1383 Courses in Edinburgh

REFERENCE CODE 610/0075/3 COURSE LEVEL NVQ Level 2 THIS COURSE IS AVAILABLE IN Course Overview This qualification is aimed at individuals wishing to prove they have the level and range of knowledge and skills required to install Interior Systems in the Construction working environment. It is not expected that all workers will complete the same tasks, there are 3 mandatory units common to all pathways. The Pathways will allow employees with specific skills and from companies of all sizes equal opportunity to complete. All work must be completed following Industry recognised Safe Working Practices and in accordance with relevant legislation. This qualification is at Level 2, although some units may be at different levels and should be taken by those who are fully trained to deal with a range of tasks and situations. There is also a Level 2 Certificate and a Level 3 Diploma in Interior Systems available.

This intensive one-day training programme has been developed to help those involved in producing specifications create high quality documents in an organised and effective way. The programme explains the primary purpose of specifications and the importance of understanding the context in which they are used. It focuses particularly on how to develop and structure content and write requirements that are clear and concise. The methods and techniques presented will provide a practical foundation course for those new to the topic whilst offering new insights to those with more experience. The objectives of the workshop are to: Review and discuss the role and purpose of specifications Present a structured approach for organising and producing specifications Explain each of the key steps involved in creating effective specifications Review some methods for assisting in defining requirements Explain how to define the scope and develop the structure for a specification Present methods to assist the writing and editing of specifications Review how specifications should be issued and controlled 1 Introduction Course objectives Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Specifications in perspective The role and purpose of specifications The impact of specifications on commercial performance The qualities of an effective specification The five key steps of 'POWER' writing: prepare-organise-write-edit-release 3 Step 1: Preparing to write Defining the purpose the specification; integrating the specification and contract Deciding how to specify: when to specify in functional and technical terms Getting the right people involved at the right time; engaging stakeholders Applying procedures for writing, issuing and controlling specifications 4 Step 2: Organising the specification content Scoping the document: scope maps, check lists, structured brainstorming Clarifying requirements; separating needs and desires Dealing with requirements that are difficult to quantify Useful techniques: cost benefit analysis, Pareto analysis Deciding what goes where; typical contents and layout for a specification Creating and using model forms: typical sections and sub sections 5 Step 3: Writing the specification Identifying and understanding the readers needs Choosing and using the right words; dealing with jargon Important words; will, shall, must; building a glossary Using sentence structure and punctuation to best effect Understanding the impact of style, format and appearance Avoiding common causes of ambiguity; being concise and ensuring clarity 6 Step 4: Editing the specification Why editing is difficult; how to develop a personal editing strategy Key areas to review: structure, content, accuracy, clarity, style and grammar Editing tools and techniques 7 Step 5: Releasing and controlling the specification Key requirements for document issue and control Final formatting and publication issues; document approval Requirements management: managing revisions and changes 8 Course review and action planning What actions should be implemented to improve specifications? Conclusion

The Supply Chain Academy can assist you in focusing on the issues and challenges most critical to your team’s success – improving rapport, relationships and productivity, enabling teams to achieve their collective goals, confronting problems, inspiring success and unlocking potential when your team needs it most. We use the Insights Discovery® Personality profiling model, which adds a simple visual methodology that supports effective communication. The Supply Chain Academy can assist you in focusing on the issues and challenges most critical to your team’s success - improving rapport, relationships and productivity, enabling teams to achieve their collective goals, confronting problems, inspiring success and unlocking potential when your team needs it most. Our Team Effectiveness programme is ideal if you want to: monitor your team’s strengths and challenges create space for open and honest dialogue within the team overcome an obstacle that’s holding the team back develop action plans for continuous improvement Insights Discovery - How it Works: Through Insights Discovery® and our own, in-house Insights Discovery® licenced practitioner, we use the Insights Discovery model to understand an individual’s unique preferences. Our Insights Discovery-based people development programmes are simple and deeply insightful. They provide immediate impact and enable positive, lasting change. Insights Discovery® is: Simple: easy to understand so everyone can apply what they learn. Universal: it speaks to everyone at all levels. Deeply Insightful: take you places you never expected. Positive: the supportive language is so engaging it empowers people to change. Fun! The memorable colour energy system that really sticks Using Insights Discovery® as part of a wider programme: Insights Discovery® is at the heart of everything that we do. This simple framework of four colour energies can be used to develop highly-tailored solutions to meet your unique business needs. Example solutions: Increasing communication and collaboration: learn how your team, department or organisation can work together more effectively in a series of Insights Discovery® Workshops. Improving personal effectiveness: as part of a programme of coaching, Insights Discovery can be used to identify areas of strength and help create a development plan tailored to each individual. Developing leaders and sales people: use an understanding of preferences to assess individual and collective strengths and enhance crucial business skills. Explore the concept of change and gain an understanding of the process Understand how different personality types respond to change Engage the wider organisation by building relationships with staff Motivate teams through change

