May– June 2013
5E LIFE & TIMES
All about jobs
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Achievements Galore
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E is steadily and surely climbing the success ladder as it has consistently achieved 95-100% of its work programme target in the last quarter and has an 85% success rate for achievements in training. We are bringing in new and innovative ways to overcome the new challenges of the changing demography of work programme clients and have consistently been praised by our primes—Ingeus and Maximus for our sustained performance in the last quarter. Work programme statistics of June reveal Ingeus leading and Maximus holding the 6th position nationally. We put at least 100 clients in to jobs every month across our centres and hundreds more walk away with qualifications and certifications that bring them that one step closer to finding employment. Our continued partnership with major local FE colleges like Barnet & Southgate College, North Hertfordshire College and Hackney college has helped us bring ESOL, ICT and other courses to hundreds of disadvantaged people in our community. We constantly endeavour to update our package of offerings to suit our clientele and changing times and bring the best of training and development. Rakesh Sonigra, CMO, 5E Ltd
- Rakesh Sonigra, Centre Manager & Operations, 5E Ltd
5E gave me confidence to help find a job
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hillip Alan Roadnight has worked as a cleaner, administrative assistant, shop assistant and stock room assistant since 2007. He came to 5E on the work programme and was put on a customer service Working Healthy at Subway: Phillip Roadnight on finding a job course and an employability course. He was also sent for a few screenings—sales assistant at Sports Direct, housekeeping—Travel Lodge and customer service assistant– Subway. He was finally successful at Subway. have gained a cus―Phillip was a hardworking client who was keen to find employtomer service qualification and ment. I helped him with his CV and interview techniques and also put him the confidence that helped me for suitable courses and screenings,‖ says Sarah Saleem, his adviser. secure employment.” ―I am thankful to 5E for all the help and assistance that they provided me to find employment,‖ says Phillip. ―I have gained a customer service qualification and the confidence that helped me secure employment. Many Philip Roadnight thanks.‖
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Screenings gave me confidence for interviews
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laudine Hamilton came to 5E in February on the 6 week job search programme after which her adviser Soniya referred her to the TLE-SSU programme to undertake the business & administration course to update her skills for an admin job. ―I knew Claudine was he screenings keen to find a job and I regave me the confidence to go ferred her to the TLE project for interviews. Every time I which I was sure would help her gain the qualifications and was disappointed, with my screenings my advisers Soni- employability skills to be sucya and Ibsa motivated me to cessful,‖ says Soniya. Claudine did her QCF go on and I finally got a job” level 2 certificate in Principles of Business & Administration. ―Claudine was a dedicated Claudine Hamilton student and contributed a lot to classroom discussions,‖ says Amin Lakhani her tutor. ―Claudine was put on screening with Sports Direct, Cash Converters and Matalan,‖ says Ibsa her TLE adviser. Soon she found a job with a niche clothing boutique in Enfield. ―I am so ecstatic that I finally found a job. The screenings gave me the confidence to go for interviews. Every time I was disappointed, with my screenings my advisers Soniya and Ibsa motivated me to go on and I finally got a job,‖ says Claudine. ―I’m so glad I came to 5E. Everyone here is so wonderful and did their best to help me find a job.‖
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Finally I did it!: Claudine Hamilton on securing employment
5E gave me all the help I needed to find a better job
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oris Agyei first came to 5E on the 6 week job search programme last year. Her adviser was Soniya who provided her with one-on-one job search support and motivation sessions. ―Doris was then able to secure a job with Maid2Clean as a cleaner working 8 hours/week,‖ says Soniya. However Doris was very keen to oniya’s work more hours to sign constant support and off the benefits and would advice which was often to Soniya to get help with her applications. In crucial for getting a mid-June Doris joined the job that I so desired.” work programme and soon she found full–time employment as a cleaner. Doris Agyei ―The best things about Doris is her enthusiasm and determination to get more hours and she was made successful,‖ says Soniya. ―I am so grateful to Soniya for her constant support and advice which was crucial for getting a job that I so desired,‖ says Doris, ―Also Tuncer was very helpful.‖
