Specialising in Government-funded training, the organisation is supporting the national event, which will promote the benefits of adult learning from 12th to 18th May, by encouraging individuals to enhance their existing skills with work-based learning and apprenticeship opportunities.

Through a range of flexible programmes, Positive Outcomes delivers training for nationally recognised qualifications, allowing learners to reap career rewards and stand out from the crowd.

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Chris Longmate, Managing Director, comments: “We believe passionately in lifelong learning and Adult Learners Week offers a great opportunity for individuals to find out how they can increase their existing skills and make a positive contribution to the workplace.

“Our nationally recognised qualifications offer a flexible way to learn, while earning at the same time, which we have found is of great importance to our adult learners.

“These training opportunities are especially designed with adults in mind, as they offer a way to develop the skills that are relevant to your existing job, without the need to enter classroom or leave employment.

“All of the learning takes place in the workplace, allowing you to put your training into practice from day one and see the difference it can make to your career.”

Training is delivered on a one-to-one basis, which enhances learning and guarantees the support adult learners need, with courses and qualifications that are suitable for all industries.

Positive Outcomes has already worked alongside a host of national names, including Thornton’s, Iceland, the NHS and Barnardo’s, delivering its high quality training opportunities across the country and now has learners on its books aged from 16 to 77.

Funded training programmes are suitable for a wide range of employees, from those in entry level positions to senior managers, regardless of age.

Chris Longmate adds: “Helping individuals get the most out of their learning experience is of the utmost importance to us, which is why everyone is supported by a training adviser throughout.

“Our training advisers are there to demonstrate how to put into practice new skills and ideas and get the maximum benefit from the experience, as well as answering any questions you may have along the way.

“We strongly believe that our training can make a huge difference and we’re encouraging people to change their lives by boosting their existing skills and planning for a bright future.”

Positive Outcomes is one of the country’s top ten independent training providers and offers Government-funded training for apprentices and employed people nationwide, as well as corporate training.

Find out more about undertaking life-changing training by visiting www.positiveoutcomes.org.uk or calling 0845 643 5566.

Positive Outcomes, who offers learn and earn opportunities to individuals aged 16 and over, is bucking the area’s high unemployment trend by teaming up with local businesses to create new roles for those out of work.

As one of the areas hardest hit by joblessness, the north east’s unemployment rate now stands at 11.2% – almost double that of the south east’s 6.3% – statistics Positive Outcomes is dedicated to turning round.

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Chris Longmate, Group Managing Director at Positive Outcomes, comments: “We’re bringing a range of exciting apprenticeship opportunities to a number of towns and cities in the region, including Newcastle and North Shields, which will allow individuals to learn, earn and look forward to a bright future and successful career, plus gain a nationally recognised qualification.

“Our apprenticeship roles offer work-based learning opportunities within an office environment and we’re currently recruiting for office administrators and sales administrators for local businesses, as well as customer service apprentices wanting their first break within estate agency.”

Positive Outcomes has already had a positive effect on the area, after Durham-based Cardea Resourcing, who specialise in health, housing and social care recruitment, took on its first apprentices last year.

Branch Manager at Cardea Resourcing, Robert Vinton, says: “A number of apprentices had previously been taken on at our Nottingham branch, so it was through them that I first learned about Positive Outcomes and the apprenticeship schemes they run.

“We took on two apprentices in 2011 who have proved to be valuable assets to the company and I’ve certainly been impressed with the standard of their work and the effort they have put into their roles; both have successfully secured permanent positions with the company and pay rises that reflect their new NVQ qualifications.”

Business administrator, Emma Coulthard, and training consultant, Thom Marley, both 19, joined the Cardea Resourcing team in March and May 2011 respectively, after being put forward for roles by Positive Outcomes.

Thom Marley explains: “I discovered Positive Outcomes through the National Apprenticeship Service; I initially applied for an administration role and was offered the role trainee consultant within customer services instead, which has allowed me to learn and earn at the same time.

