, said:
“Being recognised for business success by an international organisation such as ActionCOACH is a real boost for the PDS Team, who have worked so hard to provide a quality service for our clients. Last year we were very proud to have delivered some sizeable projects and had to make sure that we managed the huge growth in our business by introducing new systems, processes and financial controls. We have lots of exciting plans for 2012, so watch this space!”
For more information please contact David Willett at PDS on 01672 861073 or email david.willett@pds-group.co.uk
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16/09/2011
Telefonica announces PDS Apprentice of the Year
PDS were honoured to sponsor Telefonica's Advanced Apprentice of the Year for 2011. Advanced Apprentice Courtney Lockyear was the well deserved winner, which was announced at a gala evening at Rockingham Castle last night
Mark Nutter, Telefonica's Apprenticeship Manager explained why Courtney won the award:
"Courtney epitomises what Apprentices can bring to Telefónica. She has a massive eagerness to help, a capacity to learn and views the world through 21st Century eyes. She's a people person, able to connect with everyone she meets and greet them with a smile. She's been consistent in her qualification work throughout her time as an Apprentice and PDS have always had great things to say about her commitment and focus."
Courtney moved around the organisation during her apprenticeship, working on the company's intranet site, supporting a financial services project and acting as a Project Test lead recently - a role two grades above her current grade. She achieved a double distinction in her college work.
Jenny Harman, Director of PDS said:
"Courtney really deserves this award for all the commitment and enthusaism she has shown. The award recognises the spirit of excellence which typifies a quality apprenticeship and I am sure Courtney has an exciting and fulfiliing career ahead of her."
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26/08/2011
Visa Europe chooses PDS for its first ever Higher Apprenticeship
Visa Europe’s brand new Higher Apprenticeship programme has been launched after the company successfully recruited 14 apprentices this summer. This is the first time that Visa Europe has used apprenticeships to attract and train employees.
PDS Group, the UK’s leading IT and Telecoms apprenticeship consultancy, was selected by Visa Europe to help build its IT, Finance and Business Administration Apprenticeship programmes. PDS won the contract after providing an initial feasibility study.
All but one of the 14 apprentices will join the TPS technology division to study for a Foundation Degree and a Level 4 Diploma to become ICT Professionals, whilst one will work in the Finance division and study for AAT and CIMA qualifications over a 4 year period.
Visa Europe has also introduced 6 Business Administration Apprentices who will join the teams in HR, Strategy, Corporate Comms, Sales, Risk Analysis and Marketing, bringing the total apprentice intake to 20.
Adam Banks, Chief Technology Officer at Visa Europe said:
“We are very excited about the IT Apprenticeship Programme. We recognise that IT professionals need to possess a mix of business, interpersonal and technical skills and through our Apprenticeship Programme we hope to nurture talent and equip them with these, which will in turn enhance our business.”
James Lawrence, Apprenticeship Programme Manager at Visa Europe added:
“The apprenticeship programme will bring a mix of new talent and ideas to a wide range of business areas. With the introduction of new contactless and mobile technology products these apprentices are joining us at a very exciting time. In addition, Visa’s involvement in the 2012 Olympics will act as a fantastic catalyst for apprentice development. The apprenticeship programme is a good fit for our business and we are very pleased with the level of talent it has attracted.”
Visa Europe will be using PDS’ Full Service package. This includes: managing the attraction, recruitment and selection of future apprentices; designing the training and development work-based plan; managing the tender for a suitable Higher Education (HE) provider; and delivering the qualifications.
David Willett, Director at PDS, commented:
“Visa Europe have made a major commitment to the Apprenticeship Programme and we have worked together to design a range of solutions that meet their business requirements. We have had an outstanding response to the recruitment activity and the quality of the successful candidates is extremely high. All apprentices will receive a wealth of training and development that includes both technical training and personal development, including our bespoke Outdoor Learning Activity.”
Visa Europe is inviting anyone interested in finding out about the 2012 programme to register their interest on www.pds-group.co.uk/visa.
