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Kwes Kent Woodland Employment Scheme

kwes kent woodland employment scheme

London

KWES Kent Woodland Employment Scheme is a charity established in 2012 to offer employment (in the form of apprenticeships) to people seeking forestry employment, but having difficulty finding it. Those difficulties stemmed most often from lack of skills and experience, but were worse for those entering the jobs market from an institutionalised life, for instance in the armed forces or prison. KWES’s interest was mainly in mixed broadleaf woodlands – “boots on the ground” forestry in woods managed on a commercial basis. KWES has never been involved in arboriculture, (tree surgery or working at height), nor with hobby or recreational forestry. The word “apprenticeship” signifies a three-way contract, involving the apprentice, an employer and a training organisation. The government’s “trailblazer” apprenticeship scheme set up in 2017 runs (and provides a small level of funds) under rules administered by the Department for Education. It envisages two-year apprenticeships, with the apprentice typically working four days a week in the employer’s business, and being released for one day each week to be taught more theoretical knowledge in the trainer’s accommodation. Looking at this from the employer’s point of view, it gets the services, (part time and part subsidised), of a worker who starts with no skills or experience, but can be expected to gain these over the two year period. “Employing” him/her is thus a pure burden at first for the employer, but its apprentice should be more or less paying his/her way at the end of a couple of years, especially if s/he is still quite young. However, the real value to the employer is that its former apprentice, to be fully “employable” after qualification, needs in most industries another, say, two years of experience – and s/he can realistically only gain this in that same employer’s business, (which explains how the government can say that apprenticeships “lead to a continuing job”). It is the wage-rate that the employer pays his ex-apprentice during this period which gives the employer real value from the whole operation.

By Sarah Black - SB Business Support

by sarah black - sb business support

S B Business Services is all about providing advice and solutions to ensure possible or potential issues and bottlenecks are quickly identified My career began as a Personal Assistant for a group of Accountants and Auditors. I studied Sales and Marketing whilst working as a Care Worker in the Community, seeing the other side of life which most of us either avoid or deny. Later, I started a family. As my children were growing up, I decided to establish my consultancy business, consulting for a local independent newspaper, a local pallet company as well as, Admiral Commercial Cleaning, a valued client to this day. In addition, I branched out into Health and Safety Management then Management in Construction and qualified as a trainer, assessor and IQA. I continued consulting part-time for small businesses and worked in the local community piloting community projects, in mentoring. Following a successful pilot project for the Local Authority, I was “head-hunted” by the HMPS to create a mentoring scheme for “Lifer prisoners.” This project was a success, reducing re-offending in young adults by 40% across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Due to the prison closure in March 2013, the project continues in-house today. In 2015 I was awarded "Outstanding for contribution to the Business” achieving a growth of 1mm in 12 months, Leading the training provision for government contracts (SFA and ESF) with Department of Work & Pensions - Southeast, Hampshire, Isle of Wight. I continued the journey of life-long learning and completed studies in Teaching, Assessing and Internal Quality Assurance, consulting for local colleges South Downs & Havant College, Basingstoke, and Fareham. I serve on the IAP (Independent Advice Panel) for the DSPG (Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration). Volunteering as a committee member of the Southwick D-Day Revival - a pioneering, independent community group who focus on raising money for SSAFA.