This foundational course will help all managers better understand what a procurement function does, including the processes, tools and techniques it employs to reach its goals and how it measures its business performance. PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN HOW TO: Explain the contribution of procurement to the overall business objectives. Explain the added value that can be obtained by a business when it manages its procurement activities efficiently and effectively. Understand the complex activity of procurement and the challenges it presents for risk management. Develop good quality procurement practices that will manage the expectations of all stakeholders Identify methods by which a procurement function can be measured and performance monitored. Perform contract management activities. Understand ways in which improvements might be identified and implemented. COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE: Procurement and business objectives Stakeholder Management Commercial Specifications Whole Life Costing Targeted procurement Procurement planning Supplier Appraisal and selection RFQ & ITT & Evaluation Contract Management

If you're looking to move to the next level in your career in sales, then understanding how to maximise your sales results, using a consultative and structured approach, will be key to your success. In order to develop the competitive advantage that enables you to stand out from the crowd, it is important to understand the tools and techniques to take your selling to new heights and build the confidence to apply them in work-based scenarios. We have developed this programme to be practical, fun and interactive. Learners will gain a range of practical skills that they can take back and apply to the workplace straight away, that will have a positive impact on sales and customer satisfaction. This course will help participants: Develop a structured and client-focused approach to creating high quality sales opportunities and account growth Learn persuasion and influencing skills to better define needs and develop opportunities Understand how to have better sales conversations, presentations, and proposals - leading to higher order value and increased sales Develop advanced sales questioning skills and techniques; understand the importance of listening Understand how to add value at all stages; plus gaining competitive advantage Develop proven ways to overcome and reduce price pressure Know when to use options and upselling when presenting products and solutions Develop techniques and skills for improved negotiation and closing 1 Advanced Selling - How to Increase your sales results Review of pre-course data and questionnaire The AVC model of increasing your sales results Creating a sales growth plan to achieve higher sales targets Mapping the accounts and products for targeted growth 2 The Four Cs to structure a sales call Research before the meeting or call; setting objectives, planning and preparation How to gain instant rapport and taking control - including online meetings Qualifying and initial questioning skills Creating an agenda and first-meeting structure: Four Cs Planning and practice sessions 3 Building bigger and better sales opportunities How to use questions to 'build' more opportunities Learning and using high-impact and third-level questions Advanced sales questioning techniques: five questioning techniques Qualifying and gaining commitment to the next stage Planning and practice sessions - advanced questioning skills 4 Presentation and persuading skills best practice Compelling benefits and reducing perceived risk - key messages to deliver Helping the customer choose your proposition by using options Professional and effective presentation skills Writing compelling sales proposals that improve your conversion rate Planning and practice session - presenting your solution 5 Overcoming concerns and client questions Proven techniques for answering client objections and concerns How to isolate, prioritise and answer objections, including price Overcoming delay and procrastination Planning and practice session - answering client concerns 6 Gaining commitment and closing the sale Knowing when to close for commitment How to ask for commitment professionally and effectively Key negotiation skills around the closing process - getting to 'yes' Checklist of closing and negotiation skills Practice session

We use the Insights Discovery® Personality profiling model, which adds a simple visual methodology that supports effective communication. Revitalise and inspire your sales team to a higher level of performance. Help your sales people be more effective at every stage of the sale. Build customer relationships quickly and effectively... Our Sales Effectiveness programme is ideal if you want to; assess the strengths and challenges of your sales people understand your sales team's style and how it impacts on customer relationships develop your sales team's interpersonal skills Insights Discovery - How it Works: Through Insights Discovery® and our own, in-house Insights Discovery® licenced practitioner, we use the Insights Discovery model to understand an individual’s unique preferences. Our Insights Discovery-based people development programmes are simple and deeply insightful. They provide immediate impact and enable positive, lasting change. Insights Discovery® is: Simple: easy to understand so everyone can apply what they learn. Universal: it speaks to everyone at all levels. Deeply Insightful: take you places you never expected. Positive: the supportive language is so engaging it empowers people to change. Fun! The memorable colour energy system that really sticks Using Insights Discovery® as part of a wider programme: Insights Discovery® is at the heart of everything that we do. This simple framework of four colour energies can be used to develop highly-tailored solutions to meet your unique business needs. Example solutions: Increasing communication and collaboration: learn how your team, department or organisation can work together more effectively in a series of Insights Discovery® Workshops. Improving personal effectiveness: as part of a programme of coaching, Insights Discovery can be used to identify areas of strength and help create a development plan tailored to each individual. Developing leaders and sales people: use an understanding of preferences to assess individual and collective strengths and enhance crucial business skills. Explore the concept of change and gain an understanding of the process Understand how different personality types respond to change Engage the wider organisation by building relationships with staff Motivate teams through change