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Doris Agyei: There is nothing impossible, we just need persistence
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I just asked local shops if they had vacancies and I got hired in 3 days
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Victory March: Rachel Stremp after securing a job with Peacocks in Edmonton
achel was born in UK and began working when she left school at 16. She worked at Card Factory in 2008-2009 and was unemployed since. ―I started the work programme at 5E in April 2012. My adviser as Faizah Salihu. Faizah was very good. She put me on screenings for Sports Direct, Cash Converters and Mc Donalds. She also did my CV, cover letter and gave me help with interview techniques,‖ says Rachel. Rachel did a NVQ level 2 in Retail Knowledge and found it very interesting. Armed with employability skills and a qualification, Rachel began speculatively approaching local shops at Edmonton Green. ―On Monday, I walked in at Peacocks at Edmonton and asked if they had vacancies. The manager said she has a vacancy and she gave me an application form. I filled in and soon got an interview in which I excelled and got the sales assistant job.,‖ says an ecstatic Rachel admitting that sometimes its all about being at the right place at the right time and one must not lose hope with rejections but pursue every avenue to find work.
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n Monday, I walked in at Peacocks at Edmonton and asked if they had vacancies. The manager said she has a vacancy and she gave me an application form. I filled in and soon got an interview in which I excelled and got the sales assistant job.”
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Rachel Stremp
―Congratulations to Rachel on securing a sales assistant position at Peacocks. Rachel has been a very pleasant client to work with always ready to try another angle. I remember discussing with Rachel about giving out her CV to local shops. Her perseverance has paid off, she walked into Peacocks with a winners ‗can do‘ attitude. The job had her name on it; the time had come to collect. Rachel proves it can be done even in this economic climate,‖ says Faizah. ―I‘m so excited I got the job. I‘m looking forward to beginning my career again,‖ she adds.
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I got Qualifications + Job
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Setting Targets: Natalie Turley with her adviser Soniya Akhtar
was sent to 5E by Edmonton Job Centre in Feb 2013 to take Business & Administration Level 2 as I had been unemployed for 5 months. However I was sent to only complete one unit.
I got an interview and was offered the job in 1 day
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lan Young joined the work programme in March 2013, and had a ongoing health issue, He had been applying for jobs regularly in ware houses but had no response. He was very de-motivated and dishearten as he was trying too hard. ―I've been out of work since March of 2012, although I'd been looking for work since then I started at 5E in March 2013. Within 3 months I had 2 or 3 interviews and got nowhere until the end of May when I got an interview and offered the job all in 1 day. I was beginning to lose hope that I'd never get back into work, but with the help of 5E I've got my pride back,‖ says Alan ―We put him on a Course with ECDL to understand systems, as now in most of the warehouses use computers. We also updated his CV and cover letter and was also assisting him in filling forms. Had a 1 on 1 motivating sessions to in courage him to apply in spite of his rejections.,‖ says Akshay Uplekar, his adviser. Akshay filled up his form for Wincanton and when he got an interview sat with him and had a few 1 on 1 mock interview sessions to polish his skills in an interview and to make his answers more effective. Alan has now secured a job and will start to work by June end , at Wincanton in Feltham as a warehouse operative on a full time contact with a respectable salary.
My tutors Hari & Amin have been brilliant enough to help me achieve and complete the full course instead as I felt this would be more beneficial. Not only have I now gained a whole new qualification, but my advisers Soniya, James & Ibsa have all helped me gain a job also! I got a lot more help, confidence and moral support than what I have ever received from the job centre! I now work part-time with full-time on offer when I am ready. So for that I will always be thankful and grateful to Soniya (brilliant), James (overly ot only helpful and lovely) and Ibsa have I now gained a (great) and Amin (a really great whole new qualificatutor!) tion, but my advisers have all helped me gain “Natalie is an eager a job also!” learner and took active part in classroom discussions. She is very focussed and I’m very glad Natalie Turley that she has found employment,” says Amin. “Natalie has such a fun personality. She is always keen to test herself and achieve her goals. I’m sure she will do very well in her new job,” says Soniya.