“It’s proved to be a great experience and very worthwhile, and as the work and study elements are laid out clearly, it makes it easy to combine the two – I would certainly recommend the experience to others as I have now gained valuable work experience and a qualification which is now with me for life.

“It’s also reassuring to know the training adviser is there to offer help when you need it, so if you want to talk about the work or any of the units involved they are always happy to support you.”

Robert Vinton adds: “It’s the first time we have taken on apprentices at Cardea Resourcing in Durham and it’s something we will certainly consider doing again thanks to the support Positive Outcomes has given us and our new team members.

“I would also recommend the apprenticeship scheme to other companies, as there are opportunities to employ a wide range of individuals from various working backgrounds.”

Temporary Consultant Lauren Tupling and Branch Manager Robert Vinton with apprentices Emma Coulthard and Thom Marley

Positive Outcomes is currently recruiting apprentices in North Shields to train for a Level Two NVQ in Customer Service within estate agency, leading on to further training to Level Three for the right candidates.

A number of roles are also available in Newcastle within marketing organisations, IT and recruitment, leading to a Level Two qualification in business administration.

In addition to the apprenticeships, Positive Outcomes also has a number of Government-funded learning opportunities to boost the skills of those currently in employment, these include: business administration, customer service, IT, team leading, management, warehouse and distribution and electrical engineering.

Positive Outcomes, which has its head office at The Village Business Park just off junction 28 of the M1, has seen its turnover increase tenfold and staff numbers jump from just 45 to 250 since 2009.

As well as a major recruitment drive, which will boost employment locally, Positive Outcomes’ continued success has led them to look to take an additional 2000sq ft of office space at its headquarters.

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From this base the company provides Government-funded apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds, funded training for employed people, regardless of age, corporate training and recruitment services across the whole of the UK.  Positive Outcomes also has a network of training professionals that find apprentices, identify apprenticeships and run training courses from serviced offices in nine different regions.

During 2009 Managing Director, Chris Longmate, oversaw a management restructure, appointing four new department heads, placing the business in a better position to secure new contracts for further growth and creating more opportunities for employment and training within its local community.

As a result the firm has agreed new deals with local and national names such as Thornton’s Chocolates, Iceland supermarkets, the NHS and the children’s charity Barnardo’s.

Chris said, “The last three years have seen Positive Outcomes go from strength-to-strength and we’re currently undergoing massive expansion in order to cope with the demand our services are experiencing.

“We’ve come a long way since 2009, when Positive Outcomes was a regional provider run by a team of just 45 in three regions; fast-forward three years and we’ve increased our staff numbers significantly and increased our turnover almost tenfold, so we’re extremely proud of our achievements so far.

“We have also introduced new teams and divisions that have taken the business forward to where it is now and we’re currently operating in most areas of England and have recently launched in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“In the coming weeks we will be creating 50 new jobs at our head office, with roles in all departments, from finance to marketing and sales, and human resources to training and management. This will take our staff numbers to a total of 300 – a figure we hope will grow in the future to offer further opportunities for those living and working within the local community.”

Positive Outcomes is a focussed organisation that offers a full ‘HR lifecycle’; from Government funded training for apprentices and employed people, allowing them to gain a nationally recognised qualification, to Corporate training, offering dynamic and interactive personal development workshops plus a high street recruitment arm supplying temporary and permanent staff to employers.  Additionally at any one time, its engagement team will have approximately 100 apprenticeship vacancies in each of its nine operational areas.

Positive Outcome’s expansion coincides with the latest success for the organisation’s Group Managing Director, who has just been named a rising business star of the East Midlands.

Chris Longmate, 31, has been selected as one of Insider Media’s ‘42 under 42’, which celebrates the success of individuals carving out a reputation for themselves in the business world.

To find out more visit www.positiveoutcomes.org.uk or call 0845 643 5566.

The pair are being supported in their roles at the electronic component distributor by learning provider Positive Outcomes.

Chris has now completed an NVQ Level 2 in customer service and is starting to train towards his Level 3.

He said: “It’s been a big learning curve and I feel lucky that I have been supported so well within my first job.