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the key principles and techniques for leading and managing project work. It will focus on the core principles and generic methods of project management, showing how these can be applied to typical projects. The scope of the programme includes: The course also emphasises the importance of the leadership and team-working skills needed by project managers and team members in carrying out their roles. The principal training objectives for this programme are to: Explain and demonstrate the key principles of successful project management Demonstrate a range of useful project management tools and techniques Define the role of, and help participants understand the skills required by, the project leader Illustrate the use of project skills through examples and case studies Identify ways to improve project management, both individually and corporately DAY ONE 1 Introduction (Course sponsor) Why this programme has been developed Review of participants' needs and objectives 2 Key concepts and requirements for success Projects and project management Lessons from past projects; the essential requirements for success Differences between projects; characteristic project life cycles The challenges of project management; the role of the project manager Project exerciseA team exercise to demonstrate the challenges of project management 3 Defining project objectives and scope Identifying the stakeholders; key roles and responsibilities Getting organised; managing the definition process Working with the 'customer' to define the project scope 4 Project case study: part 1 Defining the project objectives: syndicate teams define the objectives and scope for a typical project 5 Project planning The nature of planning; recognising planning assumptions Planning the plan; the importance of team involvement Developing the work breakdown structure Estimating task resources, timescales and costs Developing the project schedule Analysing the plan and identifying the critical path 6 Project case study: part 2 Creating the project plan Syndicate teams begin development of their project plans (for completion after session 7) Team presentations and group discussion (after session 7) DAY TWO 7 Managing project risks Understanding and defining project risks Classifying risks and adopting an appropriate risk strategy Identifying, evaluating and managing project risks Agreeing ownership of project risks; the risk register Integrating planning and risk management 8 Project control Pro-active and re-active control; striking the right balance Pre-requisites for effective, pro-active project control Avoiding unnecessary 'scope creep' and controlling change Selecting the data needed to provide early warning of problems Monitoring project performance: 'S' curves, slip charts, earned value Getting good data and assessing project status Defining the roles and responsibilities for control Setting up a routine process for keeping up to date Managing and controlling multiple projects 9 Project case study: part 3 Controlling the project Teams control their project as new developments take place 10 Course review and transfer planning (Course sponsor present) Identify actions to be implemented individually Identify corporate opportunities for improving project management Sponsor-led review and discussion of proposals Conclusion

The market for professional services is becoming increasingly competitive, with some firms and individuals becoming very effective at winning new work, leaving others lagging way behind. Given the choice between spending time on client work and business development work, we all tend to choose that which we feel to be easier, more attractive and more aligned with our image of ourselves. We stay within our comfort zones, we focus on client work, and we only resort to business development work when we have to, which can also lead to 'feast or famine' syndrome. The programme will help participants: Understand the professional business development approach and the style that is appropriate for their business and their clients Follow a process to guide their conversations and business development meetings Prepare thoroughly for a business development meeting/contact with a client to ensure they use their time efficiently and maximise results Create a great first impression and professional opening to a conversation Ask open questions and listen effectively in order to spot opportunities, understand needs and progress the opportunity Identify and understand buying and decision-making processes and criteria Skilfully and confidently handle questions and objections Sell the benefits of their services and approach over those of their competitors Progress the sale by agreeing next steps and gaining commitment appropriately 1 Introduction Aims and objectives of the programme Personal introductions and objectives Workshop overview 2 An introduction to business development and selling for professionals What is selling? Who are you selling to? The buying experience What clients want The four-step business development process The business development cycle and pipeline management Upselling and cross-selling as well as winning new clients 3 Networking and generating leads What is networking? Networking objectives It's not what you know but who you know Asking for referrals and introductions Making appointments from networking activity 4 Opening the sales relationship/sales meeting What potential customers are thinking Judging first impressions Creating positive first impressions Building rapport and creating interest and impact Earning the right 5 Core communication skills for professional selling Overcoming barriers to listening The art of listening Questioning refresher Types of questions Questioning funnel 6 Understanding and identifying needs and opportunities Identifying the questions to ask to identify needs and opportunities Questions to move us through the buying and selling process Understanding their buying processes Asking questions that position you as a 'trusted adviser' The questions that give you a competitive advantage Knowing when you have asked enough questions 7 Introducing solutions Tailoring your 'pitch' to the client Speaking the client's language Using features and benefits Applying the benefit cycle 8 Handling objections and concerns Identifying the typical objections and concerns Understanding why clients raise objections and concerns Following a structure for handling objections Handling the price objection 9 Gaining commitment Knowing when to close The art of checking Recognising buying signals Small c and big C 10 Putting it all together Personal learning summary and action plans