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Teamwork: Alan with his adviser Akshay
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I WILL SOON START WORK AS A
CHILDMINDER
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came to the National Careers Service when I felt completely lost and confused with my career. While there are many people to help us find jobs, few take as much interest and go that extra mile as the NCS adviser Ruhi Khan did in my case. She was very motivating and encouraging. She told me not to lose hope but create a plan- what I wanted and how I am going to achieve it. I told her I wanted to be a child minder and she showed me how I could do that. She fixed a meeting with the Enfield Council that runs coffee mornings for those interested in being a child minder. I went for it and found it very good. I came back and discussed it with Ruhi who also printed out resources that I
would need to be a qualified child minder. This was most helpful and I soon finished my course. I am now currently awaiting Ofsted inspection. But since I am tenant I was told to ask permission from my land lord. I didn‘t know how and what to write. Ruhi drafted a letter to my landlord seeking permission to start child minding on the premises where I currently live. I have sent that letter and I‘m awaiting his decision. We also discussed my options if he does not agree. Ruhi also briefed me on what Ofsted inspections are about and how I should keep my house and premises. She suggested I get a few resources—book and toys- as well and showed me where and how I could get them cheap. We also discussed marketing myself as a child minder and I‘m happy to say that some people have shown interest in keeping their children with me. I‘m so excited about this new venture and I know now that nothing will stop me from becoming a child minder. Thank you Ruhi and NCS for helping me in making my dream come true. - Shugri Kulane
Planning my career with NCS
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bbas Khodadadian was referred to NCS by a friend. He met the NCS adviser Naheed Aziz who referred him to an ESOL course to help improve his English language skills. It was great to meet some one who can understand your situation and your background. I found it easy to speak to Naheed in Farsi and explain my situation and my goals. She helped me make an action plan that will be beneficial to me for my career goals,‖ says Naheed. Abbas was a very dedicated student and did very well in his course. ―I found classroom interaction good to give me confidence and I have also improve my reading and writing,‖ says Abbas. ―I am glad I could help Abbas plan his career. He has completed his Level 1 which will give him more scope to pursue jobs that demand a fairly good level of English language skills,‖ says Naheed.
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NCS helped me find a job in no time
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race Boateng heard about the National Career Service at the Job Centre Edmonton and called them up to book an session for career advice. She was then directed to ICDI and her adviser was Ruhi Khan. Grace came to UK in 1998 from Ghana. She has worked as a kitchen assistant and then as a chef for 14 years for a catering company and also as a chef for a care home for a year. She was losing her job at the care home due to budget cuts and came to meet the NCS adviser for help. Grace did not know how to use computers and was shown how to access her email and send emails for jobs. The NCS adviser also worked on her CV and cover letter and apart from various materials given to her during the sessions, she also created her CV and
helped send application forms as she was not fluent with computers. She was looking for similar jobs including in schools. ―Ruhi gave me the earliest appointment and patiently listened to my situation and discussed various options with me. She showed me how to apply for school vacancies and helped me fill an application form for a local school which was difficult for me to do,‖ said Grace. ―Grace is a very motivated job seeker. She came to me a couple of days before she was losing her job due to redundancy and together we worked on her CV and sent out some application forms,‖ says Ruhi. The NCS adviser then referred Grace to the TLE Skills Support for the Unemployed project which would give her more one-on-one help with her employability needs and assist her in her
job search. Her adviser on this project was Soniya Akhtar. ―The project was very good. The adviser Soniya helped me tailor my CV for other jobs and also helped me fill out applications for a couple of restaurants/agencies, She also did interview techniques with me which gave me more confidence to speak to employers,‖ says Grace. Soon Grace found a full- time job with a catering company. ―I am very grateful for the help and assistance given to me at ICDI and 5E. All the advisers motivated me and constantly supported me in my job search,‖ says Grace. ―I am delighted that Grace has found a job. She is very hard working and deserves this success. We will continue to give her advice and support in her current jobs and should she wish to look for better opportunities in the future,‖ says Soniya.