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08/08/2011
London Apprenticeships Campaign smashes targets
It was good to hear from Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and Simon Waugh, Chief Executive of the National Apprenticeship Service this week when they wrote to all the organisatiosn which supported the London Apprenticeship Campaign announcement on 5 July 2011. Over 100 apprentices from many different sectors, including non traditional ones, joined the Mayor when he announced that London had exceeded its target of 20,000 new Apprenticeship starts three months early.
They added that:
"Going forward our focus will continue to be to encourage employers to take on more apprentices, focusing on routes into employment for the unemployed, particularly amongst young Londoners."
The campaign also includes the commitment to expand and tailor the range of frameworks on offer and develop more Higher Apprenticeships.
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29/06/2011
PDS encourages sixth formers to think of apprenticeships
PDS staff and apprentices joined teachers at Wootton Bassett School today as part of the school's "Looking Forward" day designed to encourage sixth formers to think about the range of options open to them once they leave school.
PDS attended with three apprentices from Vodafone and Telefónica (known in the UK as O2) to explain how apprenticeships can provide a real alternative to the more traditional options of either university or going straight in to a job.
Alan Powell, Wootton Bassett School’s Head of Sixth Form, was delighted with the reaction of the students:
“This was a first for us and PDS’s input was a very important part of our “Looking Forward” day," said Alan. "It was great to have apprenticeship experts there to explain the details about the range of qualification levels and careers available and, judging by the throngs of students who wanted to speak to them afterwards, they really got the students thinking. The presentations by the apprentices themselves were inspirational. A great success and one which we would like to build on in the future.”
“We were delighted to be invited by Wootton Bassett School,” said David Willett, Director of PDS Ltd, “because we feel that many schools overlook the very real benefits of apprenticeships when advising their sixth formers on career paths. The apprentices who came with us not only love what they do, they are also earning money, developing skills and gaining a respected and useful qualification.”
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10/06/2011
Ericsson renew Advanced Apprenticeship programme with PDS
PDS are very happy to be helping Ericsson once again with their Advanced Apprenticeship in Communications Technology programme for their Field and Power apprentices. We have worked with Ericsson since 2007 and this will be the fourth intake we have managed under our Full Service package. We are looking forward to starting the recruitment process for the programme shortly for a September start date.
Ericsson is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. Over 1,000 networks in more than 180 countries use Ericsson network equipment and 40 percent of all mobile calls are made through Ericsson systems.
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09/06/2011
Cable&Wireless Worldwide apprentice wins through to National Apprenticeship Awards
Congratulations to Carl Norman who has won the London Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award. Having won his regional event, Carl now goes through to the next stage of the National Apprenticeship Awards to try and win the ultimate prize of National Advanced Apprentice of the Year. The decision will be made at a ceremony in London on 29 June. Carl will be up against eight other talented apprentices from the regions and we are keeping our fingers crossed for him.
Carl is an apprentice on Cable&Wireless Worldwide's Advanced Apprenticeship programme.
The National Apprenticeship Awards, which are run by the National Apprenticeship Service, are open to all organisations that employ apprentices, and to apprentices themselves. This year there are eight categories which recognise the achievements of the top apprentices and their schemes across the country. This year the awards received over 1,600 entries.
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06/06/2011
Career Opportunities at PDS
Exciting opportunity with the UK's leading Apprenticeship Consultancy.
PDS an established Apprenticeship Consultancy based in Wiltshire are looking to recruit Business Development Consultants to join their growing team. With 25% growth in the last financial year and a range of FTSE 100 clients, this is a fantastic opportunity to play a part in the continued growth of the business across the UK.
The successful candidate will need to have a proven track record in Business Development Sales and will be responsible for creating and developing new business opportunities through to successful sales.
They will also need to have an appreciation of the UK IT, Telecoms or Finance sectors together with an understanding of work based learning and apprenticeships. The ability to be self motivated and also work as part of a small team are crucial for this role.
To apply please send a covering letter and CV to: careers@pds-group.co.uk
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01/05/2011
Telefónica UK Limited expand their IT apprenticeship programme
Telefónica UK Limited (trading in the UK as O2) have confirmed that they will be recruiting 12 more apprentices for their 3-year Advanced Apprenticeship programme in 2011. PDS have been selected by the company for the third year running to deliver the programme under a full service contract.