REFERENCE CODE 610/0054/0 COURSE LEVEL NVQ Level 3 THIS COURSE IS AVAILABLE IN Course Overview Who is this qualification for? This qualification is aimed at those who are involved in setting out and erecting masonry structures onsite working from drawings and specifications. The structures could be brick and blockwork or local materials. It is not expected that candidates working in this industry all do the same activities, so the qualification is structured to ensure that there is a high degree of flexibility within the units available and will allow employees from companies of all sizes and specialisms equal opportunity to complete. To provide this opportunity in addition to the mandatory units’ candidates will also be able to select optional units recognising specific skills What is required from candidates? Qualifications are now required to indicate the total qualification time (TQT), this is to show the typical time it will take someone to attain the required skills and knowledge to meet the qualification criteria, this qualification has a TQT of 610 hours. Qualifications are also required to indicate the number of hours of teaching someone would normally need to receive in order to achieve the qualification. These are referred to as Guided Learning Hours (GLH). The GLH for this qualification is 334. Group A MANDATORY UNITS Level Credit Confirming Work Activities and Resources for an Occupational Work Area in the Workplace Developing and Maintaining Good Occupational Working Relationships in the Workplace Confirming the Occupational Method of Work in the Workplace Conforming to General Health, Safety and Welfare in the Workplace Erecting and Dismantling Access/Working Platforms in the Workplace Preparing surfaces for painting and/or decorating in the workplace Applying surface coatings by brush and roller in the workplace Optional units Group A – Minimum of 1 unit must be achieved from this group Hang wallcoverings (standard and foundation papers) in the workplace Hanging non-standard width wallcoverings in the workplace 3 20 Optional units Group B-Minimum of 1 unit must be achieved from this group Applying coatings by the airless spray method in the workplace Summary of the: LEVEL 3 NVQ DIPLOMA IN DECORATIVE FINISHING-PAINTING AND DECORATING (CONSTRUCTION) Producing and applying complex stencils in the workplace 3 21 Hanging wallcoverings to complex surfaces in the workplace 3 32 Hanging wallcoverings (specialised paper) in the workplace 4 30 Assessment Guidance: Evidence should show that you can complete all of the learning outcomes for each unit being taken. Types of evidence: Evidence of performance and knowledge is required. Evidence of performance should be demonstrated by activities and outcomes, and should be generated in the workplace only, unless indicated under potential sources of evidence (see below). Evidence of knowledge can be demonstrated though performance or by responding to questions. Quantity of evidence: Evidence should show that you can meet the requirements of the units in a way that demonstrates that the standards can be achieved consistently over an appropriate period of time. Potential sources of evidence: The main source of evidence for each unit will be observation of the candidate’s performance and knowledge demonstrated during the completion of the unit. This can be supplemented by the following types of physical or documentary evidence: Accident book/reporting systems Photo/video evidence Safety records Work diaries Training records Timesheets Audio records Telephone Logs Job specifications and documentation Meeting records Delivery Records Records of toolbox talks Witness testimonies Equipment Correspondence with customers Prepared materials and sites Notes and memos Completed work Please Note that photocopied or downloaded documents such as manufacturers or industry guidance, H&S policies, Risk Assessments etc, are not normally acceptable evidence for these qualifications unless accompanied by a record of a professional discussion or Assessor statement confirming candidate knowledge of the subject. If you are in any doubt about the validity of evidence, please contact Oscar Onsite Academy

Let's have a coffee and a natter!  Share your experiences around facilitation, bring a success to celebrate, or a challenge to chew over... while enjoying a cup of something and a nibble. Free for all to attend, and open to members of IAF World and non members alike. Please book, then, if there are any last minute changes or problems we know how to get in touch with you, but, it's ok to turn up on the day! Find us on the ground floor in Levels Cafe - we’ll have an IAF sign at our table.  For more information email chair@iaf-scotland.org.