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Making fresh starts
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atbardha Daia is a lone parent on the work programme at 5E. She had not yet worked in UK due to childcare responsibilities but was eager to find employment now. She had a one-on-one session with the adviser on creating an action plan and planning her goals. The adviser motivated her and helped her to equip her self for the job market through employability courses and interview techniques. She was also put on screenings and found a job with Sports Direct at Chingford. am very grateful to ―Fatbardha was Tuncer and Carmel for all the eager to find work and we help and assistance they pro- matched her with the right vided me in finding my first job and she was successful She is working 20 hours a job. I couldn’t have done it week now,‖ says Tuncer, without them.” work programme adviser. ―I am very grateful to Tuncer and Carmel for all Fatbardha Daia the help and assistance they provided me in finding my first job. I couldn‘t have done it without them,‖ says Fatbardha.
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aptell Edwards worked on a temporary contract with a building society in Fen 2013 while being a carer to an elderly relative and raising a family for the past decade. Earlier he worked as a cleaning supervisor and sales aswould like to say sistant. many thanks to the people at Haptell was put forth 5E, especially to my adviser for a customer service course Tuncer for helping me to get and then on screenings for back in work. Their help was Sports Direct and Iceland. He great.” was successful at finding a sales assistant job at Sports Direct at Chingford. ―I would like to say many thanks to the Haptell Edwards people at 5E, especially to my adviser Tuncer for helping me to get back in work. Their help was great. I am now employed by Sports Direct as a casual sales assistant. Many thanks and God Bless you all. Keep up the good work,‖ says Haptell. ―Haptell is very friendly and the jobs of a sales assistant was perfect for him to enter the job market as he had not worked since almost a decade,‖ says Tuncer. ―He cracked the interview and beat competition to find himself a job. This shows that if one is determined nothing is impossible.‖
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li Barlas was unable to get into employment due to English speaking skills and health issues. He was put on the work programme and came to 5E where he had several sessions with his adviser who helped me plan for employment. ―Ali had no CV so I created his CV and did some mock interview sessions with him. I advised him to target jobs where his is my first his English language skills are not a barrier and we decided to job in the UK. Thank you focus on kitchen assistant and cleaning jobs,‖ says Kavitha. Kavitha for helping me Soon Ali secured a work trial following her he was ofachieve this impossible fered employment at Atlas Gourmet Restaurant as a kitchen assistant. ―This is my first job in the UK and I‘m so happy I finally task.” got one. Thank you Kavitha for helping me achieve this impossible task,‖ says Ali.
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Ali Barlas
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5E LIFE & TIMES
ESOL classes gave me not just a qualification but also lots of confidence
Employability Course is Invaluable
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ony Ghazi is on the Work Programme at 5E. She was then referred to the ESOL Entry 3 class to improve her English language skills. ―My ESOL classes were very good. I learnt a lot of grammar that I had no idea about before and I can now write much better,‖ says Mony. ―Most importantly I truly enjoyed the many classroom discussions we had and the group work we did. I made many friends and gained the confidence to express my views and opinions.‖ Mony passed all her exams at Entry 3 level and hopes to continue her learning with an ECDL course to improve her ICT skills. ―All the advisers and tutors at 5E are very helpful, Mony Ghazi proudly displays her ESOL understanding and motivating. They support you in good Entry 3 certificate times and bad and try to get the best out of you,‖ she adds.
