KDS Youth Training
KDS Youth Training
The youth of today are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs
Very often life’s greatest lessons are learnt in our youth. Some of these lessons can be harsh and painful; others can be inspiring and heartening. These lessons undoubtedly leave an imprint on us and may shape us into the adults we become. As a young person it is important to be open to all that life has to teach us but to be wise in how we apply those lessons. My lesson was that it is not the circumstances of my life which determine my success but my attitude.
To ensure success tomorrow we need to invest today. The leaders of tomorrow are the young people of today and this is where our effort must focus. Young people need to learn the lessons which will set them up to be the successes of the future. We need establishments and programmes which nurture entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. If our young people are inheriting something that is not working then surely we must look at new solutions and new ways of being, doing and thinking.
Very often all that a young person needs is an insight, a role model or a conversation to enable them to see the limitless opportunities at their disposal. At KDS Group that is what we do…and we don’t merely deliver theories or vague and impossible concepts. We deliver bottom line, tangible results. We commit, we build relationships and we provide opportunity. At KDS Group our learning programmes ask some tough questions but they equip youngsters for the future. We change mindsets, and attitudes. We create dreams and futures. We create a world without limitation.
Why do we do what we do? Take a look at the list below. It is an excerpt from The UK Rich List.
Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Sir Alex Ferguson, Eric Clapton, Sir Sean Connery and Billy Connolly.
Many left school with no qualifications but went on to show that degrees and academic success are not the only route to riches. Some are still involved with the industry where they gained their original qualification and they are all self-made success stories.
Ordinary people achieving extraordinary things. We may wonder who were their role models in the early days, who were the people who devoted their time to them or gave words of encouragement.
As a company we are proud to invest in the next generation of success stories and we would urge other businesses, enterprises and learning establishments to do likewise. Investing in young people, our future workforce, is not a national luxury or a national choice. It's a national necessity George Bernard Shaw rather cynically but comically said ‘Youth is wasted on the young’. However I prefer the following less well known but much more generous quote: ‘Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind’~ Samuel Ulman.
Youth is a time for adventure, for dreams, for risk taking, for thinking big. Who knows who will feature in The UK Rich List ten years from now?
Posted by Stevie Kidd on 25 October 2011 in : KDS Youth Training, Personal Enhancement, Training employability
Training Teen’s Edinburgh: Youth, enthusiasm and reaching greater heights!
What image does it conjure up when you hear the words young people and vocational training? Be really honest with yourself and hold onto that image.
Does your image include young people...
• Who want to own their own business?
• Who have left school with several Highers and chose not to go to university but to pursue vocational training options?
• Who rise to meet every challenge they are given and exceed their own expectations?
• Who can make a brilliant and positive first impression on anyone they meet?
• Who can set their own goals and remain focused on meeting these goals to achieve their dreams?
It didn’t? Well it should! Training Teens: Reaching greater heights (technically the JHP Pathways to Apprenticeship programme but that didn’t sound inspiring or set out what they were all going to achieve so we changed that!!) in Edinburgh were all of the above and more and after 6 days of Training KDS Style they all realised the potential that they had!
Covering Skills identification, introductions to Retail and Hospitality Sectors, Health & Safety, Manual Handling, First Aid, communication, understanding emotions and behaviours, Personal Enhancement, a session with Stevie Kidd, Identifying skills and the legendary Mind Over Matter day all in 6 days! They bonded further as a team to be reckoned with and quickly realised they had all achieved more than they thought they would with the support of this team! They got a first hand experience of the range of emotions that you go through when you are having a good, and a very hard, day at work and importance of recognising how to do deal with these in a positive way rather than resorting to negative coping strategies. This group showed that there was no challenge they couldn’t rise to and that everything is easier when you work as part of a supportive team! What a fantastic team they became – from the 15 quiet (ish!!) individuals that came into the training on day one they blossomed into a team to be reckoned with! Individuals that were confident to set their own goals, opinions and directions in life and were not afraid to express these, take on board the input of others and communicate assertively their needs!
When this group and I hear the Bon Jovi song “It’s my life” (well they will all remember it as it became their theme tune!) and are singing along to the lines “I ain’t gonna be just a face in the crowd” and “it’s my life, it’s now or never” I can say without doubt that they will all reach greater heights and will never just be a face in the crowd!!
Posted by Kate Sutherland on 09 October 2011 in : KDS Training, KDS Youth Training, Training employability
TRAINING TEENS - Rising to Greater Heights!!
AMAZING and OUTSTANDING would be the words best used to describe Thursday and Friday last week in Edinburgh! Yes there was a blue sky and sunshine but the words above are describing the Pathways to Apprenticeship group that are undertaking employability training the KDS way! (in partnership with JHP Training) SHINING examples of young people who, given the right opportunities and support, will go on to achieve great things! The world of Retail and Hospitality better be ready for the burst of positivity, ability, confidence and determination to progress when these 15 young people hit their work placements and subsequent employment!