“Positive Outcomes has kept in touch with me all the way through; an adviser visits me regularly and they also call me and send e-mails to ensure I’m receiving all the help I need with the learning and within the role they helped me to find.”

Helen joined Whistler as a junior account manager in June last year.

She said: “I found apprenticeship roles online and after contacting Positive Outcomes, they helped me find a role and a company that were right for me.

“I was given pre-interview support, which included what to wear and what I might be asked, which proved very useful and prepared me for the interview process.

“Now I’m really enjoying the role and have already recommended Positive Outcomes to people I know who are not sure what to do after leaving school.”

Positive Outcomes is a national training organisation which is helping young people in Notts discover the path to career success with the Government-funded apprenticeships that it offers across the county.

It is helping to change the face of apprenticeships by offering 16-to-18-year-olds the opportunity to earn and learn in a large number of office-based roles, from customer service to administration, while gaining a nationally recognised qualification.

Chris and Helen were among four paired up with Whistler Technology and Ivory Egg.

The company’s managing director Scott Manifold said: “The challenge for us is to find candidates of the right calibre and ability that are based locally. The apprenticeship scheme is perfect for our company, giving us a cost-effective opportunity to support local school-leavers by giving them a great break, while we can train and grow them to give them the best professional grounding, for their benefit, but also for the company.”

Apprenticeships through Positive Outcomes are delivered over a minimum of 12 months to ensure learners gain the lifelong skills they need for career success and are supported by a dedicated team of trainers and advisers.

Group managing director Chris Longmate said they are the ideal route to a prosperous career. He said: “I remember one young man who left school with no qualifications and started a job as a retail assistant.

“His employer realised he was keen to learn and offered him a Level 2 apprenticeship in retail.

“He successfully completed that and went on to do a Level 3, then a team leader qualification, followed by management training. He is now a regional manager with the company.”

Search and apply for roles at www.positiveoutcomes.org.uk or call 0845 643 5566.

The managing director of Sterling Assist Ltd has three apprentices at the firm’s head office in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

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Backing our campaign: James Barrett, managing director of Sterling Assist Ltd, with apprentices Holly Moore, 17, Tom Lee, 19, and Ashley Hallam, 18.

Holly Moore, 17, Tom Lee, 19, and Ashley Hallam, 18, help with the day-to-day running of the company, which installs alarm systems in businesses and homes.

Mr Barrett said his firm is committed to the development of young people in the area and has backed the Nottingham Post’s Get Notts Working campaign.

He said: “We want to develop our staff and train them fully with the intention they can have a career with us.

“We aren’t a firm who thinks apprenticeships are about cheap labour for a couple of years and letting people go.

“Our apprentices are guaranteed a job at the end of their course. It is a great way of training our staff and improving the work chances of young people in the area.”

The firm is one of many in Notts which employs apprentices. The Post is urging other companies to follow suit in the first phase of our campaign, in which we are trying to create 100 apprentice opportunities in 100 days.

We are asking companies in the city and county to pledge to take on one or more apprentices.

Mr Barrett added: “Having an apprentice means you can train staff up to the standard you expect.”

Sterling Assist apprentice Ashley Hallam, of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, is doing an NVQ Level 2 apprenticeship in business and administration, overseen by training company Positive Outcomes.

He said: “I get involved in lots of different things like paperwork, which is great.

“This is the first job I have had since leaving school. It is great to know I have the prospect of a job at the end of it.

“Once I have finished doing the Level 2 NVQ I hope to go on and do a Level 3.”

The Get Notts Working campaign is a partnership between the Post, Notts and Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce, the National Apprenticeship Service, Nottinghamshire City and County Employment and Skills Board, local councils and major local companies.

Positive Outcomes is helping to buck the growing unemployment trend for 16 to 24-year-olds, which currently tops more than one million, by offering its Government-funded apprenticeships across the country.

With opportunities to earn and learn in a wide range of industries, from estate agency to office administration, Positive Outcomes is also challenging the traditional perception of apprenticeships with the scheme.

