What people say about us...
I discovered Dane Partnership whilst doing an internet search, and thank goodness I did! From the moment I met Lorna, I found her professional, warm, and felt instantly that she really understood the type of role that I was looking for. I have since been placed in a fantastic role, which I am extremely excited about. I would recommend Dane Partnership to anyone who is looking for recruitment services from a company that is genuinely interested in people and finding roles that suit individuals ...
Dane Partnership News
Below is the Dane Partnership News.
Farnborough Air Show
The Dane Partnership, in conjunction with the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, exhibited at the 2010 Farnborough Air Show. Particular interest was shown towards the JumpStart programme on the Friday of the show, which entitled 'Future's Day', was open to schools, colleges and universities. Both Natalie and Lorna attended wearing the newly branded 'JumpStart' t-shirts and talking to the employers, students and some potential customers from the HR, Training and Recruitment perspective meant this was a really worthwhile exercise for all concerned and great fun for us too!!
WHY I STARTED A FINISHING SCHOOL FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS AND GRADUATES
An article written by Lorna Dane, MD of the Dane Partnership - ALSO VISIT www.jumpstart.uk.com
Most school leavers and graduates are either blissfully unaware or already resigned to the fact of how hard it's going to be when they look for their first job. At the beginning of May, the government published figures showing 8% of the UK population are currently out of work, this is up 2% on the quarter and likely to rise. Graduate unemployment has soared by 44% in a year and at it's highest for more than a decade. It's hard enough for those out of work with good qualifications, a proven employment history, training and references to get back into a job, let alone those with little or nothing by way of work experience to get their first placement.
"There's a huge difference between taking exams and being ready for work."
The ironic thing is, about a quarter of businesses are still hiring in spite of the economic downturn, but when it comes to employing school leavers and graduates, many say "There's a huge difference between taking exams and being ready for work." Speaking from experience as an employer, HR consultant and a recruiter, it's clearly a big jump leaving full time education and too few youngsters have the basic skills in order to get a job, let alone hold one down for the longer term.
"More than half the applications were littered with spelling mistakes."
I have been asked to recruit school leavers and graduates on behalf of local employers for apprenticeships, placements and trainee positions. There has never been a shortage of applicants, but the standard is generally poor. Last month, in a timeframe of only 6 days, I received in excess of 100 responses to one single advertisement, and from those applications I can provide some startling statistics. 9 respondents forgot to attach a CV; only 8 individuals addressed me correctly i.e. 'Dear' rather than 'Hi', 'Hiya' or nothing at all; several wrote in reference to the wrong job title/company name and more than half the CVs were littered with spelling mistakes not to mention poor grammar and layout!
"Just the way he walked into the room set him apart from the others."
Things didn't get much better at the interview stages. Many candidates saunter in awkwardly and seat themselves waiting lethargically for something to happen. A few of the applicants got it right and at least seemed eager (if nervous) to start the discussions. In particular, one candidate came in, looked me straight in the eye, extended his hand to shake with an appropriate "Good afternoon" by way of greeting and just the way he walked into the room set him apart from the others.
" JumpStart - the finishing school for career seekers."
Having had similar experiences in the past, I developed a training course designed to give practical help to those making the transition between education and employment. It's been described as "a finishing school" but I see it as an intense one-on-one training programme which ensures the kind of mistakes I have written about in this article are not repeated by those who attend. The results have been excellent, and the testimonials speak for themselves. This is the type of hands-on support desperately needed to boost self-confidence, presentation and employability.
I recruited a trainee in January. By giving someone their first taste of permanent employment made a massive difference to them and is hugely rewarding for me in terms of watching their confidence and self-esteem grow. I'd encourage employers everywhere to do likewise so if you want to know more about employing a trainee, or indeed about JumpStart, get in touch.
Graeme Hutchison and the Three Peaks Challenge for Help for Heroes.
In August, Graeme will be raising money for Help for Heroes by taking on the Three Peaks Challenge. The challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks in the UK, Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon. Help of Heroes is a very topical charity making the lives of our wounded heroes better. It’s about the blokes, our men and women of the Armed Forces. It’s about Derek, a rugby player who has lost both his legs, it’s about Carl whose jaw is wired up so he has been drinking through a straw. It’s about Richard who was handed a mobile phone as he lay on the stretcher so he could say goodbye to his wife. It’s about Ben, it’s about Steven and Andy and Mark, it’s about them all. They are just blokes but they are our blokes; they are our heroes. We want to help our heroes.
Lorna Dane and The Riverside Show
The Riverside Show was the brain child of Tricia Harper. The reason? Tricia’s mother Susan Harper, one of Britain’s top breeders of children’s Show & Hunter Ponies & of Great Danes, was diagnosed with Leukaemia in January 2008. Susan was hospitalised for a year to undergo a Bone Marrow transplant and copious amounts of Chemo Therapy.
Susan spent a year in the Ayr Hospital and the Beatson Hospital in Glasgow, where the fabulous staff gave a huge amount of support and information to Susan and her family. The Bone Marrow Transplant was performed in Glasgow. Fortunately Susans sister Lorna Dane was a 100% match and was able to donate the Marrow (twice) for the implants. Although Susan is still undergoing some treatment she is feeling much better and is trying to move on with her life!
With this in mind Tricia and her family decided that the proceeds for the Charity show should go to Station 15 at Ayr Hospital and to Leukaemia Research since without them the treatment may never have been discovered. To donate please go to www.riversideshow.info
Jobsearch Support for Unemployed Professionals
We have for some years been able to offer 1:1, one day jobsearch (outplacement) assistance programmes to individuals and businesses who approached Dane Partnership direct, and now this extensive course will also benefit those who are referred to Dane Partnership via their local (Surrey/Hampshire/Berkshire) JobCentre Plus office. The programmes are run by the Dane Partnership, whose HR, Commercial and Recruitment backgrounds are best placed to offer a full and comprehensive workshop to those who come along.
Dane Partnership recently won a contract to supply the DWP (Department of Work & Pensions) with Jobsearch Support for those who are finding it more difficult to get back into employment, and for those who simply want our help, support and guidance throughout the job search and recruitment process.
The aim of what we do is to focus the time and efforts of those who seek new employment opportunities in the right direction, whilst offering practical support and advice during the search for a new job. Most people can turn a redundancy/unemployment situation into a more positive experience if they receive the correct professional advice and support. We always act in the attendee's best interests; flexibility with regards to the format and timing is key for us and for those who attend. In most cases, those who work with us find a new role quicker and more effectively than those who work without this level of assistance.
We don't simply run the courses and leave those who attend to fend for themselves either! Although the majority of the programme will be covered in the timeframe and within the specified subject headings, we know that 'one size does not fit all' and individual requirements may vary, so we try to be flexible enough to cover other subjects outside from the basic format too. We pride ourselves in being able (within reason) to offer sufficient flexibility and on going support in order to give those who use our services the best possible chance of achieving their end goal.
For more information, call Lorna on 01276 20444
Barcelona Rugby Tour
Dane Partnership are sponsored the "Barcelona Rugby Tour" shirts for Salesian College in Farnborough Under 15s in February 2009. The victorious team returned
unbeaten. Congratulations to all who took part.