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Mustefa assisting in an ESOL class
ustefa Beshir has been with 5E for the last 5 months on the work programme and his advisor is Kavitha. He comes from a teaching back-
ground. He is very enthusiastic about finding employment within the educational sector and has attended various courses and workshop but says that the Week Intensive Employability Program has been the best he has attended so far and has learnt a lot of information which he finds useful. At the moment he has a voluntary position at 5E within the ESOL department. ―My experience with Vennette, the trainer on the week Intensive Employability programme is very much different from those I have had before; I have learnt two different things on this course,. One: The ―STAR‖ approach which has taught me how to structure my answers for an interview which I feel is invaluable. Two: Getting to know myself, being honest not only about my skills and abilities but also about my strengths and weakness, ― says Mustefa.
My adviser encouragement helped me find a job
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ohamud Aden Ahmed came to 5E on the work programme. He had worked as an assistant in a Somali shop in London for six months until October 2012. He did his QCF Level 1 in Warehousing & Storage from COHENEL and also has a CSCS certification. He also holds a forklift licence. However Mohamud was finding it very difficult to find employment and his adviser Kavitha recommended a customer service course which he undertook and was successful. He was also put for workshops on interview techniques and the adviser E was really helpful reworked his CV and cover letter. and interesting. Their guidance ―Mohamud was keen to always encouraged me. I sign off work and was open to taking up with a smile and I’m so happy I employment in any suitable area,‖ got a job. “ says Kavitha. ―His motivation and dedication to his job search helped him get an interview for a labourMohamud Aden Ahmed ers position at Wyse Group in which he was successful.‖ ―5E was really helpful and interesting. Their guidance always encouraged me. I sign off with a smile and I‘m so happy I got a job. I give many thanks to everyone at 5E,‖ says Mohamud.
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CV formats The answer to the question 'which format should I use?' is the format that suits your aims and shows you in the best light. Different CV formats contain mainly the same information but worded in a different way, in different sections and in a different order. These might seem like small changes to make to your CV, but when employers have hundreds to sift through, every little improvement helps.
You can use different CV formats to:
in three to six 'functional headings'. For example, if you're applying for work in a retail role then headings could include 'customer service' and 'sales' – both key skills for any retail role. Functional CVs are similar to targeted CVs, in that they focus on your skills, but on a functional CV you choose the title of the three to six skill headings. On a targeted CV the headings are always 'abilities' and 'achievements'. Therefore, functional CVs can be effective at highlighting your unique combination of skills. What is a targeted CV format? A targeted CV is a skills-based CV format. This format can be useful if you‘re looking for a career change. This is because it focuses on your transferable skills and experience, rather than job titles, companies, and how long ago you got the experience. It‘s called a targeted CV because you use it to aim for a specific type of job. You only include details that are relevant to the job you‘re applying for. These are listed in two separate sections: abilities and achievements. A targeted CV is similar to a functional CV, in that it focusses on skills rather than job roles. However, on a targeted CV you use the headings 'abilities' and 'achievements' rather than creating three to six individual skills headings, as you would on a functional CV. This can help your major strengths and achievements to stand out.
draw attention to your strengths What is a student or graduate CV format? target a specific job get across your career aims – to change career or get You might consider using a student or graduate CV if: promotion, for example. you're still at school, college or university you've recently finished a full-time course. Bear in mind that in all CV formats the personal details, personal profile and qualifications sections remain the same. With a student or graduate CV you highlight your qualificaIt's your work history and achievements that change in each tions first. If you‘ve been in full-time education most of your format. life your qualifications will probably be your main achieveRead our guides to the different types of CV format. ment. If you don't have a lot of work experience, try to make Performance CV your course work relevant to the skills you‘d use in the job. Functional CV For example, you probably use time management, research Targeted CV and IT skills every day. You may also be able to say you‘re a Student / graduate CV fast learner, and are up to date with the latest equipment Alternative CV and techniques in your field. What is a performance CV format?
What is an alternative CV format?
A performance CV is the most popular type of CV. It highlights job titles and company names, starting with your most recent job and working backwards. However, you begin with an 'Achievements' section, which highlights impressive achievements that can make you stand out from other candidates. Under each job title you list your responsibilities in the role.