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Managing Director, Chris Longmate, says: “Positive Outcomes is committed to giving young people life-changing opportunities and is currently creating hundreds of apprenticeship placements nationwide, with companies of every size.

“Our apprenticeship schemes are very modern and aren’t just for those who want to get out on the building site; through our schemes, young people are given the chance to receive full, professional training for an office-based career they can really embrace and work towards recognised qualifications, while also earning a regular income.

“With more than a fifth of young people now unemployed, it is essential that we act now to avoid creating a lost generation who are neither in work or training, which is why Positive Outcomes is working hard to combine both of these in order to offer opportunities that are so desperately needed.”

Positive Outcomes, one of the country’s top ten training providers, offers Government-funded training and currently has hundreds of vacancies in most areas of England, Wales and Scotland for apprentices in business administration, customer service, retail and IT. In addition they have government funding to train your existing employees of any age.  Each person, irrelevant of age, will gain a nationally recognised qualification in their chosen sector, enabling career progression and success.

While earning and learning, young people will also be able to boost numeracy and literacy skills thanks to the support of Positive Outcomes.

With research from Sheffield University revealing the maths and English skills of 22% of 16 to 19-year-olds are lower than the average 11-year-old, the organisation is keen to tackle the concerning statistics.

Chris Longmate adds: “These statistics are extremely worrying and the fact that so many are apparently slipping through the net with regards to these essential life skills shows that we need to address this issue.

“In Europe, the education system helps young people equip themselves for the workplace by introducing more work experience at an earlier age and emphasising the importance of practical experience on preparing them for their future careers.

“I think by coupling work and training, Positive Outcomes is helping to boost skills by showing young people how important maths and English are for a successful career and how they are used in the workplace every day.”

Positive Outcomes offers Government-funded training for apprentices and employed people, corporate training and recruitment. To find out more visit www.positiveoutcomes.org.uk or call 0845 643 5566.

‘Outcomes’, the new newsletter for learners with Positive Outcomes, will give you updates on equality and diversity, health & safety and advice on health and wellbeing.

Download the newsletter today and keep up-to-date with the latest information.

Chris Longmate, Group Managing Director of the East Midlands-based organisation, has been selected for Insider Media’s ‘42 under 42’ after delivering a tenfold turnover boost in just three years.

The 31-year-old was nominated by the business media specialists for its annual award, which celebrates the success of individuals who have already made a name for themselves in the business world.

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Chris comments: “Being named one of Insider Media’s ‘42 under 42’ is a great honour and I’m pleased the work I have put into Positive Outcomes is having a positive effect on helping people boost their employability, as well as the organisation itself.

“The new business structure I have brought in has enabled Positive Outcomes to come a long way in three short years; we’ve seen our turnover increase significantly, have increased our Government-funded division by £5 million and expanded across all regions of England.”

Positive Outcomes provides Government-funded apprenticeships and funded training for those already employed, plus corporate training and a recruitment service.

After overseeing the restructure of Positive Outcomes during 2009, the Managing Director has transformed the company, leading it to secure a better position for growth.

With Chris in the driving seat, Positive Outcomes’ turnover has leapt from £1.6 million to £15.5 million since the restructure, while also being named as one of the top ten independent providers of training in the UK.

At the organisation’s head office, located at The Village Business Park just off junction 28 of the M1, job numbers have also increased from 45 to 250.

Chris adds: “As an organisation, we’re already enjoying a lot of success and Positive Outcomes is really looking forward to a bright future.

“We are committed to expanding our services further and it is our aim to provide even more individuals with skills that will see them go far in the workplace; we want to make Positive Outcomes a household name and one that businesses across the country turn to in order to enhance the skills of their staff.”

Chris has also been commended for expanding Positive Outcomes services across the whole of the country, allowing more individuals to take advantage of the high quality training opportunities it offers.

Chris’s ranking in the ‘42 under 42’ list will be announced at a gala dinner in Sutton Coldfield on 14th June.
To find out more about the positive impact the organisation can have on your business, visit www.positiveoutcomes.org.uk or call 0845 643 5566.