For the first time PDS will be hosting the data capture process on behalf of Telefónica UK Limited via their website www.telefonicapprenticeships.com
Telefónica UK Limited have also developed a Higher Apprenticeship programme with PDS. Launched in November last year, the Higher Apprenticeship includes a Foundation Degree with the Open University and is aimed at existing employees who have already completed an Advanced Apprenticeship and have since worked for the company for a year. Three apprentices have already started the programme and three more will be added to the programme this year.
“We have been very impressed with the skills and experience which apprenticeships can deliver,” said Mark Nutter, Skills for the Future Delivery Manager at Telefónica UK Limited. “The Higher Apprenticeship allows us a career progression route to develop our people who have already shown commitment to gaining qualifications as part of their job, while at the same time delivering skills relevant to our business.”
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20/04/2011
It’s a first for PDS/Cable&Wireless Worldwide QCF apprenticeship
PDS and Cable&Wireless Worldwide are celebrating being the first apprenticeship partnership to complete the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) for Edexcel. The first apprentice to qualify under the scheme completed his certificate on 14 April and the remaining 19 apprentices recruited under the first intake will complete over the next few weeks.
The groundbreaking apprenticeship scheme was instigated by Cable&Wireless Worldwide, with the expert help of PDS, to underpin the delivery element of a five-year £100 million contract with Tesco.
The six month apprenticeship programme was designed for Cable&Wireless Worldwide apprentices who were on Fixed Term contracts. PDS recommended the QCF qualification as it allowed Cable&Wireless Worldwide to include the training elements it needed to deliver the contract in the time required and meant that the apprentices would finish their contracts having gained a valuable qualification.
“It was a win/win for Cable&Wireless Worldwide and their apprentices,” said David Willett, Director of PDS. “This qualification exemplifies how the new QCF can offer the flexibility which employers are looking for to deliver their training today.”
The qualification comprises a Level 2 Diploma in ICT Professional Competence and a Level 2 Certificate in Systems and Principles.
PDS defined the training plans with Cable&Wireless Worldwide and then mapped these to the most appropriate qualifications. PDS assessors complete the apprentice assessments at Tesco sites, including stores, across the country.
"QCF is a much better method of delivering apprenticeships," said Antony Bacon, UK Apprenticeships Manager at Cable&Wireless Worldwide. "Its flexibility ensures we are able to develop exactly the skills we need for our future capability. PDS's experience and professionalism was key in this process and we look forward to working with them on our future programmes."
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25/11/2010
Foundation degrees pay off
PDS would like to congratulate Vodafone and Arqiva Apprentices for completing their Foundation Degree as the final element of their Higher Apprenticeship Programme. The Apprentices were amongst the celebrants at the recent Thames Valley University graduation ceremony held at Wembley Stadium.
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20/10/2010
A further two programmes added to Cable & Wireless’ portfolio
PDS are delighted to be continuing their work with Cable & Wireless Worldwide in the delivery of a further two apprenticeship programmes. This will see PDS supporting the delivery of the 2010 Advanced Apprenticeship in Technology along with a new and highly innovative apprenticeship programme that underpins the Cable and Wireless contract with Tesco.
Cable and Wireless landed a five year, £100 million deal to consolidate and modernise Tesco's network, moving everything from voice to data onto a single IP network with more than 40 times current capacity.
The new network will connect more than 1,800 Tesco sites including stores, regional offices and distribution centers. Internationally, the network will connect Tesco's ops in 14 countries, including Japan, India, China, the US and Turkey, in an 18 month rollout and support over 400,000 people.
Antony Bacon, Cable & Wireless™ Development and Accredited Learning Manager, said PDS have a great understanding of their industry and their partners. They have played an integral part in the development and expansion of our Apprenticeship programmes and continue to work with us on our future ventures.
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29/09/2010
PDS welcomes telent
We are delighted to be able to confirm that PDS have been appointed to support telent in the delivery of their apprenticeship programmes.
With annual revenues of £310 million, telent are a technology services company with many years of experience providing a broad range of network and communications services across a variety of industries. They have unique scale, boasting one of the largest engineering field forces of its kind in the UK.
Their apprenticeship programmes will cover two business areas; Rail and Metro. telent are a welcome addition to PDS™ existing range of clients.
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