An alternative CV uses an original and eye-catching format or clever wording to show off your creativity. You could consider using this approach if you apply for creative jobs such as a graphic designer or advertising executive. It‘s impossible to summarise what usually goes into an alternative CV because all of them are original and different. But examples are: presenting your CV as an advert, maybe if you‘re going for a job in advertising printing your CV on decorative paper, if you‘re applying for a job in visual design presenting your CV details in a story format, if you‘re applying for a creative writing job.
What is a functional CV format? A functional CV is a skills-based CV format. These formats can be useful if you‘re looking for a career change. This is because they focus on your transferable skills and experience, rather than job titles, companies, and how long ago you got the experience. In a functional CV you promote your skills and achievements
Contributed by: Soniya Akhtar, Work Programme Adviser, 5E Ltd
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Combating age discrimination You don’t have to put your date of birth on any application forms or CVs. Make sure your personal email address doesn’t contain the year you were born or your age, so as not to give it away. You don’t have to put any dates on your CV. If you’re worried your year of graduation or schooling will give your age away, omit the dates. It is illegal for an employer or recruiter to ask for your age during a job interview or any stage during the recruitment process. Hema Patel, learning and development manager at Emplacement People, says: “List previous experience only going back the last ten years and summarise the rest briefly, without putting any dates for previous roles beyond ten years.” Employers asking to see your passport are checking your eligibility to work in the UK. Some may spot your date of birth, and some may discriminate. But don’t assume this is the case – there are many good employers who do not judge.
24+ Advanced Learning Loans 24+ Advanced Learning Loans give you the opportunity to study and get certified in accredited professional IT networking and business and management qualifications from reputed awarding bodies and vendor providers such as ABE, ILM, City & Guilds, BCS, Microsoft, Cisco and VMware at 5E Ltd. Key Benefits for YOU - Don‘t have to repay until you earn more than £404/week, £1750/month or £21k/year. If your salary drops below this, you stop making repayments! You only start repayments from April 2016! - Only 9% loan repayment from your salary! - Access to HE loans get written off if you start a HE course that is eligible for student finance – you don‘t have to repay it! - Loan is not dependent on your income and there are no credit checks! Eligible Courses for the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan Management Courses
Traineeships – Helping young people enter employment with skills and experience
5E
Ltd now offers Traineeships for 16-19 year old individuals who are keen to look for work and gain employment. With a traineeship you can benefit from a high quality extended work experience period, English and Maths tuition, soft skills development including CV building, letter writing, job search tools, interview techniques, team building, confidence and motivational speaking workshops, work preparation training as well as possible vocational courses, enterprise skills and career guidance with our specialist IAG advisors… To find out more about Traineeships, give us a call on 0208 885 9479 / 0208 885 9464
Certificate and Diploma Level 3 courses: Certificate in Leadership Certificate in Leadership and Management Certificate in Principles of Leadership and Management Certificate in Effective Management Diploma in Leadership and Management Certificate and Diploma Level 4 courses: Certificate in Leadership and Management Extended Diploma in Leadership and Management Information Technology Course: City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles including a combination of: - Cisco CCNA - Cisco CCNA Security - Cyberroam SME Firewall - Microsoft MCSA 2012 - MCSE: Private Cloud - MCSE: Server Infrastructure - EMC: Information Storage Management City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma for ICT Professionals – Systems and Principles including a combination of: - Checkpoint Firewall - Cisco ASA Firewall - Cisco CCNA - Cisco CCNP - Microsoft MCSA 2012 - Prince 2 - VMware VCP The combination of modules is dependent on the cho-
5E LIFE & TIMES
TEAM TEAM--BUILDING
Healthy competition at work & play: 5E teams from across different centres and projects compete in a game of bowling as part of the team building activities organised by the management every few months. 5 E L I FE & T I M E S
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. - Henry Ford
Creating a brighter future through training & learning
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