Having looked at both the sectors, their skills, their goals, their communication styles, who they are, their lifestyle, the opportunities that are open to them and what employers want this group have quickly taken on board all the learning’s and have quickly come together into one supportive team!
Discussions around assumptions we make about ourselves and assumptions people can make about young people in general and young people entering employment led us to re-brand this team (complete with mission statement tagline) to show the world they were dedicated to progressing in employment, had a plan for the future and were going to be a knowledgeable workforce who would rise to the top of their chosen career areas!
World meet TRAINING TEENS Edinburgh - Rising to Greater Heights!! Newly re-branded and impressing the world!! A BRILLIANT, FANTASTIC, ENTHUSIASTIC, OUTGOING, SPARKLING, AWESOME, INSPIRING group of young people with a POSITIVITY and FOCUS to ensure that they FLY!
This coming week see’s them rise to the challenge of Workplace First Aid, Health and Safety, Manual Handling and also rising to the next level of looking at their own lives and planning the next steps with a day of life coaching and the LEGENDARY Mind over Matter day! All of this and a visit from Stevie Kidd – It’s going to be a PHENOMENAL week for this team!!
Posted by Kate Sutherland on 02 October 2011 in : KDS Training, KDS Youth Training, Training employability
Surviving an Interview!
The most important thing to remember when going into an interview is that your goal is to get a job offer. Many people look at an interview as a big scary situation, but actually, with the correct preparation, practice and pitch about who you are, it needn’t be! Always keep in mind what you want from the interview – A JOB OFFER!!
If you have been getting interviews but hearing nothing back then you need to look at how you are interviewing and see where you can do it better!! Here’s some pointers to get you going in the right direction!
• Know where you are going and be sure to arrive early. - Lateness does not look good, if you do get delayed by traffic then call ahead and let the interviewer know – shows you have good communication skills and an ability to deal with unexpected situations calmly!
• Show confident, positive body language. – We mean smile, eye contact and a world class handshake! (All of you previous academy candidates will have that one nailed!!)
• DID YOU KNOW that 93% of an interview is based on personality, body language and how you interact with other people? oh you didn’t – well now you will be paying much more attention to how you interact with EVERYONE you speak to on the phone and come across on the day!!
• Show interest throughout the interview. - Don’t make the mistake of letting your body language give you away if you are wondering if the job is for you or if you have “brain freeze” when trying to think of an answer.
• Research the company and have a list of questions prepared. – failure to prepare is preparing to fail! Take it from me – NEVER GO TO AN INTERVIEW WITHOUT HAVING DONE ENOUGH RESEARCH ON THE COMPANY!! – Looking like a fool is never a good look at interview!!
• Give examples when answering a question. - Answering with an example gives you plenty of opportunity to pack several of the skills you used into the answer; this gives the interviewers a better picture of why they should hire you.
• Ask questions. – You never let yourself down showing that you are interested in the position that you are being interviewed for! Go for questions that show you have looked into the company and the job and are keen to find out more!
So having left the interview your thinking that means your work with the employer is done until you hear back? WRONG!! Following up with an email, letter or phone call to the interviewer, shortly after you have left or later that day, shows that you are not afraid to do things differently and set yourself apart from the crowd!! Standing out from the crowd in a positive way is a great skills to master for interviews!
By putting time and effort into getting ready for your next interview, you up your chances of having a memorable interview and getting that job offer!
Ask yourself - Do you need to change your strategy?
Posted by Kate Sutherland on 13 September 2011 in : KDS Training, KDS Youth Training, Training employability
Partnerships and Progress shows ILA Works in Edinburgh!
Edinburgh ILA Courses are showing that they have got the perfect mix of partnerships, personality, and persistence to progress. Especially those on this week’s Care Course. All of the candidates have been invited to apply for a Care Assistant Positions with an employer who is based within the Eric Liddel Centre! The employer has been so impressed by what he has seen of the candidates, and the care courses that he is delivering that he went out of his way to approach the Trainer with application forms for the positions that he is advertising! He also commented on what a big change he had noticed in those going through all of the courses that have been running in the centre, saying that there was a noticeable difference in their communication and outlook in the short time that they were on the courses!
One candidate in particular is leading the way in making big changes to his life and is finding that the ILA Works Care course has been just what he has needed to keep up his motivation and strengthen his resolve to achieve his goal! At 47 years of age he has taken a redundancy package from Royal Mail, his previous employer, after deciding that his true vocation was working in the Care Sector. He came to this decision after he had witnessed the incredible work that Care staff did with one of his relatives! A huge step at a time of life when most people are thinking how soon they can wind down their careers! He has found that the ILA Works course has given him further skills in this area and solidified his belief in himself and his choices!!
ILA Works for Edinburgh Care!
Posted by Tommy Gray on 01 September 2011 in : KDS Training, KDS Youth Training, Personal Enhancement, Training employability