The downturn has been a double-edged sword for entrepreneurs and would-be business owners; and this year’s 42ers deserve all the plaudits that come their way for navigating such troubled economic waters.  Read More

There is talent going untapped among young people in London and the South-East, and workplace learning can develop their skills,” says Chris Longmate, group managing director at Positive Outcomes, a nationwide independent training provider with offices in entral London.

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Longmate cites an example where workplace training transformed a school-leaver’s future. He recalls: “I remember one young man who
left school with no qualifications and started a job as a retail assistant.  His employer realised that he was keen to learn and offered him a level two apprenticeship in retail. “He successfully completed that and went on to do a level three, then a team leader qualification, followed by management training. He is now a regional manager with the company.”

Retail is just one of the sectors in which Positive Outcomes offers workbased apprenticeships. Many are in areas that are not traditionally associated with apprenticeships, including customer services, administration, management, warehousing and distribution,and some aspects of IT.

The company also offers corporate training and recruitment services.

“Many young people, parents and even employers do not realise the range of apprenticeships available,” says Martin Wright, head of training, development and quality at Positive Outcomes.

Apprentices sourced by Positive Outcomes work in sectors such as law,accountancy and estate agency, which are well represented among businesses in London and the South-East.

“The number of apprenticeships across the region has been growing as more companies realise what they offer. We now have over 250 vacancies across the area, and last year we placed 400 apprentices,”says Wright.

Positive Outcomes offers the full range of apprentice training, starting from Intermediate apprenticeships (level two), which is the usual entry level, and including advanced apprenticeships (a level three qualification equivalent to an A-level). It also offers higher apprenticeships in management, a Level 5 qualification that is the equivalent of some modules of a foundation
degree.

“Around nine in 10 of Positive Outcomes’apprentices go on to permanent jobs with their apprenticeship providers. Most of those we train start at level two and many progress up the ladder,” says Wright.

Positive Outcomes emphasises that successful placements are based on careful matching of apprentice and employer. Positive Outcomes then sources the apprentices, and once placed in the company, handles the training, which is mainly delivered on a one-to-one basis in the workplace.

The combination of recruitment and training makes it easy for employers to take on apprentices efficiently without having to devote expensive staff time to the task.  One employer that has used Positive Outcomes’ service is Just Costs Solicitors, which took on its first two apprentices in 2011.

Jon Codd, London office co-ordinator for Just Costs, says: “We took on two people who were introduced to us by Positive Outcomes on to the apprenticeship programme last year and both have proved excellent. Of the two trainees, one had completed A-levels and
chose the apprenticeship route over university, while the other left an A-level course to take up the apprenticeship.

“By using Positive Outcomes rather than dealing with recruitment ourselves, we avoided being bombarded with CVs that would have cost a lot of staff time and money.

“We had not taken apprentices before but we found Positive Outcomes’ service excellent. We will probably do the same again this year.”

MAKE THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITY

Candidates looking for apprenticeships can consult the vacancy lists on positiveoutcomes.org.uk or call on 0845 643 5566 to
find a suitable vacancy, and then apply through the site. They can also contact Positive Outcomes to explain what they are looking for, and the company will seek a suitable employer.

The service costs nothing as all training is fully funded through the Government training scheme for 16- to 18-year-olds. Apprentices are also paid by their employers, receiving at least the national minimum wage for apprentices, which is £2.60 an hour. However, many employers pay more.

Positive Outcomes also has Government funding for people of any age to take qualifications in the sectors it covers. Candidates
can boost their chances of getting apprenticeships by planning their CVs and interviews to showcase skills and experience that are
relevant to the vacancy.

“Cite any experience that is relevant for the role on your CV, whether gained through work experience, volunteering or part-time work,” advises Positive Outcomes’ Martin Wright.

Show enthusiasm for the role and demonstrate an interest in the sector, backed up by facts gained through research.

Companies know that younger apprentices are likely to have had little work experience so they look for evidence of useful skills and abilities gained though spare time activities, charity work, volunteering or hobbies.

Employers can find out more at positiveoutcomes.org.uk